Marjorie Grace McRae Collord passed away peacefully Dec. 17, 2007 in Boise
Idaho. During her nearly 96 years of life, she was witness to epic
changes, from the advent of radio to the commonplace of space travel.
Marj lived a life richly blessed with fond memories and great friends.
She was born February 27, 1912 in Old Meadows, Idaho, to pioneering
parents Daniel C McRae and Grace Turner McRae. She cherished a unique
childhood growing up deep in the Idaho backcountry at Thunder Mountain
where her family mined for three decades. Her fondest memories were of
the mountains, hard work the mines required, horses, and the friends who
helped them face the challenges of living in the wilderness in the early
20th Century. She was schooled by her mother, Grace, until high school in
McCall, Idaho.
On February 16th, 1935, she married James Elton Collord after meeting in
McCall. The marriage was a grand venture that was to last 64 years until
Jim's death at 88. Their life was filled with mining and prospecting all
over the West where they saw wonders and made many new and lasting
friends. Their first married years were spent working at the family mine
at Thunder Mountain. During the war, they lived some of their favorite
years as a young family at the Stibnite Mine, also in Valley County. Many
miners served their country at Stibnite, a mine that produced strategic
minerals for the war effort.
Jim and Marj's travels and prospecting took them many places. Marj and
Jim worked mines and prospects all over California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado
and Idaho. One of their mining ventures took them to the Central Coast
of California where Jim ran a quicksilver mine for Herbert Hoover. After
moving back to their home in Idaho for a time, they returned to the warm
sun of California where they lived for the next 47 years. Marj worked as
head housekeeper at the Hearst Castle in San Simeon for 17 of those years
and co-authored a cookbook filled with Hearst's favorite foods served at
the Castle. The book, The Castle Cookbook, is still in print today.
After retirement from the Castle, Jim and Marj were able to return each
summer to their beloved Idaho backcountry, and were thrilled to watch the
gold mine at Thunder Mountain home put back into production during the
1980s. They spent many gratifying summers at their cabin in Big Creek
where Marj served uncountable visiting friends at their welcoming table.
Her sourdough huckleberry hotcakes hot off the old woodstove were
legendary.
She was preceded in death by her husband Jim in 1999 at their home in
Cambria, California and her brother Robert J. McRae in 1969. She
subsequently moved to Boise, and is survived by her daughter, Kay Meier of
Boise and her son Jim Collord of Elko, Nevada. She also leaves behind 6
grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, and 7 great-great grandchildren
with two more on the way.
A memorial with family and friends will be held in the spring when the
earth is in renewal. Arrangements are by Summers Funeral Home, Boise,
Idaho. Ma, we all love you and will miss your "Let's go!" spirit. We
thank you for the rich heritage you gave us.
Published in the Elko Daily from 12/29/2007 - 1/29/2008.
Idaho. During her nearly 96 years of life, she was witness to epic
changes, from the advent of radio to the commonplace of space travel.
Marj lived a life richly blessed with fond memories and great friends.
She was born February 27, 1912 in Old Meadows, Idaho, to pioneering
parents Daniel C McRae and Grace Turner McRae. She cherished a unique
childhood growing up deep in the Idaho backcountry at Thunder Mountain
where her family mined for three decades. Her fondest memories were of
the mountains, hard work the mines required, horses, and the friends who
helped them face the challenges of living in the wilderness in the early
20th Century. She was schooled by her mother, Grace, until high school in
McCall, Idaho.
On February 16th, 1935, she married James Elton Collord after meeting in
McCall. The marriage was a grand venture that was to last 64 years until
Jim's death at 88. Their life was filled with mining and prospecting all
over the West where they saw wonders and made many new and lasting
friends. Their first married years were spent working at the family mine
at Thunder Mountain. During the war, they lived some of their favorite
years as a young family at the Stibnite Mine, also in Valley County. Many
miners served their country at Stibnite, a mine that produced strategic
minerals for the war effort.
Jim and Marj's travels and prospecting took them many places. Marj and
Jim worked mines and prospects all over California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado
and Idaho. One of their mining ventures took them to the Central Coast
of California where Jim ran a quicksilver mine for Herbert Hoover. After
moving back to their home in Idaho for a time, they returned to the warm
sun of California where they lived for the next 47 years. Marj worked as
head housekeeper at the Hearst Castle in San Simeon for 17 of those years
and co-authored a cookbook filled with Hearst's favorite foods served at
the Castle. The book, The Castle Cookbook, is still in print today.
After retirement from the Castle, Jim and Marj were able to return each
summer to their beloved Idaho backcountry, and were thrilled to watch the
gold mine at Thunder Mountain home put back into production during the
1980s. They spent many gratifying summers at their cabin in Big Creek
where Marj served uncountable visiting friends at their welcoming table.
Her sourdough huckleberry hotcakes hot off the old woodstove were
legendary.
She was preceded in death by her husband Jim in 1999 at their home in
Cambria, California and her brother Robert J. McRae in 1969. She
subsequently moved to Boise, and is survived by her daughter, Kay Meier of
Boise and her son Jim Collord of Elko, Nevada. She also leaves behind 6
grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, and 7 great-great grandchildren
with two more on the way.
A memorial with family and friends will be held in the spring when the
earth is in renewal. Arrangements are by Summers Funeral Home, Boise,
Idaho. Ma, we all love you and will miss your "Let's go!" spirit. We
thank you for the rich heritage you gave us.
Published in the Elko Daily from 12/29/2007 - 1/29/2008.
Marjorie Grace McRae Collord passed away peacefully Dec. 17, 2007 in Boise
Idaho. During her nearly 96 years of life, she was witness to epic
changes, from the advent of radio to the commonplace of space travel.
Marj lived a life richly blessed with fond memories and great friends.
She was born February 27, 1912 in Old Meadows, Idaho, to pioneering
parents Daniel C McRae and Grace Turner McRae. She cherished a unique
childhood growing up deep in the Idaho backcountry at Thunder Mountain
where her family mined for three decades. Her fondest memories were of
the mountains, hard work the mines required, horses, and the friends who
helped them face the challenges of living in the wilderness in the early
20th Century. She was schooled by her mother, Grace, until high school in
McCall, Idaho.
On February 16th, 1935, she married James Elton Collord after meeting in
McCall. The marriage was a grand venture that was to last 64 years until
Jim's death at 88. Their life was filled with mining and prospecting all
over the West where they saw wonders and made many new and lasting
friends. Their first married years were spent working at the family mine
at Thunder Mountain. During the war, they lived some of their favorite
years as a young family at the Stibnite Mine, also in Valley County. Many
miners served their country at Stibnite, a mine that produced strategic
minerals for the war effort.
Jim and Marj's travels and prospecting took them many places. Marj and
Jim worked mines and prospects all over California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado
and Idaho. One of their mining ventures took them to the Central Coast
of California where Jim ran a quicksilver mine for Herbert Hoover. After
moving back to their home in Idaho for a time, they returned to the warm
sun of California where they lived for the next 47 years. Marj worked as
head housekeeper at the Hearst Castle in San Simeon for 17 of those years
and co-authored a cookbook filled with Hearst's favorite foods served at
the Castle. The book, The Castle Cookbook, is still in print today.
After retirement from the Castle, Jim and Marj were able to return each
summer to their beloved Idaho backcountry, and were thrilled to watch the
gold mine at Thunder Mountain home put back into production during the
1980s. They spent many gratifying summers at their cabin in Big Creek
where Marj served uncountable visiting friends at their welcoming table.
Her sourdough huckleberry hotcakes hot off the old woodstove were
legendary.
She was preceded in death by her husband Jim in 1999 at their home in
Cambria, California and her brother Robert J. McRae in 1969. She
subsequently moved to Boise, and is survived by her daughter, Kay Meier of
Boise and her son Jim Collord of Elko, Nevada. She also leaves behind 6
grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, and 7 great-great grandchildren
with two more on the way.
A memorial with family and friends will be held in the spring when the
earth is in renewal. Arrangements are by Summers Funeral Home, Boise,
Idaho. Ma, we all love you and will miss your "Let's go!" spirit. We
thank you for the rich heritage you gave us.
Published in the Elko Daily from 12/29/2007 - 1/29/2008.
Idaho. During her nearly 96 years of life, she was witness to epic
changes, from the advent of radio to the commonplace of space travel.
Marj lived a life richly blessed with fond memories and great friends.
She was born February 27, 1912 in Old Meadows, Idaho, to pioneering
parents Daniel C McRae and Grace Turner McRae. She cherished a unique
childhood growing up deep in the Idaho backcountry at Thunder Mountain
where her family mined for three decades. Her fondest memories were of
the mountains, hard work the mines required, horses, and the friends who
helped them face the challenges of living in the wilderness in the early
20th Century. She was schooled by her mother, Grace, until high school in
McCall, Idaho.
On February 16th, 1935, she married James Elton Collord after meeting in
McCall. The marriage was a grand venture that was to last 64 years until
Jim's death at 88. Their life was filled with mining and prospecting all
over the West where they saw wonders and made many new and lasting
friends. Their first married years were spent working at the family mine
at Thunder Mountain. During the war, they lived some of their favorite
years as a young family at the Stibnite Mine, also in Valley County. Many
miners served their country at Stibnite, a mine that produced strategic
minerals for the war effort.
Jim and Marj's travels and prospecting took them many places. Marj and
Jim worked mines and prospects all over California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado
and Idaho. One of their mining ventures took them to the Central Coast
of California where Jim ran a quicksilver mine for Herbert Hoover. After
moving back to their home in Idaho for a time, they returned to the warm
sun of California where they lived for the next 47 years. Marj worked as
head housekeeper at the Hearst Castle in San Simeon for 17 of those years
and co-authored a cookbook filled with Hearst's favorite foods served at
the Castle. The book, The Castle Cookbook, is still in print today.
After retirement from the Castle, Jim and Marj were able to return each
summer to their beloved Idaho backcountry, and were thrilled to watch the
gold mine at Thunder Mountain home put back into production during the
1980s. They spent many gratifying summers at their cabin in Big Creek
where Marj served uncountable visiting friends at their welcoming table.
Her sourdough huckleberry hotcakes hot off the old woodstove were
legendary.
She was preceded in death by her husband Jim in 1999 at their home in
Cambria, California and her brother Robert J. McRae in 1969. She
subsequently moved to Boise, and is survived by her daughter, Kay Meier of
Boise and her son Jim Collord of Elko, Nevada. She also leaves behind 6
grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, and 7 great-great grandchildren
with two more on the way.
A memorial with family and friends will be held in the spring when the
earth is in renewal. Arrangements are by Summers Funeral Home, Boise,
Idaho. Ma, we all love you and will miss your "Let's go!" spirit. We
thank you for the rich heritage you gave us.
Published in the Elko Daily from 12/29/2007 - 1/29/2008.
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