Della Lorraine Huggins Mercer

Della Lorraine Huggins Mercer — our loving mom, grandma, sister, aunt and friend — peacefully went home on Dec. 31, 2015, after a brief illness. She was surrounded by her children and grandchildren, whom she dearly loved. She was 84 years old.

Della was born on April 7, 1931 to Andrew and Della Mae Huggins, in Colorado Springs, Colo. She moved with her family to Kent, Wash., when she was 4, relocating to Bonners Ferry, Idaho, when she was 11, where the northside of town became her home.

Della attended the old Northside Grade School and Bonners Ferry High School. She worked for the Boundary County Community Restorium, and retired from there in the mid-1990s. She made many lifelong friends at The Restor-ium.

Della married her high school sweetheart, Don Mercer on July 1, 1949, at the Hitching Post in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. 

They celebrated 65 years of marriage together in 2014.

Don and Della lived on the northside of Bonners Ferry where they raised their five children.

 Family was the most important thing to them and most holidays and birthdays were celebrated at their home. She was the heart and soul of her family, and she took great pride in all of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Many of life’s challenges were solved around her kitchen table over dinner or a cup of tea in their family home.

Della was proceeded in death by her parents, Andrew and Della Mae Huggins, brothers, Lon, Loren and Wilber Huggins, husband Don, son Timothy and great granddaughter Lila Swift.

Della is lovingly remembered by her Aunt Estella Mae Laird, brothers, Harold (Beverly) Huggins and Wally Huggins, daughters, Roxy (Sam) Tortorelli, Pam (Greg) Mead, Colleen (Travis) Towles and Kelly (Abe) Juarez. Grandchildren, Jason Mercer, Jacque (Toby) Gladwell, Mikki (Toni) Mead, Walker (Richelle) Mead, Tyler (Ashley) Mead, Luke Mead, Timothy Lederhos, Sarrah (Levi) Falk, Cassadi (Danny) Swift, Courtney (Zach) Horsley, RaeLynn (Clint) Juarez Wellman, Brady Juarez. Great Grandchildren, Joci, Kade, Rowan, Claire, Matthew, Travis, Josef, Sam, Shiloh, Jazmyn, Christopher, Nicholas, Brady, Ellie, Grayson, Addie, Brody, Corbin and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Please join her family in a celebration of life on Saturday January 9th at 2:00 PM, Mountain Springs Church, 6789 South Main, Bonners Ferry Idaho.

Memorials may be sent to: Hospice of North Idaho, 9493 N. Government Way, Hayden, Idaho 83835 or www.hospiceofnorthidaho.org or call 208-772-7994.