Elsie Olivia Marks

Elsie Olivia Jorgenson Hall Marks was born December 18, 1920 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the youngest child of Viggo Valdemar and Elsie Olivia Jorgenson. Her parents had recently emigrated from New Zealand so their children could be raised in Zion. Nine days after Elsie’s birth her mother contracted pneumonia and passed away. Due to work and caring for their other 3 small children, Viggo allowed Elsie to be adopted by John Edward and Ella Hall. She grew up as a city girl with the cement sidewalks and the bus system of Salt Lake. She loved to go listen to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. She attended the Salt Lake Granite High School. At age 18 she met and married the love of her life, Blaine Marks, on December 4, 1939. They had 3 children while living in Salt Lake, Rex (Roy Utah), Elaine (Provo, Utah), and Glen (Sagle, Idaho). In 1945 they moved to Kennewick, Washington where Blaine worked for the Hanford Nuclear plant during WWII, there they had 4 more children, Miriam (Hyrum, Utah), Maurine (now residing in China Grove, North Carolina), Delilah (Logan, Utah), and Wiley (Hauser Lake, Idaho). In 1951 they moved to Sandpoint, Idaho to a 80 acre dairy farm just east of Kootenai, where they had 4 more children, Rose (Atlanta, Georgia), Guy (Sandpoint, Idaho), Hal (proceeded Elsie in death 7/4/1957 and John (Laclede, Idaho). They owned and operated the A & W Root Beer restaurant in Ponderay from 1962 to 1972. Elsie was very active in her faith and church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Blaine and Elsie’s marriage was solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple in 1945. She was also active with the Bonner County PTA for many years, including serving as the Kootenai School PTA president. After retiring Blaine and Elsie became snow birds, wintering at the “Good Life” in Mesa, Arizona and summering at Yellowstone Park, both working in the Lower Hamilton Store. After Blaine’s passing in 1985 Elsie settled down in the Sandpoint area. She loved to go to Walmart most every week, where she became beloved by many of the employees and known as Miss Sunshine. Elsie is survived by 10 children listed above, 64 grandchildren and 174 great grandchildren, and 12 great great grandchildren. Elsie was best known as “Mom” and “Grandma” even by many who were not her own children. Elsie very peacefully passed away on October 10, 2011 at “Hearthstone Village” in Kootenai, Idaho. All of the Hearthstone staff and friends have made it a very loving home for Elsie for the last 3 years. Funeral services will be conducted 11:00AM, Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Stake Center, 602 Schweitzer Cut-off Rd, Sandpoint Idaho. Interment will follow in Pinecrest Memorial Park.