Cloudy, 36° F
(Aug. 25, 1929 - Dec. 9, 2010)
Ann F. Easton died Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010 at the Powell Valley Care Center in Powell, where she had been a resident for the past few months. She was 81.
She was born Loretta Ann Forrest, Aug. 25, 1929, to Charles P. and Henrietta M. Forrest in Roanoke, Va.
She attended parochial schools in Roanoke and graduated from high school in 1947. She attended nursing school at St. Mary's in Portsmouth, Va., graduating as a registered nurse. She worked in Minneapolis, Minn., as a nurse, until her sister became ill with polio.
Ann moved to Des Moines, Iowa, to care for her sister and their family. After her sister recovered, Ann moved to Salem, Va., to work at the Veterans Hospital as an RN.
In 1955, she met Don Easton on a blind date. She didn't want to go on the date, but her father asked her to go. After a year of courting and corresponding, Ann and Don were married June 23, 1956 in Roanoke, Va. They moved a number of times after they were married, beginning in Powell, where Ann worked at the Powell Valley Hospital while Don attended Northwest College.
In 1957, they went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where Ann worked as a operating room supervisor at Good Samaritan Hospital. They lived in Laramie until Don received his Bachelor’s of Science degree and then to Denver, and eventually moved back to Powell. In 1965, they purchased Eastons Funeral Home.
Ann eventually quit her nursing career to stay home with their four children. She was a wonderful mother and was very active in their lives.
Ann really loved Powell. She would remark that her family in Virginia would have to visit her here, because she wasn't going back to the East Coast. Ann was very active in the Powell community. She was a member of St. Barbara's Church, The Red Hat's Society, Fine Arts Club, very active in her bridge club and enjoyed coffee group with her best friends.
She was an avid golfer and skier. In her later years, Ann and Don enjoyed their winter home in Happy Trails, Ariz.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, David and Donald Forrest; and one sister, Helen Stadlman.
She is survived by her husband, Don Easton of 54 years; her sister Janet Leonard of Stanton, Va.; four children, Ray (Tammy) Easton of Richmond, Texas, Chris (Zita) Easton of Highlands Ranch, Colo., Tamara Easton, of Billings, Bobbie (Jerry) Wilk of Powell; and 10 grandchildren she loved very much, Nichole, Heather, James, Amy, Amanda, Michael, Sarah, Sean, Max and Maiya.
A Rosary was held Monday, Dec. 13 at St. Barbara's Church.
Funeral Mass celebration will take place at St. Barbara's Church, Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 10:30 a.m.
Thompson Funeral Home is coordinating arrangements.
