Betty Buckmaster, 58

Betty Buckmaster, 58, went to be with Jesus on Thursday, July 8, 2004, in Sandpoint.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., Tuesday, July 13, 2004, at Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1900 Pine St., with Pastor Steve Nickodemus officiating. Burial will follow at Pinecrest Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be held 5-8 p.m., Monday, at Coffelt's Moon Chapel.

Betty was born Belty Gayle Higgins on Jan. 4, 1946, in Shelbyville, Ind., the daughter of Leonard and Alice (Krause) Higgins. Her family moved to Polson, Mont., when she was 14. In the same year, her father died. She graduated high school in Polson and worked for several years locally before serving in mission work overseas with Youth With A Mission.

Betty moved to Bozeman, Mont., to work in a YWAM training school. Betty met Bill Buckmaster in Bozeman and they were married on Dec. 24, 1977. After living in Bozeman for several years, they moved to Sandpoint.

Betty and Bill had two sons, Dean born in 1977 and David in 1979. Leslie, Betty's stepdaughter, was born in 1968. Betty was a loving, caring mother and wise grandmother and a devoted and faithful wife.

She loved teaching children and taught at Sunshine Learning Center for seven years. She then became the kindergarten teacher and administrator for Little Lambs Preschool and Kindergarten at Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. She especially loved teaching children to read and bringing them to know Jesus. Through Betty, a number of children came to know Jesus and were baptized.

Betty was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ and her faith brought her through her first fight with cancer 14 years ago. She believed in the resurrection from the dead through Jesus Christ and prepared her family, friends and church for her death. Her lifelong witness to Jesus as her Lord will never be forgotten.

Betty is survived by her husband, Bill Buckmaster; her mother, Alice Krause; two sons, Dean Buckmaster and David Buckmaster; a stepdaughter, Leslie Ruiz; four brothers, Jack Sheneman, Paul Sheneman, Michael Higgins and David Higgins. She leaves three grandchildren and four step-grandchildren, Lily, Auna, Gabriel, Sofia, Ashley, Kaley and Marian, as well as many grateful friends and children.

Betty requested that memorial gifts would go to Little Lambs School, 1900 Pine St., Sandpoint, Idaho 83864. Also a special thanks to Bonner Community Hospice, Mary, Lynnette, Sharon, Joanne and many other Christian friends who cared for Betty.

Arrangements are under the care of Coffelt Funeral Service of Sandpoint.