Mary Ellen Stevens

Mary Ellen Stevens, 94, of Emmett, Idaho passed away at home on August 20, 2024.

Mary Ellen was born on March 11, 1930, to Harry and Georgina Knox at the Walter Knox house on East Locust Street in Emmett. She was the youngest of 3 girls. She attended Gem County Schools and graduated from Emmett High School in 1947.

She married William Bert (Bill) Stevens on April 11, 1947 in Winnemucca, Nevada. They were married for 66 years before Bill passed away in 2013. 

In addition to raising her 5 children – Bert, Jean, Julie, Jennifer, and Jane – and chauffeuring them to ballgames, field trips, church, and other activities, Mom also helped Dad farm and milk cows. She also taught kindergarten with her mother, Georgina, at the Emmett Christian Church and later by herself in her home. She and Dad opened Stevens Insurance Agency in 1974 where they worked for nearly 30 years until they retired. She then volunteered in the kindergarten classrooms at Carberry and Shadow Butte Elementary Schools. 

Mary Ellen was an avid reader and also loved completing crossword puzzles. She excelled at writing poetry and her family illustrated her poems with photos and published them in Shutterfly books for her family and friends to enjoy.  She participated in numerous walks including the Emmett Cherry Festival Kiwanis Fun Run & Walk where she received the Louie Gorrono Memorial Award for oldest participant four times.

Mom’s faith was important to her. She loved her Heritage Christian Church family dearly, and some like Bill Hamilton and Roy Swindell even called her Mom. She counted them as her “adopted” sons, joining Kurt Larsen in that special honor. 

Mary Ellen was preceded in death by her parents; her sisters, Harriet Jones and Jean Nicolaysen; her husband, Bill; her daughter, Jean, and her son-in-law, Rich Thompson. 

She is survived by her son, Bert (Sandy) Stevens of Tumwater, WA; daughters, Julie (Rich) Prescott of Nampa, Jennifer (Denny) Colson of Boise, Jane Thompson of Twin Falls; and son-in-law Steve Summersett of Eagle; 13 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. 

A celebration of Mary Ellen’s life will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, August 28th at the Potter Funeral Chapel in Emmett. 

 Charitable contributions may be made to C.E.R.T. (619 W. 12th St. Emmett 83617) or your favorite charity in Mary Ellen’s name. 

My Obituary

I'm Mary Ellen Stevens, formerly a Knox.

I'm lying right before you in a fancy metal box.                                                                       

I was born in Emmett, have lived here all my life.

I was a daughter, sister, a mother, and a wife.

I have a wonderful family, four daughters and one son

And all five of them, throughout the years, have given me love and fun.

My early years were spent in town, then we moved onto the farm

Where my crazy childhood antics gave my parents some alarm.

Schools were Wardwell, Longfellow, Central Mesa, and Emmett High.

Orchestra, cheerleading, and editing made the years go by.

I met Bill when he visited his sister

I took one look and thought, "You're for me, Mister."

We married, farmed, milked cows, and raised our family

And for nearly thirty years we had an insurance agency.

My hobbies of reading, crosswords, and walking races

Led me to many different places.

After sixty-six years together, Bill passed away.

But I hung on to celebrate my 94th birthday!

So that's a brief summary from my life-time journal --

And now I'm heading on to Life Eternal.

~ By Mary Ellen Stevens

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