Frances “Shirley” Foss Rudie
February 25, 1932- October 15, 2020

F Shirley was born in Lewistown, MT to Esther Frost Foss and Oliver Foss. She raised her family in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and then to Kalispell MT and later moved to Logan, Utah to be closer to her family. In her elder years she moved to Richland WA to be close to her daughter.

She married Charles L Rudie August 1, 1952. They were sealed for all time and eternity in the Idaho Falls LDS temple on June 22, 1954. They had 5 children: Mike (Cris) Rudie of Logan UT, Marcee (TJ) Woffinden of Richland WA, Matthew (Susan) of Wentzville MO, Donald Rudie of Kalispell MT and Ronald Rudie of Kennewick WA. She has 3 sisters, Alicemarie Schultz, Maralee Foss and Charleda Foss.

She and Charles had one of the first foster group homes in Idaho for children with significant disabilities. They cared for many special children during that time. One child came to her when he was 2 years old and had been placed with her so he could die outside of a state institution. He had experienced traumatic brain injuries and had been abandoned at a hospital. Shirley was asked to “love him” until he died. She gathered him up, rocked and cuddled him for 2 weeks. Today Ronnie is over 50 years old. He was her boy from then on and she and Charles adopted him.

She had a difficult childhood with extreme poverty. She quit school after the 8th grade so that she could help support her mom and her 3 younger sisters. She loved genealogy and searching for family connections. She left her family with volumes of research of generations gone by.

Shirley joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as a young adult. Her conversion, her testimony and relationship with her Savior, changed her life and her families for the better. She was given a prayer blessing telling her that she would look for those who stand on the fringe, those who feel like they’re on the outside. She spent her life of service to children with disabilities and those that others would have passed by. She knew and lived for 80 years with the knowledge that all lives matter.

Shirley loved her family and has many grand and great grandchildren. Her greatest wish for them was to know their divine potential as children of God and to always strive to live up to that potential.

She was preceded in death by her husband Charles, her sister Alicemarie, her mother and father and 3 great grandchildren.
The family wishes to thank those who provided care for her over the last years of her life, to include Senior Life Resources Home Care, Prestige Assisted Living and this past year Comfort Living Adult Family Home and Chaplaincy Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite non-profit serving those with disabilities or aging services.
Einan’s Sunset Gardens is handling the local arrangements. She will be interned at the Coeur d’ Alene Memorial Cemetery.