Frances Dalton

Obituary of Frances Ann Dalton

Her name was Frances Ann Dalton, but most people who knew her just called her Grandma.  She lived a full life: mother of five, Grandmother of six, caregiver to many, and friend to all.  For the last 15 years, she was a faithful, devoted and altruistic parishioner at St. Mary’s church in Boise, Idaho and before that she was an active member of Blessed Sacrament church in Madison, Wisconsin. An attempt to describe Grandma in one paragraph is an audacious task and probably quite foolish.  She is one of those rare individuals that cannot be described, but I must try!  She is survived by her five children, Brian Johnson, Dan Johnson, Tom Johnson, Jen Scherschel, and Jacqueline (Ted) Maybach.  She is also survived by two brothers, Thomas and Patrick Dalton and preceded in death by her brother Jack Dalton.


 

She was selfless, empathetic, and kind to a fault. She lived a frugal lifestyle so she could give generously to others. She donated money and gifts that she could scarcely afford. She gave of herself in a manner that defied her age and stature. At St Mary’s church she organized what she called Undie Sunday where she gathered underwear and toiletries from fellow parishioners and donated them to local homeless shelters.  She spent many of her working and retirement years taking care of her grandchildren. Besides being infinitely patient, she taught her grandchildren life skills like how to garden, how to sew, how to tie shoes, how to bake cookies and bread, how to pray, and how to show kindness and compassion to others especially those less fortunate.


 

Nothing in grandma’s life came easy. She had some extremely tough early years. Her mother died when she was just five years old at which point she was separated from her brothers and put into an orphanage. In the years that followed she was moved routinely from one orphanage to another, from one friend of the family to another.  Eventually as a teenager she was reunited with her brothers and father, but she left that household and became independent at the tender age of sixteen. Despite these hardships, the difficulties she experienced only strengthened her faith in God and buttressed her resolve to help others. This display of fortitude, courage and tenacity is why she is our divine miracle.


 

Grandma was selfless, witty, gracious, and funny until the very end of her life. She had an abbreviated, just as she wished, stay at St. Luke’s in Boise. Thank you to the ER and SICU staff for their tireless, intelligent, and respectful care.  Donations or gifts can be brought or sent to organizations that meant a lot to her, The Corpus Christi House or St. Mary’s food bank. Services will be held at St. Mary’s Church in Boise on Saturday, March 24th at 11:00am.

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Saturday
24
March

Memorial Service

11:00 am
Saturday, March 24, 2018
St. Mary's Catholic Church
2612 W State St
Boise, Idaho, United States
208-344-2597
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