Obituary of Judith F. Heicksen

Judith F. Heicksen (73) resident of Santa, ID passed away at her home on January 9, 2021. She was born to Herbert and Elizabeth (Welch) Hayes in Fort Mead Baltimore, MD. As a child, Judi’s family moved around. They had spent time in Germany, Taiwan, Seattle, and Kansas. She attended college in Manhattan, KS. This is where she met Rudy Heicksen. They married on May 10, 1970 in Deer Park, WA, and made their home in Loon Lake, WA. On their honeymoon, they spent four months packing through the Salmon River area in the Frank Church Wilderness where they became good friends with Buckskin Bill, the last of the mountain men. She studied wild edibles and found a love for wild plants. Judy and Rudy camped and logged all over the Pacific Northwest. Their children were born in Orofino, ID, Sweet Home, OR, and Troy, ID,. Judi home schooled all of her children. She also was a nurse to her daughter Lorelei as she was born with club-feet. Many appointments were attended at the Seattle Children’s Hospital. Judi was one of the first EMTs trained in Idaho (prior to this, EMTs were not required to have training). At this time, the family spent time down in Elk River Deary, Bovill,Fernwood and Harrison. In 1987, Judy found the property where the family home currently sits. Her and Rudy purchased it and made that property their forever home. In her earlier years she worked for Benewah Community Hospital and she would conduct at home physicals for life insurance. She worked at the Upriver School as the librarian from 1992 to 1998. She attended North Idaho College, Lewis and Clark State College, and University of Idaho, earning her Masters Degree in Special Education in 2006. After graduating, Judi went to work for the Coeur d’ Alene Tribal School in DeSmet. She spent 20 years there before retiring. Judi also spent a lot of her time volunteering. She spent time at the Tri-Community Library and played a huge role in coordinating the effort for the construction of the Living Hope Seventh Day Adventist Church in Plummer. This was a project she was especially proud of. In her spare time, Judy enjoyed gardening, painting – oil, water, and pastel, studying wild plants, and reading. She also had a tremendous love of animals and a gift for nursing orphan wild animals and caring for them as pets. Many things Judy made or canned were either grown by her, found by her, or made from scratch. More than anything she loved books. A legacy and talent that she passed down to her children. Judy is survived by her husband Rudy at their home in Santa; daughters Gisella (Paul) Quigley of Fernwood, ID and Lorelei (Clint) Dockery of Fernwood, ID; son Peter (Katherine) Heicksen, of Newark, DE; siblings Herbert (Pam) Hayes III of Huntsville, AL, Darlene (Marvin) Jorgenson of Auburn, WA, Tom (Dorthee) Hayes of Hendersonville,NC, Rick Hayes of Fort Lauderdale, FL; 10 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild; numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, Herbert and Elizabeth Hayes and her sister Vicki Bayne. Services will be at the Living Hope Seventh day Adventist Church in Plummer, Sunday Jan 24 at 11am.