Genevie Allred

Genevie Allred, loving wife and mother, homemaker, and farmwife passed away surrounded by family on January 5, 2014, after a rich life of 88 years. Genevie was a lifelong resident of southern Idaho. She was born in Downey to Edgar Allen Guidinger, Sr, and Margaret Jane Brown Guidinger on April 16, 1925, the youngest of nine children. Genevie attended school in Downey and after graduation worked in Salt Lake City during World War II. Genevie came to Lorenzo to help with her older sister’s children and met her husband, Paul. They married December 11, 1943. They lived on their farm in Ucon and purchased a farm in Lorenzo where they farmed and raised their six children. As some of the children scattered to various parts of the world, Paul and Genevie visited them in Michigan, Illinois, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Oregon, Georgia, California, and England, and toured portions of Western Europe. Those who remained closer to home provided the loving warmth and continuity of nearby family. Genevie’s house was always the welcoming meeting place for family events. Genevie belonged to The Rigby Community Presbyterian Church where she was church choir director for many years and a member of Presbyterian Women. She was also active in the Friendly Neighbors Club. She had a beautiful singing voice and enjoyed music. She was also a gifted artist, seamstress and loved to travel. She met people with warmth and dignity. Genevie and Paul bought a small motor home and drove it to Alaska, Michigan, California, Washington DC and local campgrounds. They enjoyed traveling with The Rolling Russets, the local branch of the Good Sam’s Club. It took them several years of meticulous labor to convert a former Trailways bus into their dream camper. The story of the conversion was the feature story, including the bus as centerfold picture, in an issue of Bus Conversion Magazine. Their bus was a warm, loving, busy mobile focal point during family campouts. Paul, Genevie’s parents, all of her siblings, and an infant son, Gregory, preceded Genevie in death. Her survivors are her children, Paula (Richard C. Mehl, deceased) Allred of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kathie (Bill) Phoenix of Idaho Falls, Pamela (Wayne) Valentine of Rexburg, Daniel (Linda) Allred and James (Shelly) Allred of Rigby, and Melanie (Kevin) Wetzel of Idaho Falls, fourteen grandchildren, eighteen great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. Visitation will be held at the Eckersell Memorial Chapel, 101 W. Main, Rigby on Friday, January 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, January 11, from 10:00 until 10:45 a.m. before the service. Funeral services will be held at the Eckersell Memorial Chapel at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday with internment immediately following at the Annis Little Butte Cemetery. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to a charity of your choice.