Edith Evelyn Kinney
June 22, 1920-Sept. 26, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 10:34 AM PDT
Vale
Edith Evelyn Kinney, 89, Vale, went on to be with the Lord in Vale at Pioneer Place, peacefully of natural causes, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009, at the Vale Christian Church. Pastor Clayne Beck is officiating.
Edith was born June 22, 1920, in Oakley, Idaho. The only daughter of Daniel and Mabel Banks Tolman, one of 10 children. She grew up during the great depression working very hard at an early age caring for many brothers. Her dad taught her to bake 12 loaves of bread every other day at the age of 11. During her senior year of high school, which she graduated in 1938, she married Avery Merritt and had two children, Garry and Nila Mae. She later divorced.
She worked and managed multi-cafes around the valley. In 1942, she began housing and cooking for “Bully Creek Gun Club.” She was the last of the original members. She served many members and guests around her table from 1942 to 2000. In 1955, she met and married Claude Kinney on April 3. They had 42 wonderful years together. They had a son, Randy Kinney. Her family grew with two stepsons, Ed and Gary Kinney.
After the great flood of 1957, Claude and Edith began their land leveling business, which lasted 40 years. In 1960, Claude and Edith built the “Starlite Cafe” and operated it until it was sold in 1965. Edith was well known for her great home-cooked meals and especially her pies. She later owned two cafes, one in Salem and Jordan Valley, Ore.
She enjoyed traveling; she was an avid fisherman and volunteered at the senior center. She was dedicated to her BIG family and loved getting together and the annual reunions.
In 1975, after losing their daughter, Nila Mae, they began raising Tony Kinney, Nila's son.
Edith is survived by her son, Garry Merritt, of Salmon, Idaho; son, Randy and his wife, Kathie Kinney, of Vale; grandson, Tony, and his wife, Kelly Kinney, of Rockland, Calif..; stepsons, Ed, and his wife, Toni Kinney, of Cottonwood, Idaho, and Gary, and his wife, Sheri Kinney, of Caldwell, Idaho; 12 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Claude Kinney, her daughter, her first husband and five brothers.
Special thanks to the wonderful staff at Pioneer Place and XL Hospice. Contributions may be made in Edith’s memory to Pioneer Place in Vale.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.lienkaemper-thomason.com.
