Valera Wheeler Vargason

Valera ("Val" as she was known to her church family and her many friends, or "Leah" as she was called by her family) passed away at home April 11, 2009 at the age of 88. A viewing will be held from 6 until 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at Cloverdale Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Thursday, April 16, 2009 at the Red Rock Christian Church, 1124 S Roosevelt, Boise, with burial following at Terrace Lawn Memorial Gardens. Services are under the direction of Cloverdale Funeral Home. She was born Nov. 23, 1920 to Harrison Blaine Stewart and Flossie Wheeler Stewart in Heron, South Dakota and was raised in Arlington, South Dakota. Just weeks before her first birthday, her father was killed saving the life of a small boy who was in the path of a falling limb. Blaine was just 30 years old and left behind a wife and six children aged 11 to 1 years old: Vera, Vivian, Vernon, Virginia, Vincent and Valera. Leah was sent to live with her Grandma Wheeler while her mother went to work in the cafe in town. When Leah reached age nine Grandma Wheeler passed away and Leah returned to her family home with her five siblings. She attended Arlington schools graduating in 1938 and that fall went to Normal School for two years becoming an elementary teacher. In 1939, while teaching in a one-room schoolhouse in Brookings, South Dakota, she met the love of her life, Donald. They eloped Nov. 1, 1940, as teachers had to remain single in those days. After Don returned home from the service, they moved to Lake County where Leah taught school and Don farmed 500 acres with his family. They moved to Boise in 1949 where she taught grades one through four at the old Amity School near Ten Mile. When the new south side school opened she went there to teach second grade; it is now named Mary McPherson. She retired at the end of the 88/89 school term but returned to teach half day Kindergarten and special reading classes. She was a member of Red Rock Christian Church where she taught Sunday school, sang in the choir, and was an Elder. Leah is survived by sister-in-Iaws Emma Stewart Wisconsin, Lucille Timmerman , Wisconsin, Mildred Vargason - South Dakota, Cecelia Vargason - Boise, nephews Blaine Stewart - Wisconsin, Mike (Kay) Vargason - Meridian, Pat (Vicki) Vargason - Boise, Vern (Lois) Peterson, Don (Janet) Winch - Emmett, nieces Jeanette Francis - Texas, Florene Wilson - Oregon, Daria (Virgil) Fairchild - Payette, Carol Peterson - Boise, Raye McKim - Minnesota, Karen (Bill) Larson - Minnesota, five great nieces, 21 great nephews, numerous great greats, and many, many friends. She was preceded in death by her husband Don, her father and mother, her siblings, and three nephews, Dick and Eugene Peterson and Bob Thompson, one niece Rayea Thompson and one great nephew Don Taylor. We would like to thank Hospice nurses and Valera's special care givers Jim and ~ and Annie. Thank you all for your tender love and care for our and your aunt and friend. God bless you all. Leah wanted her life to continue to impact the lives of children in a positive way. She and a few others came up with a dream to build one of the houses within the orphanage complex of Casa Angelina in Tuluche, Guatemala. The house would be named "Leah's House". In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to: Leah's Kids, 520 NW 3rd St., Madison, SD 57042 or visit the web site: http://Leahskids.org. Condolences for the family may be submitted online at CloverdaleFuneralHome.com.