Olive Erma Mabee

Olive Erma Mabee, 89, of Boise, passed away on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at a care home in Eagle, Idaho. Olive was born July 29, 1921 in Boise to William T. and Olive (Winston) Montgomery. She was the youngest of eight children. Olive grew up on a ranch in Strawberry Glenn, living there 18 years. She went to Valley View Grade School and Boise High School. Olive was the only one of the Montgomery children to graduate High School, and did so in 1940 with high honors. That evening, she married her childhood sweetheart, Oliver Mabee, on May 24, 1940. Olive and Oliver were playmates, classmates, and companions from six years of age, going from grade school to high school, together enjoying over 56 years together. They loved to fish, hunt, camp, snowmobile, bowl, and enjoyed playing cards, going everywhere together, and doing everything together. They were active square dancers for 32 years, members and charter members of the Rambling Rounds, Knots & Squares, Capital Squares, El Rancho Reelers, Idaho Federation of Square & Round, and Langes Traveling Dancers known as the L.T.D.s. They traveled to a many of out of state national dances such as Salt Lake, Seattle, Anaheim, California, Calgary and Alberta, Canada, also visiting The Grand Ole Opery, Hawaii, and San Francisco as well as many more exciting places. Besides dancing, Olive was an avid sewer and was an accomplished seamstress. She could sew anything asked of her and made many of her own patterns. Olive also enjoyed crafts, making dolls, stuffed animals, flowers, and a wide variety of items; selling her wares at the many local craft shows. She and her husband owned and operated Oliver's Auto Service for over 40 years. The Mabee's lost their son, Kenny, in 1963. She is survived by a daughter, Judy; granddaughter, Theresa; grandson, Tim Holton; and great grandsons, Tyler and Tarik Holton of Boise. She was preceded in death by her parents. Graveside services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, November 26, 2010 at Morris Hill Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Summers Funeral Homes, Boise Chapel.