Fredericka Dart Suchey Florea Lederhos

Fredericka Dart Suchey Florea Lederhos (78) passed away on July 23, 2010 at the Boundary Community Hospital E.R. Services will be held on Saturday, July 31, 2010 at 2:00pm in the United Methodist Church in Bonners Ferry, Idaho with private interment in the Grandview Cemetery. Fredericka was born to pioneers Orville and Gladyes Walker Dart in Roosevelt, Utah and raised on the family irrigation farm. She was the seventh child of eight children. Her birth was during the Great Depression. Fredericka was always proud she was delivered by a woman doctor in the heart of the Ute Indian Reservation. Her education included grade school at the Roosevelt Elementary and graduated high school at Wasatch Academy, a Presbyterian prepatory boarding school in 1949. She attended Westminster College, in Salt Lake City, Utah for one year before starting her nurses training at Holy Catholic Hospital School of Nursing in Salt Lake City. She graduated and passed her board exams for her R.N. in 1953. Fredericka married George Andrew Suchey June 11, 1953. They had five children and lived in Denver and Evergreen Colorado. George died during heart surgery in May of 1963. Fredericka and her five small children moved to Yucaipa, California to be near family. She worked at the Yucaipa Medical Center for a surgeon and two pediatricians. In 1965 she moved her children to Bonners Ferry, Idaho where she was evening supervisor at Boundary County Hospital for one year. She was then selected to teach the LPN program for one year when she decided to stay home and be a room mother, secondary school teacher, and work with her children in 4-H and Boy Scouts. In 1966 she married Fay Allen Florea on June 25th at the Mt. Hall Church. Fay adopted the five children and she and Fay were married for 30 years. Fay was manager of Bonners Ferry Lumber Company and Fredericka was the county’s first public health nurse from 1969-1972. In 1977, she and Fay purchased the Hawkins House from Jean and Lou Mace. Fredericka and her daughter Susan turned the historic house into a fine foods restaurant. They had visitors from all over the world to enjoy their food and Western Scones. The Hawkins House was open as a restaurant 10 years and closed in 1987 when Fredericka converted the historic house into an art gallery showing paintings from local, Sandpoint, and Spokane artists for one year. Fay’s health began to fail so they moved in to the Hawkins House from their home on Madison Street to live on one level. As a master repair person, Fay provided maintenance during the restaurant years. He lost his battle with multiple stroke syndrome in February 1996. Fredericka married Donald A. Lederhos February 2, 2002 with four of her five children and six of Don’s eight children attending. It had been a happy four and a half years of marriage. Don suddenly died on May 4, 2006. Fredericka loved life, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, relatives and friends. She enjoyed reading, writing her stories, cooking, good food, traveling by driving her car through many states, helicopter rides with Don, gardening, family history, the Hawkins House, and her God. Fredericka was active in local, regional and state affairs. She served as Vice-President and President of Chamber of Commerce; two years as chair-person of “Big Water Mountain Land” Region 1 tourism committee; “Downtown Business Owners Association;” Advisory Council for Regional Health and Welfare; Idaho State Developmental Disabilities Advisory Council. She also served on the Kootenai Indian Planning Council for the construction of the Kootenai River Inn. Fredericka took college workshops in writing and wrote her family history. Fredericka was active in her church, PEO, and the Book Club. She was a Patriot and a “Walking Historian” who loved Western and American Indian History. Fredericka was a proud, strong, dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and community member. She will be missed by all. Fredericka is survived by her daughter Susan Florea Falck, Bonners Ferry; sons Steven G. Florea, Montana, Scott A. Florea (Rebecca), California; Stanton F. Florea, Bonners Ferry; Shane R. Florea, Colorado; sister Mary J. Reinsimar, California; and good friend Leroy Vogl; 18 Grandchildren and 24 Great-Grandchildren. Fredericka lost her parents, six brothers and sisters, three husbands, and many relatives and friends. Family and friends are invited to sign Fredericka’s book at www.bonnersferryfuneralhome.com Arrangement are entrusted to the care of Bonners Ferry Funeral Home.