Frances Marie Bone passed away peacefully surrounded by family on May 3, 2012, at Beehive Homes in Coeur d’Alene.

Fran was born Dec. 5, 1937, in Susanville, Calif., to Sylvia Pratt and George Stone. She was the middle of five children with her siblings, Bill, Bob, Bonnie and Jack. She grew up in Redondo Beach and then moved to Westwood, Calif., where she graduated from high school.

She married her high school sweetheart, James Francis Hoffman, in 1956. Jimmie was in the Air Force and their first two children, James Jay (1957) and Jolene Marie (1958), were born on Travis Air Force Base while stationed there. Kurt William (1960) and Russell Lee (1964) were both born in Auburn, Calif. Russ was 3 days old when her husband Jimmie died in an accident which was also Fran’s 27th birthday. Fran raised her four small children for six years on her own.

After James’ death she attended the best beauty school in San Francisco and then became a beautician at the “Cut & Curl” in Auburn. She then met her neighbor’s son, Walter Bone, and they were married in February 1970. Pamela Jean was born while they lived in Auburn in November 1970.

Christmas of 1971 the family decided to visit Fran’s sister Bonnie and her family in St. Joe City. While driving around the area, Fran and Walt found the Sanders Store in Sanders and fell in love with the area. They purchased the Store/Post Office/Gas Station (only building in Sanders). By the middle of March they were moved up to Sanders from California and took over ownership of the store in April. The family tripled the population of Sanders!

In 1979 they sold the store and moved down the road 500 feet to a farm home. There Walter Michael (1981) was born. While on the farm they raised horses, sheep, chickens, a few cows, a lama, rabbits and had a few pigs or anything the grandkids had for 4-H projects. Family was the most important part of her life and she knew how to have fun! Fran and Walt did various things while in Sanders from running the store, running the Tensed Gas Station for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, long-haul truck driving and then ended up both working at Washington State University. Fran started in the Store Room and then transferred to the Grounds Crew.

She loved gold panning, painting, camping and watching any sport or activity her kids or grandkids were involved in at the time. She helped decorate floats for the Rose Bowl parade. Fran will always be remembered as loving sports with football and baseball as her favorites. Her grandkids loved going camping with her to Winchester Lake and fishing. She always had just the right combo on the fishing hook for bait. It consisted of one colored miniature marshmallow, one kernel of yellow canned corn and one salmon egg!

Christmas was a big deal to her. Some years were spent at her brother Jack and his wife Sharon’s home in Albion, Wash., sister Bonnie and her husband Ron and other times at her home. She chose which young grandchild was going to be Santa that year and she would take them, dress them up in a Santa costume and then Santa would hand out presents. She was a great cook and famous for her family secret recipe of Blarney Stones which she made every year for Christmas.

Fran was a good samaritan and a strong Christian. Walt passed away in 1985 after dropping Fran off at work at WSU. Fran, Pam and Mike moved to Moscow in 1986 where Pam graduated from Moscow High School. Fran then moved back to the farm in 1989. In 1991 Pam died in a car accident. Fran moved to Plummer with Mike in 1995. She then started failing in health and decided to move to Lewiston where it was a little warmer in 2002. While watching TV, she saw a commercial for Beehive Homes in Coeur d'Alene and so in September 2007 she moved in where she resided until her time of death. She loved the courtyard and sun in the summer.

She was diagnosed with PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) which slowly took her life. She loved the staff of Beehive Homes and North Idaho Hospice and the family is very thankful for the care they gave her over the last few years of her life. She will always be remembered by the staff as sunbathing at any ray of sunshine during the summer. Her kids would like to thank her sister, Bonnie, for writing a note to Fran every week which she so enjoyed getting. Even though she couldn’t write or reply back she very much appreciated those notes.

Fran is survived by her children, Jay (Marcia) Hoffman of Plummer, Jolene (Jodie) (Rick) Magers of Clarkston, Wash., Kurt (Kerri) Hoffman of Rathdrum, Russ (Tandy) Hoffman of East Wenatchee, Wash., and Mike (Yolanda) Bone of Plummer; sister Bonnie Chandler of Clarkston; brother Jack Stone of Yuma, Ariz., and Elk River; grandchildren, Alecia Hoffman of Clarkston, Justin (Jacque) Hoffman of Farmington, Wash., Jason Magers of Wasilla, Alaska, Rachel (Josh) Jones of Clarkston, Jimmy (Lisa) Hoffman of Coeur d’Alene, Jenna Hoffman of Rathdrum, Mitchell and Kyle Hoffman of East Wenatchee, and Isaac and Dominic Bone of Plummer; great-grandchild Jaeli Hoffman of Coeur d’Alene; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was proceeded in death by her parents; spouse James Hoffman; spouse Walter Bone; child Pamela Jean Bone Houser and unborn child; grandchild Jamie Magers; brothers, Bill and Bob Stone; brother-in-law Ron Chandler and sister-in-law Sharon Stone in December.

Rosary services will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, 2012, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in DeSmet, with Mass of Christian Burial at noon Wednesday, May 9, 2012. Burial will be at Goldenrod Cemetery in Tekoa, Wash.

The family requests donations to be made in Fran’s name to North Idaho Hospice, 9493 N. Government Way, Hayden, ID 83835 or Beehive Homes of North Idaho, 2100 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene ID 83814.

Kramer Funeral Home, Tekoa, is handling the arrangements.