Obituary of Euphora D Mower

Euphora “Forsie” Mower

June 13, 1920 – March 9, 2024

Euphora “Forsie” Mower lived a long, happy life nearly reaching her 104^th birthday.

She was born June 13, 1920, in Beatrice, Nebraska to Vernon and Mae Soper, and was the youngest of nine children. Her dad had “itchy feet” and moved the family quite often. In 1927 he loaded the family into a make-shift motorhome built on a 1925 Model T Ford chassis and moved them all to Idaho.

They slowly moved across the country working a few weeks in different towns along the way. Their first home in Idaho was in Murtaugh. After harvest season that year they moved to Buhl where she was enrolled in the 3^rd grade. After surviving an outbreak of Diphtheria, the family moved to Nyssa where she finished the 3rd grade. From there they moved to New Plymouth where they stayed until Forsie graduated from high school in 1937. In 1938, the family moved again, this time to Caldwell.

Forsie was a hard worker, holding many housekeeping jobs and working in the fields before getting a job at Caxton Printers in Caldwell in 1941.

She met the love of her life, Edward Mower, in 1939. They married on Christmas Eve, 1942 when she was 22 and they shared their lives together for 72 years, until he passed away in 2014.

Since they married during World War II and Ed served in the military, they traveled to wherever he was stationed until he was sent to serve overseas in the European Theater. Her love and prayers sustained him as he suffered through and survived the famous Battle of the Bulge.

While he was overseas, she returned to Caldwell and went to work for Western Auto Store in sales, shipping and eventually in the office. Ed was finally able to return home in 1945 and they continued to live in Caldwell until 1948 when Ed enrolled in the Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, Oregon where he studied refrigeration. Their daughter Cynthia Ann was born in Klamath Falls in 1949.

In 1952, the family moved to Nampa where Ed bought a refrigeration business and son Kirk Edward was born.   

Forsie spent many years as a homemaker. She was a wonderful wife and mother, truly making the house a happy home. Her home was filled with wonderful smells and tastes. Not only did she enjoy cooking and baking, but she also loved to sew, cross stitch, embroider, and crochet. She could frequently be heard humming and singing around the house.

She had a green thumb and loved to garden. During the summer you would always find lots of tomatoes, green beans and radishes on the table. She also canned food for her family, not only preserving what she grew, but visits to the local orchards meant canned fruit, especially peaches.

She was close to her children and she made sure her children were able to participate in activities. She was a leader for her daughter for 4-H and Girl Scouts, her son attended Boy Scouts, and both kids were able to participate in the sports they enjoyed.

When her children were grown, she went to work for the Canyon County Assessor where she retired in 1982.

Forsie and Ed gave their family a love of the outdoors. You would frequently find they were out camping, fishing and hunting, something they also went on to share with grandchildren. They loved to travel. When the kids were grown, they took several trips to different states across the U.S. with special trips to Hawaii and Alaska.

She and Ed loved to dance, they especially loved to square dance, but if square dancing wasn’t available, round dancing or even ballroom dancing would suffice. She also enjoyed playing cards, especially pinochle.

Euphora lived through a century of major changes. She lived through the Great Depression, World War II, the dropping of the atomic bomb at the end of WWII, and the several wars that followed, including the Cold War. The world made its final transition from horse and buggy to automobiles. She watched men be sent into space and walk on the moon. She lived in the new computer age and had the courage to learn how to use one when she was in her 80’s.

After Ed’s death she reluctantly moved into assisted living where she met many new friends.

Forsie was preceded in death by her parents, eight siblings, and her dear husband Ed.

She is survived by children Cynthia (Eddy) Schmierer, Kirk (Marilyn) Mower; grandchildren Kimberly (Russ) Stump, Amy Schmierer, Kyle (Sarah) Mower, Brandi Mower, Brooke (Randy) Draper, Robbie (Savanah) Traudt, Greg (Molly) Traudt; 12 great-grandchildren, 4 great-great-grandchildren, 2 nieces and 2 nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks a donation be sent to a favorite charity or organization.

Please join Forsie’s family to remember and celebrate her life:

Gathering

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

4 – 6 p.m.

Flahiff Funeral Chapel – Caldwell,

624 Cleveland Blvd., Caldwell, Idaho

Graveside service

Thursday, March 21, 2024

1-2 p.m.

Hillcrest Memorial Gardens

Indiana Ave.

Caldwell, Idaho