Mindi Rae Bradetich

Mindi Rae Bradetich (64) passed away January 10, 2024 in Coeur d’Alene due to complications of chemotherapy.  

A memorial service will be held 11:00 AM on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at First Lutheran Church, 526 S. Olive Avenue in Sandpoint.  

Mindi was born September 13, 1959 in La Grande, Oregon, the second child of Ronald and Joan McCormick.  Her family also includes an older brother, Greg, and a younger sister, Terri.  The family had deep roots in Oregon, going back to the early days of the Oregon Trail.  Her great-great grandfather, Ben Brown, was one of the original settlers in the Grande Ronde Valley, and she was very proud to say his name was listed on the Oregon Trail monument there.    

In 1966 her family moved to Sandpoint where her father signed on as a forester for the Hedlund Lumber Company.  After a short time they bought a house on Sagle Road just above the grade school.  Very quickly they became a part of the close community there.  Mindi was a friend to everyone, and made many lasting relationships with her classmates.  She attended Sandpoint Junior High at the old building on Euclid Avenue, then Sandpoint High School where she graduated in 1977.  She was naturally outgoing, taking part in many clubs and organizations through her school years.  She was a member of the Lakeside Lakers 4-H club, Ponderettes Drill Team, Jobs Daughters, and was a cheerleader for the high school wrestling team.  In 1976 she was honored as one of the princesses for Sandpoint Junior Miss.  

In her later high school years, she began working part time at the Sandpoint dental office of Dr. Richard Neuder.  This sparked her interest and after graduation began pursuing a degree in dental hygiene.  She attended North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene then transferred to Carroll College in Helena, Montana.  She graduated from Carroll College in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree as a Registered Dental Hygienist.  Most of her career was spent in Sandpoint, working for Dr. Ronald Forsberg until his retirement in 2015, followed by Dr. John Wilson at Pine Street Dental until Mindi’s recent retirement in 2021.  

While in college she began dating one of her high school classmates, Doug Bradetich, and they married at the Presbyterian Church in Sandpoint on June 19, 1982.  She followed Doug through his forestry career to Spokane, Wenatchee, and back home again to Sandpoint, marking 41 years together this past June.  Together they raised three girls, Stacey, Amy, and Erin.  Mindi was a devoted mother, quite often taking on the role of “team mom” with various school, club and sports events.  She was a long-time member of Sandpoint Beta Sigma Phi, Sagle Helping Hands, and president of Bonner Women in Timber.

Her family and friends were of greatest importance to her, and she will be missed by many.  She was especially thrilled to see the birth of her four grandchildren.  She is survived by her husband Doug Bradetich, Sagle; daughters Stacey Bradetich, San Francisco; Amy (Paul) Gunter, Sagle; Erin (Tanner) Roos, Sandpoint; grandchildren Lyla Jo and Silas Gunter, Reagan and Tucker Roos. She is also survived by her brother Greg (Pam) McCormick, Kelso, WA; sister Terri (Cliff) Benda, St Maries; and many extended family members.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Ron and Joan McCormick.

In leu of flowers, the family requests donations to a charity you feel best honors Mindi’s legacy.