Florence A. Van Kleeck, 77

Florence A. Van Kleeck passed away April 9, 2013, at her residence in Dalton Gardens. She was born in Arcadia, Neb., on April 30, 1935. She was the middle child of Allan and Mildred Brooks.

The Brooks family moved to Idaho in 1949; then onto Montana where Florence graduated from Plains High School in 1951. She worked for Diehl Lumber Company for five years before moving to Kamiah with her daughter Jo-Ellen. Florence married Robert Elfstrom (deceased) from Kamiah and had a son Ed Elfstrom. While her children were young, they attended the Presbyterian Church.

Florence then went to work for the Forest Service doing timber accounting. After her divorce from Robert, Florence attended college, at Lewis-Clark State College graduating in 1981 with a degree in business administration. Continuing her work with the Forest Service, she transferred to Fernan Ranger Station and worked her way to the supervisors office as an accountant. While working with the Forest Service, she met Donald A. Van Kleeck whom she married on April 19, 1986. After retiring from the Forest Service in 1991, she immediately ventured into real estate for a few years. Flo and Don made Dalton Gardens their final home.

Her hobbies included golfing, bowling, gardening and having great barbecues for family get-togethers. Flo and Don enjoyed traveling around the world and experiencing life. She loved spending time with her kids, grandkids and great-grandkids more than anything, and was always there for them no matter what they needed. She was one amazing, loving, caring woman.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Mildred Brooks; father Allen Brooks; her stepmother, Florence Brooks and daughter-in-law Debra Elfstrom.

Survivors include her spouse, Donald A. Van Kleeck of Dalton Gardens; her daughter, Jo-Ellen (John) Nuckles of Post Falls; her son, Ed Elfstrom of CIarkston, Wash.; stepson Robert (Monica) Van Kleeck of Kellogg; stepdaughter Peggy (Glen) Yingling of Lewiston; her sister, Roberta Williams of Byhaila, Tenn.; brother Vernon (Elna) Brooks of Seattle; stepsister Julie (Ken) Knoblock of Coeur d’Alene; stepsister Dianne (Dwain) Wagner of Salem; stepbrother Mike (Shirley) Hansen of Hauser Lake; and a multitude of grandkids, great-grandkids, nieces and nephews.

Viewing will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday, April 12, 2013. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 13, 2013, all at Yates Funeral Homes, Hayden Chapel, with burial to follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Post Falls. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Hospice of North Idaho. Please visit Flo’s memorial and sign her online guest book at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.