Lois Jean Beamguard Sanford Hall, 78, of Boise, a former Baker City resident, died Oct. 3, 2007, at her home.
There will be a memorial service to celebrate and honor her life at 10 a.m. MDT Wednesday at the First United Methodist Church, Cathedral of the Rockies, in Boise. The Rev. Steve Tollefson and Ralph Lawrence will officiate. Burial will be at 1:30 p.m. MDT at the Rosedale Cemetery in Payette, Idaho, near her parents, William Clark and Vinnie Beamguard.
Visitations will be from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at The Cathedral of The Rockies, First United Methodist Church. Bowman Funeral Parlor of Garden City, Idaho, is in charge of arrangements.
Lois was born at Payette, Idaho, on Nov. 12, 1928, to William C. and Vinnie A. Beamguard. She was raised there and spent the years during World War II in high school. She graduated in 1946 having collected tin and rubber for the soldiers. As badly as she wanted a paying job, she worked for her parents in their dry-cleaning plant at Payette, Idaho.
As she said, her paycheck was being able to attend college at the University of Oregon, where she studied music and education, graduating in 1950.
She began her teaching career in Baker City with Roby D. Hall as principal of the school. She was one of the best, most accomplished of music teachers, both in Baker City and then at Newport.
She moved to Boise in 1956 and married George S. Sanford, continuing to teach until 1959, before starting a family. She had three children: Julie, Terry and Jan.
During those years when her children were young, she was an active member of the Cathedral of the Rockies, a busy mother, serving as choir mother, music teacher to her children and chauffeur. She resumed her teaching career in the 1970s, teaching pre-kindergarten at the Cathedral of the Rockies.
When her husband, George, became ill she left teaching and took a part-time position at The Idaho Statesman. She worked there in the classified advertising department for 15 years, retiring in 1992.
Life began again with gusto when she renewed her friendship with Roby Hall. They married in 1992 and had a wonderful 15 years together, traveling and enjoying life.
Lois was preceded in death by her father and mother, Clark and Vinnie; her first husband, George; and her son, Terry.
Survivors include her much-loved husband, Roby; her daughters, Julie Sanford Biggerstaff and her husband, Rick, and grandson, Aron Hanna, of Spokane, Wash., and Jan Sanford Wolfe and grandson, Jacob Michels, granddaughter, Krista Michels, great-granddaughter, Hayden, and great-grandson, Riley, of Ketchikan, Alaska.
Memorial contributions may be be made to the First United Methodist Church, Cathedral of the Rockies, an important part of her life for many decades.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, October 9, 2007
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor