Evalie Sturman

Evalie Sturman closed her eyes and peacefully went home on May 30, 2007 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Funeral services were held Monday, June 4, 2007 at 3 p.m. at the LDS Church in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Internment followed at the Paradise Valley Cemetery. Evalie was born to James Benjamin and Margaret Bertha (England) Harper on Oct.r 9, 1932 in a little log house on a farm near Paul, Idaho. Her family moved to Bonners Ferry in 1942.

She married Samuel M. Carey in 1949 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and together they had three daughters and four sons.

The first 12 years of their marriage, they moved many times to many different places, but Evalie's desire was to raise her children in one place and put down roots. In 1961, she moved backed to Bonners Ferry where her mother still lived and raised her seven children on her own.

In 1967 she married Marvin C. Sturman. She and Marvin later raised four grandsons. Evalie was an active member of the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints. She loved to help others and was often found doing quiet acts of service. She worked for years heading up or helping to run the annual L.D.S Food Booth at the fair, she cooked for the Community Kitchen, she washed hair for those that were living in the Restorium and loved to take the older people to get their groceries.

She took many a meal to someone in need. Her life was a legacy of service to her family, friends and her community.

Oh, how "Evie" loved to cook! She was an awesome cook and people came from miles around to eat at her restaurant "The Copper Kettle."

It was family oriented, clean and delightful, and her granddaughters loved working as waitresses for her. Her famous soups, sandwiches, pies and cinnamon rolls were in great demand. Her homemade waffle ice cream cones could be smelled a block away.

In 1990 Evalie had to close her doors and retire because she needed open heart surgery to have a valve replaced. She was sad, but felt very blessed to have had the opportunity to realize her dream of owning her own restaurant. She experienced many health problems through out the following years of her life. In February 2004 she became a Kidney dialysis patient and it became necessary for her to travel to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for treatments three days a week every week of the year. What a trooper she was.

Every time she got a little bit of energy she could be found once again doing something for someone else. She enjoyed family gatherings, cooking great food and making her famous cinnamon rolls for family members on their birthdays or just because she was having a good day and simply wanted to. Throughout all her trials she never" complained and she endured well to the end. Her greatest love in this life was her family of seven children, 38 grandchildren, 68 great-grandchildren & two on the way.

She set a wonderful example of love, faith, work and service to her family and they love her dearly.

Evalie is survived by her seven children: Jeanne (Carey) King (husband Ron), Linda (Carey) Gilliland (husband Vern), Mike (Wanda) Poston, Sam (Marla) Carey, Steve (Ruth) Carey, Beth (Carey) Ford (husband Bobby), Mark (LoraLee) Carey.

She was preceded in death by her husband Marvin Sturman, her parents James and Margaret Harper, two brothers: Gordon Harper and Reid Harper; five sisters: June (Harper) Cotterall, Flora Harper, Margaret (Harper) Platts, Dorothy (Harper) Weir and Betty (Harper) Poston; two granddaughters, one great-grandson and one great-granddaughter.