Alice Hicks, 100

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Alice Elaine Fletcher Hicks, 100, of Mountain Home, died Dec. 11, 2005.

Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 16, at Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel, in Mountain Home.

Alice was born July 29, 1905, in Mountain Home, the daughter of Elijah and Ethel Fletcher. Her father was a sheepman of Camas and Elmore Counties. When the sheep market dropped, he moved his family to Pine Grove where he was employed by the Franklin Mine. In 1909, he went to Three Creek where he was the General Manager of Kittie Wilkins' Sheep Outfit. At that time there was a gold rush in Jarbidge, Nev., so he relocated and filed on three claims. He moved his family to Jarbidge and Alice attended her first six years of school there.

In 1919, her father bought Fir Grove Ranch on Camas Prairie and again went into the sheep business. Alice spent her summers on the ranch and winters in Gooding and graduated from Twin Falls High School in 1922, at the age of 16.

She attended Gooding College and began her teaching career in Mackay, Idaho, in 1926. Thereafter, she taught at Murphy, Hill City, Ririe, Bruneau, Riddle, Mountain Home, Featherville, Grand View, and retired from teaching at Mountain Home in 1970.

Alice married Earl D. Hicks in 1931, and they had five sons.

She loved nature and enjoyed fishing, camping, hiking in the hills or desert where she cataloged the varieties and species of flowers, trees, minerals and animals.

Alice was active in the Congregational Church, as well as several clubs and held several offices within those clubs. The clubs included Pioneer Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, The Huguenot Society of Idaho, The Colonial Dames XVII Century, Elmore County Historical Society, Eastern Star, Odd Fellow Lodge, Alpha Delta Kappa Teacher's Sorority, Eureka Rock and Gem Club, Mountain Home Education Society, Parent Teacher's Society, Rebekah's Lodge, Mountain Home Toastmistress Club, American War Mothers Chapter #1 of Elmore County, Treasure Valley Genealogical Society, and Sons and Daughters of Idaho Pioneers.

For 13 years she prepared a pioneer historical account of events in early Elmore County and published "Our Heritage" quarterly for members of the Elmore County Historical Society.

Alice is survived by: four sons, Bruce and his wife, Ralene, of Mountain Home, Lisle and his wife, Donna, of Washington, Rick and his wife, Eugenia, of California, and Robin and his wife, Cheryl, of Mountain Home, in addition to numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl, one son, Lauren, and three brothers.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to a charity of choice.