Alta Mae Doremus

Alta Mae Doremus lived a beautiful 90 years this side of heaven before leaving us suddenly on June 27^th. Through the grief, we can CELEBRATE a life well-lived for our Lord Jesus Christ and even REJOICE at how He carried this precious daughter so tenderly into eternity.

“Nana”, as her family affectionately knew her, was a walking history book. She could recount for you in perfect detail all about her growing up on a farm in Mt. Home, Idaho. It was there that she met the love of her life at the sweet age of 16. Robert “Bob” Lemuel Doremus was a 21-year-old airman just back from 50 missions in WWII. He swooped in to win the heart of this young beauty and, within a matter of months, they began the marriage of a lifetime.

In two years’ time, Bob and Alta had a baby girl (Barbara), followed by another daughter (Sharon) and a son (Bob, Jr.) The couple walked, sometimes struggled and often sailed through many an adventure and even times of painful loss. In October of 2007, Alta said a goodbye for now to her husband of 63 years as Bob Sr. went to be with the Lord.

In the midst of pain and change and an inevitable “getting older,” Alta’s fire burned brightly – possibly brighter. A joy found in Jesus Christ and a desire to look more like Him eked out of this woman into all of her relationships. With great care and stunning accuracy, Alta kept up on the details of her friends, her Bible study group sisters, her kids, her grandkids and her 13 great grandkids (and counting!). “Where will those little feet take you?” she would wonder aloud about her great grandkids. It was an others-centric love that was so vivid until the day she went to Glory.

And now here we are:  a host of individuals profoundly impacted by the life of Alta Mae Doremus. Not a one of us has to contrive a nice-sounding sentiment or a kind thought, yet we know she would want all of that praise pointed to her Savior: Alta loved well because of Jesus. Alta was grace-filled because of Jesus. Alta was gentle because of Jesus. Alta was thoughtful, intuitive, spunky, encouraging, truly LOVELY because of Jesus. And Alta’s bright blue eyes saw people in a way that dismissed petty faults and celebrated what made each individual so special because of Jesus.

Nana, we will continue to praise Jesus for all He has done through you until we embrace you again.

Your life here was truly one worth CELEBRATING!

John 11:25-26 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.”

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to NW Furniture Bank.

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