- Date Of Birth: January 3, 1933
- Date Of Death: September 26, 2017
- State: Idaho
Bobbe Eloise Lee (Bowen) Doty passed away in her home on September 26, 2017, at the age of 84, with her family by her side.
Bobbe was born January 3, 1933 in Dove Creek, Colorado. In the 1940s the family moved to Brewster, Kansas, her mother’s home town (population 408), where she was raised and her parents resided until their passing.
Eloise, or ‘Loisy’, as those back home knew her, graduated from Brewster Consolidated School in 1950. Along with working at the local restaurant, she participated in many activities, as her graduating class consisted of 17 people. Bobbe often said, “Everyone had to participate in everything in order to make it work.” She played flute in the band, acted in plays, and played basketball. She was so good at basketball that when an opposing team didn’t have enough players she was the one most likely chosen to be on their team. Whatever team she was on most often won. Her integrity and ethics were some of her best qualities.
Bobbe earned scholarships for basketball and teacher’s college. Instead she chose to go to Business School in Colorado. When she graduated, she moved to Idaho where her sister, Zeda, and her husband were living.
Her high school graduating class motto: Write injuries in the dust – but kindness in the stone.
That’s how Mom lived her life. Many times as kids we caused her an undue amount of frustration but the one thing we could always count on was that Mom was always there – no matter what – she never once stopped loving her family – and we never once stopped loving her.
Don and Bobbe were married in Meridian, Idaho, on January 22, 1955. They lived briefly in Fort Morgan, Colorado, and moved back to Meridian. They mainly lived out on the family farm off Highway 20 and Meridian Road. First in the ‘little house’, then in the ‘big house’ where Don grew up, until around 1976.
Bobbe started working at the Idaho First National Bank (West One Bank in1989 and US Bank since 1995) in the late 1950’s. She retired from the bank after 30 years in the late 1980s. She was present while several robberies occurred during her time at the Eagle branch.
In the mid-1970s, Don and Bobbe bought property up in Donnelly, Idaho, and they and the kids and grandkids had a great time up in the mountains on weekends during the summer. What she enjoyed most was the quiet, the campfires, friends and family, and no TV. The kids, grandkids and even some of the great-grandkids would often go and play outside for hours on end.
Bobbe was never one to set around, so she went back to work after finding retirement somewhat boring. Though people were reluctant to hire her as she was so overqualified, she worked at Rite Aid for a bit and beginning about 1990 helped open Meridian Academy, the first alternative high school in Meridian, setting up the computer lab, and retiring a second time in 1998. One of Bobbe’s funniest memories from the Academy was thumping a student on the top of his head who wasn’t paying attention. She said she didn’t have any more problems with him after that.
Bobbe Doty was preceded in death by her son, Alan M. Doty, and her husband, Donald D. Doty. She is survived by her son, Terry D. (Lynne) Doty, daughter, Shelly M. Doty, six grandchildren, six great grandchildren, one brother, Larry (Ruth) Bowen of Rocky Face, GA, and many nieces and nephews.
