Jacqueline Last

Jacqueline “Jackie” Mitchell Last, having lived a long life of love and service to her family, friends and community, died after a brief illness on July 15, 2022. She was 94. Born in St. Anthony, Idaho on April 14, 1928, she was a daughter of the late Augusta “Gussie” Mitchell and Harold Mitchell.

At the age of twelve, Jackie moved to Idaho Falls where she graduated from Idaho Falls High School in 1946.  She spent a year at Marylhurst College in Lake Oswego, Oregon before transferring to the University of Idaho where she graduated with a BS in Home Economics. After a year of teaching in Filer, Idaho, she married William D. Last on March 25, 1951. They moved to Jerome in 1953 where they raised the family and operated their Culligan Water Conditioning business.  The family enjoyed many adventures together (Wisconsin trips to see the Lasts, trips to Disneyland, etc.) but the annual family highlight was a 10-day trip to the Shady Beach Cabins on Payette Lake in McCall, ID.  Important on these trips was that we invited a babysitter so that Mom and Dad could relax too. Fortunately, the Darling family lived across the street so each year one of their six daughters would come along to supervise.

Jackie was a 4-H leader for over 20 years utilizing her Home Economics degree guiding the homemaking skills of her daughters and over 100 young women involved. From an early age she loved to sew and made many of her own clothes.  Her children were always bedecked in new shirts and dresses for every holiday.  In 1975 she joined the Sage Hen Quilting group producing quilts of all colors and patterns for her children and many grandchildren.  Jackie loved to read, was a member of several book clubs and always had a variety of fiction, non-fiction and daily reflections in progress.

As a young woman, she joined her mother’s PEO Sorority chapter thus beginning a 70-year involvement with the organization.  In 1967, she and her husband became active in the Cursillo movement, a program of spiritual renewal and growth in Christian faith.  A devout Catholic, Jackie was active in the Idaho National Council of Catholic Women culminating in her selection as Provence Director where she represented Oregon, Washington, Montana and Idaho at the national conventions.  In 1971, she began writing “Word from the ICCW”, a weekly column that ran in the Idaho Register.  For 20 years, she typed and mailed her weekly submissions to Boise, sometimes three at a time to cover vacations, holidays or the start of the school year.

When Bill decided to become a Deacon of the Catholic Church, Jackie embraced the commitment.  For three years, they studied and trained together.  After his ordination in 1981, she supported him attending countless baptisms, weddings, funerals and communion services. After the kids were grown, Jackie and Bill traveled frequently including visiting most of Europe, Ireland and the Maritime Provinces of Canada with the Hanigans and twice to the Holy Land.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, William D. Last; daughter, Mary Last; grandson, Christopher Krahn; sister, Mary Burke; and brother, Tom Mitchell.  She will be deeply missed by her children, Michael (Tish) Last; Kathy (Vern) Pound; Nancy (Dan) Krahn; Jane (Ramon) Zugazaga; Rebecca (Rod) Mink; Victoria (Bill) McCarthy; 17 grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; her loving sister and BFF, Nancy Mitchell; numerous nieces and nephews, and her many friends and church family.

A Memorial Vigil Prayer service will be held at 5:00 pm, Sunday, July 31, 2022, at St. Jerome’s Catholic Church, 216 2nd Ave E, Jerome, Idaho. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 am, Monday, August 1, 2022 at St. Jerome’s Catholic Church, Jerome.

The family would like to thank Dr, James Irwin, MD for his decades of loving and compassionate care and the healthcare angels at Creekside Residential Care Center in Jerome and St. Luke’s Jerome Medical Center for their end-of-life care.

Memorial donations may be made to: IBC Network Foundation, P.O. Box 908, Sealy, TX   77477; Monastery of the Ascension, 541 E 100 S, Jerome, ID   83338; or to the PEO Educational Loan Fund, 3700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA  50312.

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family on Jackie’s memorial webpage at www.farnsworthmortuary.com.