Dorothy Pearl Bricker Agee

Dorothy Pearl Bricker Agee, age 95, passed away in her sleep, August 16th, 2015 at the Cedar Draw Assisted Living and Memory Care Center in Filer, Idaho. Dot was born July 18th, 1920 in Mackay, Idaho to Jessie Weeks Bricker and Harry Bricker. Some of her early memories were of spearing salmon with a pitchfork on the East Fork of the Salmon River. She attended grade school in Hailey, Idaho, graduated from high school in Wells, Nevada in 1938 and married the one, big love of her life, Lester Agee on June 8th, 1938. After a short honeymoon in Salt Lake, Dot moved with her husband to a remote ranch in O’Neil Basin, Nevada on Wilson Creek. Their honeymoon home was a log cabin with a sod roof with no running water or electricity. She learned to cook on a wood stove and told many a story about burying her first burnt loaves of bread down by the creek and about spending a full month in the summer cutting enough wood to last through the long, snowy northern Nevada winters. She and Lester raised 5 children on what came to be known as the V4 Ranch and she loved her life amongst the rim rocks and sagebrush raising cows and kids. She “hooped” beaver pelts that Lester trapped and they sold the pelts for “spending” money. One Christmas when the deep snow ended vehicle travel in the Basin, Dot and Lester bundled up and saddled up their young children and rode from O’Neil Basin over the mountain to Highway 93 to attend the Wells holiday festivities. Her children remember the saddlebags, loaded with Tinker Toys and other wrapped gifts jingling along as the horses trudged through snow. The warm, loving home Dot created in O’Neil was always full of her own kids, nieces and nephews, cousins and other children. She loved to dance and would clear out the furniture and hold dances for the local fun-hungry teenagers of the 1950’s. Dot’s children attended grade school in a one room cabin at the ranch in O’Neil and she and Lester purchased a home in Wells so their brood could attend High School. She was a staunch supporter of the Wells Leopard sports teams and her kitchen was the go-to place for countless Wells teenagers. The 1956 Wells High School yearbook was dedicated to Dot in honor of her involvement in school activities. Also in the 1950’s, Dot and her mother, Jessie, baked and sold enough delicious homemade Hot Cross Buns and Orange Rolls to put a new roof on the Episcopal Church in Wells. During these years she managed two households: the ranch house in O’Neil Basin and the town house in Wells. She said that she was very glad when her children learned to drive and she didn’t have to navigate the 160 mile round trip between the ranch and town. In 1960, Dot and Lester purchased a farm in Eden, Idaho expanding the family business and involving their sons and son-in-law. They raised cattle at the ranch in Nevada and trucked the steers up to the farm feedlot in Eden and fed them out on forage crops grown there on the farm. Dot embraced the life of Idaho farm wife with the same exuberance that she did the role of Nevada ranch wife. She picked rock, cultivated beans and beets, drove truck and prepared scrumptious meals for all hardworking helpers. Her homemade cream puffs, lemon pie and cinnamon rolls are legendary amongst cowboys, family and friends and she inspired many good cooks throughout the years. She taught her family how to work and that anything could be accomplished with enough elbow grease and determination. One of her favorite Mother’s Day gifts was a “rock bucket” that attached to the back of her 8N Ford tractor. Dot enjoyed bowling, playing cards, and was an avid fan of the 4H, FFA and sports activities of all of her grandchildren and great grands. In her later years she enjoyed spending her winters in Phoenix, Arizona and her summers at the family farm in Eden. Her loving spirit lives on in the hearts and lives of the family and friends that she helped, cheered, nurtured, loved and guided through life. Her wit, keen mind and joyous spirit will be deeply missed and eternally appreciated. Dot is preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, William Lester Agee, her parents, Harry and Jessie Bricker, her younger brother Hal Bricker, her son Harry “Dize” Agee, son-in-law, Floyd Frey and baby grandson Merrill Agee Lewis. She is survived by four children. Sally Fillmore of Eden, Teddy Frey of Buhl, Varl (Karen) Agee, of Elko, Nevada and Peggy (Randy) Hansen of Eden; 12 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren and 15 great, great grandchildren. A Celebration of Life will be held for Dot on October 17th, 2015 from 2:00 to 5:00 PM at the Mountain View Barn in Jerome, Id. In lieu of flowers and contributions, the family asks that you make a donation to the University of Idaho 4H Youth Development and mail it to 878 Perimeter MS 3015, Moscow, Idaho 83844, in memory of Dorothy Agee. Arrangements are under the direction of Rosenau Funeral Home.