Jean Kurrus, 79

"Bingo," Jean yelled. "Bingo" and entered into the pearly gates for eternity in glory on June 23, 2004.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, June 25, 004, at the Pack River Cemetery, located at the corner of Selle and Colburn Culver Roads with Ward Tollbom delivering the eulogy.

Jean Kurrus was born in Glasgow, Mont., on Jan. 7, 1925. She perfected the art of invisible china doll repair and resorted antique dolls from around the country. After moving to Sandpoint, she worked as a bookkeeper for Murphy's Repair and Michigan Greenhouse.

She lost her first husband in World War II, not to the war but to a German gal. That was a huge hurt. A few years later, she met Les as he was traveling in an air show for the Air Force. Four days later they were married. That marriage lasted more than 50 years.

Growing up in Kurrus home was like a scene out of Nic at Nite. No, not "Leave it to Beaver" or "Father Knows Best." More like "I Love Lucy." Mom tried to hurry the defrosting of the refrigerator with an electric frypan. The whole inside of our new fridge melted. There were chocolate bars hidden in the dryer and Christmas presents in the boat.

Then along came "Maude," outspoken and sometimes brash, with a little "Roseanne" thrown in to make the mix interesting. Mom yearned for her own "Brady Bunch." When they couldn't conceive a child of their own, they adopted a daughter who would remain an only child for 11 years. We all wanted more, so we asked Santa for a sister and Mom and Dad adopted another daughter, who came into our family with her bow and arrow and a 'tude. Not giving up, a son was added to the bunch two years later.

Everyone liked to come to our house to play with "Big Mamma" at the lake. We had to really run to keep up with Mom and Dad, after all, they were going to be water skiing way into their 70s. but we all had lots of fun with the butt-buster, water skiing, skinny-dippin', homemade ice cream, camping in the army tent freezing our buns until water into November, fishing off the dock and sitting around the campfire.

When life got touch and Dad lost his job in 1967, they packed us all up and headed for Sandpoint and more adventure. Mom sacrificed her antique doll collection to keep us going while they tried to start a new business selling motorcycles. They were there to help form the Ridgerunner motorcycle club and we were off every weekend to the races and up to the mountains for late-night searches for UFOs that were reportedly scouting Sandpoint back in the 1960s.

Life was tough but good and never dull. Mom loved us and wanted only the best for us. These were the "Best Years of Our Lives," and truly "Happy Days." Then there came the "Touched by an Angel" sightings. She'd call 911 for everything. Once she called when she thought she had seen a llama or was it an angel? We saw a cougar at our house and, two days later, she called 911 to report it.

In her last few years, there was a lot of "Bette Davis" in her eyes. Last, but not least, let's not forget "Maxine." You know, the ole gal that adorns the greeting cars. Maxine always has a smart remark and observation about life that somehow mirrors Mom's. Mom was outspoken and we'd cringe as we went out to shop and she'd respond with "Ah, shut up" as someone would wish her a merry Christmas. She'd say, "The golden years suck." Used to hate that little quip until we discovered as you get older, life really does suck. Even though we were embarrassed, the clerks usually got a big kick out of her antics.

She taught us about perseverance, strength, resourcefulness, honesty, kindness, humor and spunk. Heaven will never be the same after she gets up there. We cringe to think about what she's up to. Hope there's bingo up there somewhere to keep her busy and out of trouble.

The legacy she would want to leave is that the greatest thing in the world is love. She had a hard time showing it sometimes, but in her heart, it was always the most important thing. With her animals, she always felt unconditional love. I believe that's what God's love is all about, too. He wants us to seek Him and he offers us unconditional love in return.

She had a great faith in the Lord and having her family saved and "in the fold" was very important to her.

She is survived by her children, Leslie Maxey of Sagle, Kendell Simm and her husband, Bill, of Skagway, Alaska, and Kris Kurrus and his wife, Stacie, of Spokane; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A sister, Bess Neufeld, resides in Kalispell,Mont. Two adopted cats that have spent the last few years giving her a reason to live also survive her. She was preceded in death by her husband, Les, and her parents.

Memorials may be made in Jean's honor to Bonner Community Hospice, P.O. Box 1448, Sandpoint, Idaho, 83864; or Lifetime Friends Animal Sanctuary, P.O. Box 54, Careywood, Idaho, 83809.

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