Betty Reese

1/11/1927 — 1/6/2015

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Betty Jo Jacobs Reese, the shining light and matriarch of our family, passed Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, just five days short of her 88th birthday from complications caused by multiple myeloma at Clearwater Valley Medical Center in Orofino, surrounded by her family. She will be greatly missed.

She taught us all unconditional love. She was such a bubbly, positive and generous person who still worried about her children and family members to a fault (even though we are all grown and some of us are in our 60s). She was the perfect wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend.

Mom was born Jan. 11, 1927, to Arthur Lawson Anderson and Madge Robeson Anderson in Agatha. Mom attended one-room schools in Lenore, Myrtle and Black School up Cottonwood Creek and graduated in 1945 as valedictorian from Lapwai High School.

Mom married Boyd Jacobs on May 27, 1944, and throughout their years of marriage had seven children. Early in their marriage, they lived at Lapwai on McCormick Ridge and farmed with Boyd's father, William. In 1953, they moved to Lewiston, where they owned and operated Campbell's Corner from 1955 to 1964. The marriage ended in divorce in September 1964.

Mom taught her children life lessons of commitment and the value of hard work. She instilled in us a strong sense of family and loyalty. All seven of her children are loyal to each other to a fault. She taught us all how to laugh and share memories of good times, how to persevere and make it through life without complaints. Our family reunions were an accumulation of memories and laughs that we rehearsed and kept alive.

In 1968, we almost lost our mother to a horrific car accident. She knew that she couldn't leave her seven children alone, so with a strong determination and the grace of God, she recovered. During this long recovery, our mother would not take any governmental assistance. This instilled into her children a sense of hard work and togetherness to make it through even life's toughest times.

To make ends meet and to support her seven children, mom worked two jobs. Mom worked at the Tap Room from 1964 to 1967 and at Nelson's Restaurant in Clarkston. Mom was a dispatcher at the Lewiston Police Department from 1967 to 1970 and then went to work at the Nez Perce County Auto License Department from 1970 to 1975. She also worked at the Long Branch and Arbor from 1970 to 1975. In the early 1970s, a second marriage to Robert Aldrich ended in divorce.

In 1975, mom moved to Kamiah and married Clint Reese on June 28, 1976. Mom worked at the Clearwater County Sheriff's Office as a dispatcher and secretary from 1975 to 1980. Mom and Clint operated an auction service and C&R Storage and traveled throughout the United States collecting antiques before retiring in 1993. They were snowbirds and spent their winters in Quartzite, Ariz., meeting up with many friends from Kamiah and also making new friends in Arizona.

Mom is survived by her husband of 38 years, Clint, in Kamiah; her seven children, Marcia (David) Cook of Las Vegas, Gail (Jeremy) Giard of Clarkston, Vickie (Donald) Gray of Asotin, Michael (Cheryle) Jacobs of Clarkston, Patrick Jacobs of Lewiston, John (Carrie) Jacobs of Clarkston and Keith (Kim) Jacobs of Kamiah; and stepchildren Lori Roberts and Steve (Mary)

Reese; 20 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; three stepgrandchildren and three stepgreat-grandchildren. She is also survived by sisters Rachel (Gene) Bonnalie of Orofino and Anna Woodland of Lewiston; and brother Leroy (Irene) Anderson of Lewiston; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Madge Anderson; brother and sister-in-law, Ernie (Maxine) Anderson of Craigmont; brother-in-law, Jack Woodland of Lewiston; and stepson, Steve Reese of Lewiston.

In the Book of Hebrews it says "these being dead still speak." The voice of our mother continues to speak in and through our lives today. Her children "rise and call her blessed." We all consider ourselves blessed to call her our mom.

Honoring Betty's wishes, cremation has taken place, and a memorial celebrating Betty's life will be held in April.

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