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Margaret Meneice
Margaret Lucille Meneice, 94, passed away on Friday, Jan. 15, 2010, at Highland Estates in Burley.
Margaret was born in Nampa, Idaho, to John Albert Carlberg and Emma Fay McCumber Carlberg on Oct. 24, 1915. She grew up in Little Valley and graduated from Bruneau High School.
She worked several jobs during her teen years to help her family after her father's death in 1925. She learned to cook at the Oregon Trail Restaurant and then went to work at the Red Horse gold mine as a cook for the mining crew. Margaret had the gold bug and truly loved the time she spent in the mountains, always hoping for the big lode. In 1936, she married Ralph Whitson. When World War II broke out, they moved to California, where she worked for North American Aircraft Company building the B-24 bomber as a "Rosie the Riveter." After the war, she stayed at home and helped with her younger brother, Jerry, for some time. The mining bug hit them again and they returned to Mountain Home and the Red Horse mine.
After hard times, she and Ralph separated and later divorced. She went to work in Bliss and met Robert Meneice. She moved back to Mountain Home where her relationship with Bob continued and they were married in 1952. She continued to work in the restaurant business for several more years. In 1953, their only child, Jeanne, was born.
Margaret's resume continued to grow as she worked at Mountain Home Air Force Base in the repairable processing section and then in the base commissary office. She retired from the Air Force in 1974, and worked for several years at Pierce Rose Floral and the Dress Shop.
Margaret always loved growing plants and started a greenhouse selling bedding plants and flowers each spring. She and Bob raised a large garden and grew grapes, raspberries and strawberries.
She enjoyed music, reading, needlework and even tried her hand at oil painting.
Her pets were very special to her. She loved horses and she taught the dogs to do tricks.
Her family and friends were always very important to her. She was a very special aunt and second mother to several of her nieces and nephews.
Robert died in 1989 and Margaret moved to Burley, to be near Jeanne and her family. She lived by herself until she was 93. In May, she moved into Highland Estates Assisted Living Center.
Margaret is survived by her daughter, Jeanne (Alan) Hunter of Burley; her grandchildren, Jeremy (Emilee) Hunter of Twin Falls, and Jason (JaNell) Hunter of Burley, two great-grandsons, Kole and Garrett, and several nieces and nephews that she loved very much.
She was preceded in death by: her husband, Robert; her parents; a sister, Arlyss Bastida; a half-brother, Jerry McCullough; and a nephew, David McCullough.
The family would like to thank Lisa Oakes, the staff at Highland Estates, Idaho Home Health and Hospice and Intermountain Hospice who so lovingly cared for Margaret in the last few months of her life.
The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 23, at the Mountain Home LDS Stake Center, 1150 N. 8th East St., in Mountain Home, where friends and family may call one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in the Mountain View Cemetery under the direction of the Rasmussen Funeral Home of Burley.