Bessie Marie Billingsley Zenier Schroeder
Bessie Marie Billingsley Zenier Schroeder peacefully passed away July 5, 2006, at Valley Vista Care Center, Sandpoint, Idaho.
She was born Dec. 15, 1908, in Waterville, Wash., to David and Arrie Billingsley.
She attended several schools in central Washington as her parents were homesteading, and graduated from Wenatchee High School in 1926.
She attended the University of Washington from 1927 to 1928.
She married Royden J. Zenier on March 27, 1932, in Wenatchee, Wash., and resided on the Billingsley Family cattle ranch at Palisades, Wash.
In 1945, the family moved to Bonners Ferry where they farmed in District 1. The marriage was later dissolved.
Bessie was a member of the former Readers' Club; E.T.C. (Eat, Tat and Chat) Extension Club; an active member of Chapter AP, P.E.O., having served in all the offices; and the United Methodist Church of Bonners Ferry.
Bessie was quietly proud of being in the forefront, along with Maxine Davidson, of establishing the Boundary County Scholarship, after her daughter Kay, then a freshman at the University of Idaho in 1955, noticed there were no scholarships available in Boundary County.
On Aug. 10, 1989, she married Elmer Schroeder of Moyie Springs, Idaho, who preceded her in death in 1998.
With the exception of short stays in Moscow, Idaho, and Palo Alto, Calif., Bonners Ferry had been her home for 57 years until she began residency at Valley Vista Care Center in Sandpoint in 2002.
She is survived by a stepdaughter, Eva (Tootie) Stephens and husband Earl, Moyie Springs; and daughters Kathryn Zenier Swenson, Moscow, (her children Mark (Dana), David (Sonia), Kristan (Scott) Mitchell, and Paul); Karen Zenier Pedey and husband Harvey, Bonners Ferry, (their children Bruce (Jan), Colleen (Gerry) Kelley, and Carla (John) Pedey-Braswell); Susan Zenier, Moscow; and Diane Zenier, Sandpoint, (her children Arrie (Josh) Frakes, and Benjamin Symmes); and 12 great-grandchildren.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her two brothers, Kirby Billingsley of Wenatchee, and Robert Billingsley of Palisades.
Burial took place in Waterville Cemetery, Waterville, Washington, on Wednesday, July 19, 2006, at 2 p.m., and a memorial service will be held on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2006, 2 p.m. at Bonners Ferry United Methodist Church.
To honor Bessie's love of education, the family has established the Bessie Zenier Schroeder Scholarship.
If desired, memorials may be made in her name to either this scholarship, c/o Wells Fargo Bank, P. O. Box 1509, Bonners Ferry, Idaho 83805; or to the United Methodist Church of Bonners Ferry, P. O. Box 103, Bonners Ferry, Idaho 83805; or to the charity of your choice.