Esther Ina “Frost” Foss died at home March 24, 2012, at the age of 99. She was born Dec. 1, 1912, in Medford, Ore., to Charles Walter Frost and Edith Frances (Long) Frost. Esther was 9 years old when her father, a high school teacher and coach, disappeared.

Her mother returned to teaching at that time, working for several years in one-room schools in Montana, where the Frost children sometimes doubled the school population.

When Esther reached high-school age, the family moved to Lewistown, Mont. On May 19, 1930, she married Oliver Shirley Foss, in Lewistown.

After several moves, they settled in Coeur d’Alene, where she raised their four daughters. They later divorced in 1950.

Her life was devoted to raising her girls and caring for physically impaired children. Since the age of 13, Esther was involved in some aspect of child care, as baby sitter, mother, guardian or foster parent. She took in her first handicapped child in 1936, and since has continuously cared for four to six children at a time in her home. At the age of 94 she gave up her last foster child.

Esther received the North Idaho College distinguished citizen award in 1976 for her devoted work with physically impaired children.

Her hobby was making dolls. She made her first cloth doll in 1930, at the age of 18 and they have been a part of her life ever since.

For the next 75 years she made thousands of dolls. Big, small, black, white, blonde, brunette, and hundreds of Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, and repaired hundreds of dolls for the fire department for Christmas. When her daughters were home she was involved with 4-H.

She and her brother Robert were the original leaders of the Fernan Homesteaders 4-H club. Esther also received 4-H leader of the year, during her tenure. The last ten years of her life were devoted to making, by hand, hundreds of baby and lap quilts then donating them to people from Coeur d’Alene to Afghanistan.

Esther was preceded in death by her daughter, Alicemarie Shultz, of Roseberg, Ore., her mother, of Lewistown, sister, Ellen Hall, of Lewistown, brothers Bruce Frost during World War II, Robert G. Frost, of Coeur d’Alene, and Charles Walter Frost, of Lidgerwood, N.D.

She is survived by her daughters Francis Shirley Rudie, of Richland, Wash., and twins Charleda Foss and Maralee Foss, of Coeur d’Alene, seven grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, and numerous great-great grandchildren. Esther, a person a great faith, was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Now she is pain free.

At her request, no funeral service will be held. We express deep appreciation for Hospice of North Idaho for their special care during the last week of her life. Yates Funeral Homes has been entrusted with the care of final arrangements.