Adeline Esther Waddington

Adeline Waddington, 93, of Salmon, Idaho passed away on Thursday, January 26, 2017 at her home, surrounded by her loving family. Adeline Waddington was born in New Plymouth, Idaho on January 10th, 1924. Of the twelve children born to Joe and Esther Scott, she was number ten. Addie was the only girl among the younger six children. Being raised with these five boys, she grew up rough and tough. She was feisty and earned those boys respect! Always dressed in the boys hand-me-down coveralls and bulky combat boots, she was thrilled at the age of six to get her first pair of “little girl” shoes. Her resilience for overcoming hardships was tested young. She remembered her childhood home in New Plymouth had been freshly painted and remodeled to accommodate the large family. Not long after on the morning of July 4th, the home burned to the ground. Losing their home resulted in losing the farm. Having nothing, they hitched up the team and moved to Ririe. It was here that Adeline attended the Clark School, riding to school horseback. Later moving to LaBelle, Lorenzo and Menan, this gypsy-moving family had many adventures. One adventure was ice skating to school on the frozen canals. In 1937 the Scott family moved to Salmon, Idaho where Adeline attended high school. For her, the best part of school was skipping it. In Salmon, this high-spirited and now very attractive young woman, met John Waddington. They were married April 13, 1941 and he finished raising her. It was like the “Taming of the Shrew” for John. The young couple found much joy in their marriage. Everyone knew they loved to laugh, dance and ice skate together. Although young, they were both hard workers. Adeline took pride in her home-making skills. Keeping her house so very tidy and decorated with a special touch, she made their house a home. To this union three daughters were born: Karen Rose, Linda and Cherie. Addie told John “you can get your sons later; your girls will bring them home to you”. Right she was. Simple things in life pleased Addie. Because she and John came from such large families, the house was always filled with company, aunts, uncles and tons of cousins! Fun for all the kids, but tons of work for mom. What made company a real challenge were the ditches in the yard and the Lemhi River flowing behind the house. She called the ditches the kid catchers because every child that came to visit took a tumble. Although floating the river was a favorite pastime, the river was not only a blessing, but a curse. She experienced two major floods before the dike was built. The Salmon community knows the history. John and Addie enjoyed their immaculate yard and it became a playground for all the neighborhood kids. Her nieces and nephews, who loved Aunt Addie, played there often, especially the Tomita kids. She was a second mom to them. In her early years, Addie worked at Jimmy’s Café. Later she helped her mother-in-law, Elsie Waddington, at the lunch cafeteria in the Salmon High School. In those days, kids ate ALL their lunch. No waste! Meals were homemade from scratch. No child ever went away hungry. She also made her own children clean up everything on their plates. She didn’t have to twist their arms too hard though because she was a fantastic cook, always making hearty home cooked meals from scratch, often using produce from the large garden she and John planted each year. The family always knew each Sunday after their spiritual meal would come a wonderful physical meal, lovingly prepared by her hands. The fried chicken was the best! She truly loved her girls and all her grandchildren. She supported all their activities and watched every performance. You could always see grandma Addie in the audience. She permed the girls’ hair, sometimes scorched their bangs with the old fashioned curling iron, put their hair in pincurls and finally curlers with a turban around their head. She loved curls and ringlets (much more than they did)! Everyone played in Addie’s size 4 high heeled shoes. She had the smallest feet in the family and Clinton’s Shoe Store gave her all the “sample shoes” too small for everyone else. Her grandchildren loved to parade around in her shoes. She at one time sold cosmetics and all the little girls loved to watch her “put on her face” and better yet, she put a little on them too. Her smile and appearance was always lovely. Turning silver gray in her old age only made her more beautiful to us. After celebrating her 50th wedding anniversary, she took a cruise through the Inland Passage to Alaska. She traveled with John throughout the United States in their motorhome, and traveled with her dear friend, Alene Severson, to Hawaii for a month. Her last cruise was to Cozumel, Mexico with her daughters and son-in law, Eldon. Adeline studied the bible and became one of Jehovah’s Witnesses later in life. Her knowledge of the scriptures gave much comfort especially after losing her teenage daughter Karen in a tragic accident. She took wonderful care of John for many years after he became ill, loving him in sickness and in health. Addie cared for her own parents who lived next door for many years. This example served her well because she too was well cared for in her later years. She became a great-great-grandmother three weeks before her death. This news brought a smile to her face. She was blessed with longevity, living in her home with the help of her family and Ellen Nelson who cared for her with love and affection. Her last two months of winter was spent in the home of her granddaughter, Gina, who kept her warm by her wood stove, tapping her feet to kingdom songs and old classic country music and being watched by her great-granddaughter Josie who always made her mind. She died at Gina’s home surrounded by her family in absolute peace, having escaped hospitals, nursing homes and taking only one prescription. She died January 26th having just turned 93 years old, now sleeping in peace, awaiting the promised resurrection. Memorial services will be held on Wednesday, February 1, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witness Church. Arrangements are under the care of Jones and Casey Funeral Home.