Yvonne G. Masters

Yvonne Brown Masters, 101 years of age, passed peacefully on Saturday, December 17, 2022.  Yvonne was born on July 11, 1921 in Lehi, Arizona to Herman Brown and Florence Valentine Brown.  Yvonne was the last surviving child of her family; her siblings were Gerald Brown, Barton Brown, Loree Brown and J. Elaine Brown.  Yvonne attended Arizona State College and Lamson Business College, later going to work for Pecos Valley Alfalfa Milling Company.  She met her future husband, Bob Masters, while working for the milling company. They were married in 1946 and soon after took ranching jobs in California and Arizona.

 During these ranching years, their three daughters, Deniece, Christie and Bobbi joined the family. Bob later went to work for the Arizona State Livestock Board.  In 1960, Bob’s job took the family to Window Rock, Arizona on the Navajo Indian Reservation to establish a brand inspection program for the tribe.  While in Window Rock, Yvonne worked for the school district and later became the first female manager of the First Navajo National Bank.  Bob and Yvonne also ran a trading post for a while and participated in 4H and booster club activities with their daughters.

In 1982, Bob and Yvonne moved to North Idaho to be closer to their daughter Bobbi and her family.   They settled in Naples and enjoyed having chickens, a horse and a milk cow. They delivered newspapers for the Sandpoint Daily Bee for several years.

Following Bob’s death in 1993, Yvonne moved to Sagle, living on the same property as her daughter Bobbi’s family.  She enjoyed good health and loved sitting in the sunshine. She also enjoyed jig saw puzzles with friends, reading good books, teaching primary children at the Westmond LDS church, keeping up on world news and was an avid sports fan, especially rodeos, the Seattle Mariners and Gonzaga basketball.

Yvonne is survived by her daughters Deniece Idoy (Danny) of Artesia, New Mexico, Christie Masters of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and Bobbi Hunting (Clint) of Sagle, Idaho.  She is also survived by five grandchildren; Ty Overson, Shea Watts (Rory), Teton Hillstrom (Ben), Tell Hunting (Hannah) and Ferrol Hunting (Alexis); as well as 18 great grandchildren and 7 great great grandchildren.

Services for Yvonne will be held at the Westmond Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at 10 a.m.  A viewing will precede the church service at 9:30 a.m. and a graveside service will follow at Pack River Cemetery at 1:30 p.m. 

The family wishes to thank all of the friends and family that spent hours at Yvonne’s bedside, the staff at Life Care Center of Sandpoint and the staff of Auburn Crest Hospice for their care and support during her last days.