Jeanine Apodaca
(5/1/1939-2/2/2019)

Malad, Idaho Our beloved mother, wife, grandma, friend, and daughter has made her passage home.

Jeanine was born in Los Angeles, California, to her parents Zelda (Beuhler) and Al Healy. Her and her older brother Fred moved around a lot when they were young, but spent many summers in Malad visiting the family farm in Daniels and staying with Grandma Beuhler on Bannock Street. She lived her High School years in Bonanza, Oregon, which was so small, there was only 25 students in the whole High School. After HS she then attended college in Oregon. She was also the Klamath Rodeo Queen of 1956. She was a barrel racing champ!

Shortly after college she met Ray Grote at a dance in Doris, California, and they were married in Klamath Falls, Oregon. They were married for 25 years and shared many happy times together. They had 3 children, Jennifer (me), Raymond, and Brent. Jeanine worked at “Ma Bell” telephone company and was so pretty, they used her picture in an advertisement.

In 1971, they left Oregon to pursue a better life in Lovelock, Nevada, where they owned and operated the “Whoa Motel.” It had 9 rooms and everyone pitched in to help clean and maintain the property. There was a small backyard where at one time there was a bunny named “Thumper” and another time a carp that was kept in a swimming pool. Jeanine loved animals, so there was always some kind of pet or two running around (or swimming or flying, as may have been the case.) I believe they made friends with everyone who stayed at the “WHOA Motel.”

Jeanine’s home was always filled with family and friends. They were very involved in their community and belonged to the Chamber of Commerce. Jeanine was a devoted mother and among other things, was a Boy Scout mom, primary teacher, and a member of the LDS church in Lovelock. She helped with 4H and with the horses they had gotten for me. She was at every swim meet and school event for her kids.

In 1978, Jeanine decided it was time to move back to her family in Malad. She found work immediately at Thiokol in her field of telecommunications and was there for 28 years until she retired. In 1984, she met the truest love of her life, Ernie, and they were married in 1986 in Virginia City, Nevada. After meeting Ernie, she was the happiest in her life. They moved to Malad and set up residence on Bannock Street, only a few doors down from the home she loved as a child. They had a full, beautiful and adventurous life. She loved it when Ernie would sing to her their song “Always on my mind”. Us kids always knew he made her so happy and she laughed and smiled a whole bunch more after meeting him. They took many trips to Mexico and around the country.

Although Jeanine worked full time her whole life, somehow she always found time to cook a home-cooked meal and to bake cookies with her children and later her grandchildren. She loved to travel and her “bags were always packed” to go anywhere. She loved adventure and the outdoors. She was an amazing artist and was very creative. She loved to crochet and knit, but we would always laugh because she couldn’t teach anyone as she was left-handed, and we just couldn’t figure out how to make that work! She was a trap shooter and even belonged to a club. She had a passion for dancing and just loved to “cut a rug”. She knew the words to just about every song and she always had a little catchy saying for just about every situation.
If you knew Jeanine, you would know that within 5 minutes of being in her home, she would have your whole life story. She loved everybody and was known to bring people home to give them a hot meal and a kind word. Her home and garden were her pride and joy. A bright and fun spirit, not many things got her down.

She had so much love for her children and grandchildren and never missed an opportunity to be at a birthday party or grandparents day at school. She dressed up for Halloween and had summer parties in her yard.

Jeanine is survived by her husband Ernie, her children, Jennifer (Tom), Raymond (Danise), Brent (Katrina), her grandchildren, Nichole (Jorge), Tayja (Adrian), Travis, DeziRay, and Piper, and her great grandchildren Olive, Harrison, and June. She is also survived by her step-children Richard, Jodie, and Monica and their children. She is also survived by many friends and family who will mourn her loss.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Fred Healy, step-father Bill Westman, ex-husband Ray, daughter-in-law Danise, and grandson Brady.

No services will be held per her wishes. We just ask that you hold her in your heart and remember her while she was with us.

Entrusted to Gillies Funeral Chapel, Brigham City, Utah, 435-723-5236. Send condolences to www.gfc-utah.com.