Valley County, IDGenWeb Project | |
Leah Coash, 86, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, while staying with her daughter in Cascade after a three month illness.
A graveside service was held at Cloverdale Cemetery in Boise on Wednesday, Feb. 15 with Pastor Tom Penry officiating.
Born on Dec. 4, 1925, in Lucas, S.D., to Winfield and Edna Genzlinger, she was raised in rural South Dakota and always had fond memories of her years growing up.
She was active in sports and regularly was found playing baseball, sometimes beating the boys.
In her early life she attended college and received her teaching degree, and then taught school in South Dakota.
Later, she met her husband, Louis Coash, from Winner, S.D. The two were married in 1947.
Upon moving to Winner, she worked in the medical field, where she became a hospital administrator. In 1957, they moved to Phoenix, Ariz., where they ran a successful manufacturing business.
They moved to Idaho in the early 1960s where Lou worked in construction. Leah shared her husband’s love of the outdoors, and wanted to raise her children in Idaho.
They bought property in Round Valley, and were pioneers in the new snowmobile era. They rented and ran snowmobiles for a number of years at the Snow Bowl. Throughout the 1970s it became a restaurant and meeting place. Leah hosted Gov. Otter there when he was first running for public office.
Leah was active in politics. She had served as chairman of the Valley County Planning and Zoning Commission, and also lobbied successfully for textbook review committees to be established. That bill was signed into law by Gov. John Evans.
She was a supporter of Republican politics working tirelessly on numerous campaigns. She formed the Citizens for Better Government Organization in the 1970s and was a regular at the Capitol during session.
Leah was active in her faith and took on a number of Christian causes throughout her life. She supported many organizations, helped form the Christian Coalition, and ran the Snow Bowl Chapel along with her husband.
She was active with the Christian Children’s Fund, supporting several children through that organization. Leah had reported for The Idaho Statesman and had a number of Guest Opinions over the years.
Leah was preceded in death by her brothers and sister, as well as her husband Louis, who died in 1987.
She is survived by her daughter, Cynthia Coash of Cascade; and her son and daughter-in-law, Craig and Dawn Coash of Nampa.
The family wishes to thank R.N. Judy Hughes and R.N. Amy Calkins of St. Luke’s McCall for their kindness during Leah’s illness.
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