Eva Louise Findlay

Eva Louise Mecham Herbst Findlay, 86, passed away August 26, 2017 at The Gables in Shelley.

She was born September 4, 1930 in Dr. Beck’s Hospital in Blackfoot, Idaho to Leo Moroni and Blanche Macella Crofts Mecham. She grew up in Firth and graduated from Firth High School.

Eva helped her dad on the farm picking potatoes, thinning beets, driving derrick horse, doing chores but didn’t have to milk the cows. She liked driving the tractor the most even when she had to replace the fence posts she took out with the side rake.

She married Vern Ray Herbst in 1948. She worked a t the state Hospital for a couple years until she had her baby and had to quit. They had a daughter, Rhea Ann after ten years of marriage which was like a miracle. She worked for a few years as an insurance agent secretary. Eva and Vern were later divorced and she married Ralph B. Findlay in Reno, NV on July 20, 1974. He worked for the US Geological Survey making maps. They moved to several western states with the job. She liked the mapping experience in Death Valley and Winnie, Texas near the Gulf of Mexico. They lived in a 40 foot fifth wheel trailer so it wasn’t too much to have to move on an average of every six months or so. Ralph died suddenly of a stroke on November 1, 1989.

She came back to her home in Blackfoot where she spent most of her time in her big vegetable and flower gardens and working in her yard. She was active in the LDS church and was a visiting teacher. She loved Relief Society and was called the “Quilting Specialist: and she specially loved to go to the temple. She worked in the Blackfoot Family History Center. While there she did extensive Genealogy searches and took many names through the temple in Idaho Falls.

She went to Florence, AZ for quite a few winters to visit with her sister, Elaine. She especially like going swimming five days a week while there. Later she could no longer drive that far nor do the garden and yard work because of her back problems. So she spent her time with hand crafting work, mainly crocheting afghans, she always seemed to be working on an afghan. She also belonged to the Bingham County Humane Society and fostered many kittens until they were old enough to be adopted. Most of the time they were rescued from the shelter. Many times they were so young they had to be hand fed with a bottle.

Eva is survived by her daughter, Rhea A. (John) Cunningham, one granddaughter, Amanda (Ken) Jensen, three grandsons, Justin H. Dimmick, Jacob E. (Letitia) Dimmick and Mickey A. DeGregorio, 15 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild, one brother, Devon W. (DeeAnn) Mecham.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Ralph B. Findlay, two brothers, Deloy Mecham and Donald Mecham, two nephews, Shane Mecham and Raymond Frost.

Funeral services will be held 11:00 A.M. Thursday, August 31, 2017 at the Blackfoot 11th Ward Chapel (660 Teton Road). The family will meet with friends Wednesday evening from 6:00 till 7:30 P.M. at Nalder Funeral Home (110 West Oak) in Shelley and Thursday morning from 10:00 till 10:40 A.M. at the church. Burial will be in the Grove City Cemetery.