Elma Lightfoot Newgen

Elma Lightfoot (Davis) Newgen 1918-2009 Elma Lightfoot (Davis) Newgen passed away at her home in Boise on Thursday, June 4, 2009, from causes related to Alzheimer's disease. She was born in Los Angeles on Feb. 14, 1918, the first of three daughters of Grace and E.L. (Esael) Lightfoot. She, along with her sisters, Mildred and Barbara, were raised in East Los Angeles and Highland Park. Elma married Maurice L Davis in April of 1941 and they had three daughters also, Kathleen, Maureen and Sydney. They raised their family in San Luis Obispo, Calif. where Elma was a homemaker, daycare provider, secretary and court clerk. Elma and Maurie moved to Monterey, CA in 1965 when Maurie was transferred to the district office for the California Department of Forestry. After their divorce in 1974, Elma lived in Scott's Valley, Calif, and then moved to Nyssa, Ore. in 1986, to be near her daughter Sydney's family. She married Bob Newgen of Nyssa in May 1988. In the 1980's she returned to college and obtained her bachelors and masters degrees in Family Studies. She is one of the founding members of the American Academy of Family Studies in Scott's Valley. After moving to Boise in 1996, she formed the EL & BG Lightfoot Foundation in honor of her parents. Over the years her foundation has contributed to causes dealing with housing, environmental issues, and to the college educations of hundreds of students from the Treasure Valley. She is survived by her husband, Bob, of Nyssa; her daughters and their husbands, Kathleen and Frank Mayhew of Sebastopol, Calif.; Maureen Howe of Meridian; and Sydney and Sam Mitchell of Boise. She is also survived by her "other daughter", Ippa Jarvikivi of Oulu, Finland and Boise. Ippa was an AFS exchange student who lived with Elma's family in 1958-59 and has remained one of her daughters. She has six grandchildren and their spouses, Janet and Stephen Maffy of Santa Rosa, Calif.; Kari and John Teran also of Santa Rosa; Matt Ethridge and Nancy Prior of Portland, Ore.; Hans and Betty Mitchell of Boise; Aaron and Nicole Mitchell of Middleton; and Eric and Lisa Mitchell of Lakewood, Wash. She is also survived by 14 great-grandchildren, Caitlyn Balderama, Mason and Devin Smith; Aidan and Everett Teran; Jasmine and Corrie Beth Mitchell; Braydon and Alexis Mitchell; Maeve and Boone Ethridge; and Elizabeth, Emily and Claire Mitchell; also survived by nephews, Albert Wilson III and his wife Patty of Middleton, and by Jim Housego and his family of Bandon, Ore., as well as her niece, Priscilla Vasquez and her family of Woodinville, Wash. She was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Mildred and Barbara. The family is most grateful to her long-time caregivers, Wilma Davidson and Alice Holloway, and to Assisting Angels, Joyce, Kelly, Kim, Sonya, Trish and Brenda. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on July 8, 2009 at Valley Shepherd Church of the Nazarene, 150 W. Maestra St., Meridian. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel, Boise. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Lightfoot Foundation in care of Ahrens & DeAngeli in Boise, to your favorite charity or environmental group, or you can plant a tree in her honor in a place of your choosing.