Shirley Heidt

On Wednesday, March 15, 2023, the Lord called home another one of His angels.  Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great grandmother and sister, Shirley Ann (Flood) Heidt, 87, passed away in Kellogg, Idaho at Mountain Valley of Cascadia.

Shirley was born on June 4, 1935, in Martins Ferry, Ohio.  She was the daughter of Francis and Jeanette Flood and was second to the oldest of their 14 children.  The Flood family moved from Martins Ferry, Ohio, to Martinez, California, to Sacramento, California then back to Martins Ferry, Ohio before making the move to Mullan, Idaho in the late 1940’s.  At the time they moved to Mullan, there were only eight Flood children.  The last six were born in Wallace between 1951 and 1958.   Francis and Jeanette Flood deserve acknowledgement for their contribution to the population of the small mining town of Mullan.

On August 11, 1951, Shirley married Don Heidt in Wallace, Idaho.  They were married for over 61 years before his passing in 2013.  They had four children.  Donella was born in 1952, Jeanette in 1953, Jack in 1954 and Michael in 1956.   Shirley was a very devoted young wife and mother.  In her early years of marriage, she was kept busy keeping her children busy.  The girls attended Betty Damiano’s School of Dance, were involved in 4H, Bluebirds and Camp Fire….which Shirley participated as an Assistant Bluebird Leader.  The boys were in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, and played various sports.  In the late 1960’s, once the kids hit their teens, Shirley went to work for Blum’s Flower Shop in Osburn, creating beautiful flower arrangements.   Then she worked for a few years at Morrow’s Department Store in Wallace, before joining Don at his State Farm Insurance Agency in Kellogg.  They eventually moved from Silverton to Kellogg and became very active in the Kellogg Business Community.  Besides community involvement, both Shirley & Don were big Seattle Seahawks fans.  They had season tickets and enjoyed going to Seattle for the home games.  It always included a stay at their favorite B&B in Ellensburg.

Shirley showed her love for you, not through words, but through her daily acts of kindness.  For many years, she cooked the Holiday dinners for her family.  If a sibling was alone for the holidays, they were invited too.  A significant act of love was shown after the passing of her youngest son, Michael, in 2013.  In February of 2016, Michael’s two youngest children, Jacob (13) & Samantha (12), were in need of custodial care.  Grandma Shirley was not going to allow them to be placed with anyone else but her.  She raised them for the next 2 ½ years.  But at the age of 81, it became difficult for her to keep up with two active teenagers.  During the summer of 2018, she finally agreed that it was time to pass the responsibility on to others.  She was so proud of her family when her oldest grandson, Jason and his wife, Heather, offered to take over.  Throughout the years, watching sports became a big part of Shirley’s life.  She attended every sporting event possible for her children & grandchildren.  And last year, at the age of 86 and using her walker, she even attended a couple of basketball games for two of her great-grandchildren.   Had she had the strength….she would have attended every single game.  Other hobbies of Shirley’s were bowling with Don on a mixed league in Wallace, reading a good book and daily morning walks with three of her close girlfriends in Kellogg.  For many years, Shirley was an active member of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Wallace.  Besides church, friends, and her immediate family….her siblings were an important part of her life.  They had fun whenever they got together.  Inevitably, “We Are Family” was sung by the siblings at almost every wedding reception and a few family reunions.  So many fun, wonderful memories of a beautiful lady!  During her final weeks of life, one of her favorite past times was watching the Gonzaga Bulldog men’s basketball team.

Shirley is survived by three of her children, Donella Mooney of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Jeanette Lenseigne of Liberty Lake, Wa. and Jack (Charmaine) Heidt of Rose Lake, Idaho; nine grandchildren, Jason (Heather) Heidt, Brook (Fred) Chilson, Aaron (Maura) Heidt, Jared (Pam) Watson, William Pickett, Kris (Jamii) Heidt, Tony (fiancé Tiffany) Heidt, Jacob (fiancé Bri) Heidt and Samantha (Brandon) Cobb; nine great-grandchildren, Alissa (Jovan) Sandoval, Stephen (Hannah Manty) Zanetti, Zoey Zanetti, River Heidt and his twin sister, Isla Heidt, Everett Heidt, Jhett Watson, Owen Heidt and Peny Mae Heidt; and three great-great grandchildren, Sawyer Zanetti, Elsie Jerome and Carter Sandoval.  She is also survived by nine siblings, Betty Gohl, Jim Flood, Charles Flood, Harold Flood, Dorothy Houchin, Karen Durfee, Sandy Stepro, Janice Sala and Kimberly Sevy, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, Francis and Jeanette Flood, her husband, Don Heidt, her youngest son, Michael Heidt and four siblings, Robert “Bob” Flood, David Flood, JoAnn Wallace and Mike Flood.

At Shirley’s request, cremation has taken place and a Celebration of Life for the family will be planned at a later date.

The family suggests that memorials may be made to the Pottsville Park project which can be sent to the Mullan Community Foundation, P.O. Box 472, Mullan, ID 83846 (make sure to add the notation “Pottsville Park”),  the Shoshone Cancer Resource Center, 204 Oregon St., Kellogg, ID 83837 or to the charity of the donor’s choice.

Memories of Shirley and messages of condolence may be shared with her family online at www.shoshonefuneralservice.com. Shoshone Funeral Services, Kellogg, is caring for the Heidt family.