Joan Crowder

Joan (Joanne) Crowder, age 85, passed away Saturday, September 19, 2015 at Monte Vista Hills medical facility in Pocatello, Idaho.

Joan was born to Marvel Mack Moyes and Bertha Clara Stokes on November 12, 1929 in Brigham City, Utah. They later resided in New Sweden, Idaho and lived in a granary during the Depression.

A few years later, her father bought the Broadview Ranch in Sterling, Idaho. He bought Joan her first pony when she was only 4 years old from Ft. Hall. She had a special love for animals and always had a horse and a dog. When she was old enough, she helped her father, in the fields and milking cows. Her father bought 1000 head of sheep and she helped herd them. She would often go to the desert by herself with only a horse, dog and a gun to watch over the sheep. Staying sometimes for up to a week by herself. She fondly recalled being called a knot head by her father because she swam her horse across the springfield canal. She said she cried for days.

Joan learned to cook at an early age. She helped her mother to cook for the hired hands. During WWII, they had German prisoners of war working on the farm. Her mother was concerned that they didn't have enough food so Joan and her mother would make soup to take out to them every day. Joan made friends with several of the prisoners.

Joan attended high school in Aberdeen. She was a drum majorette, twirling 2 batons. She also played full court basketball. She was known to make half court shots.

After she graduated with honors, she married Lee J. Spackman. They lived in a log cabin in Pingree, Idaho with no running water. They worked side by side in the fields until Susan arrived in January 1949. That winter was so terrible that just after Susan's birth in American Falls the new family had to immediately board the train to Pingree before the snow became too deep that they would be unable to return home. Joan had to melt the snow just to be able to do laundry and water the animals. In 1951, Denis was born and 4 years later Craig joined the family. In 1960, Lee J. and Joan were divorced.

She moved to Pocatello, Idaho where she worked at the Paris and The Modern Deb for Mr. Earl Carlson. She made time to attend Grimm's Business School in the evenings to become a secretary. Then she later worked for Dr. Wigle and Dr. Staley. She finished her working career at Center Paint & Glass.

At the time it was almost impossible for a woman to get a loan to buy a house, Joan was able to find a couple that would carry the note for a house on Cypress. In 1966, she married Kelley Crowder. Kelley had 2 children, Jed and Gail who she thought of as her own. They were the youngest of the blended family.

Joan always loved the outdoors and Kelley was a mountain man born in the wrong century. He created a monster. She loved to fish. The rest of the family refused to get into the boat with her because if they weren't catching fish, they had to wait until they were. Or if they were catching fish, you couldn't go in because it was too great to leave. Many a man envied her ability to catch fish. The other boats would always get closer and closer to her boat to try to see what she was using for bait. She also started hunting with Kelley and would shoot her own deer and grouse.

She was an awesome cook and could make a meal out of anything. Everyone that lived with her gained at least 10 pounds!

When she retired, she became a master gardener. She had a yard filled with flowers. Red roses in the front and everything new and different in the back. Kelley passed away in December of 1999. She then turned to her yard for solace.

Joan had bad health for a number of years. She had every illness from rickets to major back surgery. She started developing dementia and needed more assistance. She moved from her home in 2012 to assisted living facilities.

She is survived by her children, Susan (Udell) Hedstrom, Pocatello, Idaho; Denis (Brenda) Spackman, Ketchum, Idaho; Craig (Sharon) Spackman, Aloha, Oregon; Jed Crowder, Pocatello, Idaho; Gail (Pete) Paradis, Boise, Idaho; 11 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister, Maxine Dance and all of her aunts and uncles.

The family would like to thank the amazing nurses and aides at both Quail Ridge and Monte Visa Hills who were all so wonderful to our mom. And also Access hospice for their loving care. Mom would had said thank you if she had the ability.

Graveside services will be held Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at the Springfield Cemetery in Springfield, Idaho. The family will meet with friends on Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. prior to graveside services at Manning-Wheatley Funeral Chapel, 510 N. 12th Ave. Arrangements are under the care of Manning-Wheatley Funeral Chapel. Visit online condolences at www.manningwheatleyfuneralchapel.com