Lucille Holt-Sloan

Lucille Holt Sloan, 94, passed away in her sleep at The Bridge Assisted Living in Sandpoint on Thursday, January 1, 2015. She will be greatly missed by her family and many friends. Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 am on Friday, January 9, 2015 in Coffelt’s Funeral Chapel with Pastors Steven Nickodemus and Fred Page III of Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church officiating. Interment will take place in Pinecrest Memorial Park. Gweneth Lucille Wilson was born on July 12, 1920, the daughter of Charles P. and Reland R. Wilson and raised on the family farm in Glade, Kansas. Upon her graduation from 8th grade in 1934 the Great Depression and Dust Bowl forced the family to move to Salem, Oregon where she attended Salem High School. After graduating high school in 1938, she attended Oregon State College of Education in Monmouth, Oregon, and by taking classes’ year around she completed her degree in August of 1940. While attending high school Lucille met and became best friends with Marie Holt. Marie introduced Lucille to her brother Kenneth E. Holt whom she married on September 2, 1939. They enjoyed 56 years of marriage before his death in 1995. After teaching 1st and 2nd grade for several years in Valsetz, Oregon where Kenneth worked in the area they purchased a farm near Aurora. There they began their family of four boys. Living near Aurora Lucille taught school and Kenneth worked for Union Oil Co. while raising thousands of chickens and growing acres of carrots commercially on their farm. In 1949 they sold their farm and moved to Sandpoint where they owned and operated the OK Tire Store for many years. A short time after moving to Sandpoint Lucille resumed her teaching career, teaching 5th and 6th grade in many schools in Bonner County. She was a teacher to all of her sons, a niece and her daughter-in-law. When her oldest son Gene and her niece JoAnnette were in her 6th grade class all the boys called her Mom and the girls called her Auntie Ceil. Lucille and Kenneth raised 4 boys and often had many more at the dinner table. Lucille was a wonderful loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and teacher. It was her nature to be kind, charitable and caring. She loved children and tutored numerous students in reading. Lucille also volunteered her time as a “Pink Lady” at Bonner General Hospital for many years and transported numerous cancer patients (children and adults) to Spokane for treatment. Lucille was a member of Martha Chapter #34 of the Order of Eastern Star where she once served as Worthy Matron and also held the office of Grand Chaplain of the Grand Chapter of Idaho of the Order of Eastern Star. She was a member of Alpha Delta Kappa an international honorary organization of women educators dedicated to educational excellence, altruism and worldwide understanding. Lucille, Kenneth and their family belonged to First Christian Church in Sandpoint where she faithfully taught Sunday school. After retiring to Yuma, Arizona, she and Kenneth joined the congregation of First Christian Church of Yuma. When Lucille returned to Sandpoint she became a member of Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church and hosted a bible study in her home until her death. She was a true believer in Jesus Christ. Lucille was an excellent home maker who loved to entertain guests in her home. She enjoye3d cooking and no one ever went hungry in the Holt household. She loved to sew, quilt, and make beautiful pine needle baskets. Many family and others were the proud recipients of one of her quilts. She enjoyed going to water aerobics at SWAC daily until she was 93 years old. She looked forward to going to lunch with the water aerobics ladies once a month and continued to do so even after she was unable to continue the exercise due to her health. Lucille met her second husband Russell A. Sloan at church while living in Yuma. They were married on December 21, 1998. Russell passed away in the fall of 2001. He was a fine man and a very good addition to her life and family. Lucille is survived by three sons: Cecil Eugene (Gloria) Holt of Sandpoint, Raymond K (Norma) Holt of Dover, and James D. (Jacki) Holt of Sandpoint, a daughter-in-law Donna J. (Charles) Holt of Boise, two step-daughters, Lynn (Frank) Tice of Westminster, CO, and Ranae (Dan) Sizemore of Yuma, AZ and one brother William L. (Pearl) Wilson of Vancouver, WA. Also surviving are her grandchildren Luera Holt, Dean Holt, Troy Holt, Jeff Holt, Mark Holt, Kristi Armstrong, Melissa Witt, Brian Holt and a step granddaughter Brandy Frabizio along with 11 great grandchildren, six nieces and three nephews. Lucille was preceded in death by her husband Kenneth E. Holt, her son Charles E. Holt, a granddaughter Pamela E. Holt, her second husband Russell A. Sloan, her parents Charles and Reland Wilson, two brothers, Raymond Wilson and Everett Wilson and one sister-in-law Peggy (Wilson) Roundy. In lieu of flowers you may honor Lucille by making a contribution to any Hospice or the American Cancer Society. We extend special heartfelt thanks for the loving care Mom received from the staff at the Bridge Assisted Living and Auburn Crest Hospice. She loved you all.