Shirley Ann (Soncarty) Papineau

Shirley Ann Papineau of Moscow died of cancer Monday evening, July 27, 2020 at Good Samaritan Moscow Village.  She was 86.

Shirley was born August 23, 1933 at her Aunt Mary Nirk’s farmhouse in rural Potlatch to Edward and Ida Soncarty. She attended Elmore School north of Potlatch until it was consolidated with the Potlatch School District and graduated from Potlatch High School in l951.  Shirley’s father died when she was 11, and along with her two brothers, they worked with their mother Ida to run the family farm.  She often hired out as a babysitter, helped cook for various farm crews, helped farmer’s wives with laundry, and washed lots of dishes for the big meals they prepared.

She was engaged to James (Jim) Papineau and moved in with his parents while working at Idaho First National Bank until he came home on leave from the U.S. Air Force to marry her at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Moscow on September 27, 1952.  They moved to California while Jim was stationed at Travis Air Force Base.  They had two daughters, JoAnn Marie and Kendria Carol, before returning in 1956 after Jim’s discharge.  They then had two boys, Timothy James and Lonnie Edward in the next few years.

Jim’s career took the family to Walla Walla for four years.  She was hired by Birds Eye Canning factory as a bookkeeper working nights after Jim got home and the kids were fed and ready for bed.  After getting off work, she got the kids up and off to school before ‘crashing’ for the day until the kids got home and she started dinner.  It must have been awfully hard, but the kids were never neglected.  She was working for the family and they saved up to buy a boat, which they named ‘Mom’s Paycheck’.  Many great adventures followed.

They returned to Moscow in 1966 and never left again.  Shirley worked as a meat wrapper for Jim at Modern Way Grocery for 18 years and later part time at Rosauers as needed.  She enjoyed raising her family and often helped with Boy Scouts, Brownies and Campfire Girls. She was an unselfish caregiver to many people during her life. She loved fishing, camping, gardening, raising flowers (especially violets), quilting, solving puzzles of all kinds, and scouting out rummage sale finds.  She looked forward every year to baking her Washington Nut (pecan) pie for the live auction at the annual Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation banquet, raising as much at $500 for a single pie.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Jim in 2016 after 63 years of marriage, grandson Chris, and brothers Lowell and Norman. She is survived by children JoAnn (Steve) King, Kendria (Dave) Cada, Tim Papineau, Lonnie (Dawn) Papineau, Grandchildren Jamie, Nathan, Brett, and Shane, step-grandchildren, Shauna, Anna and Cathy as well as Great Grandchildren, Connor, Noah, Cloe, Aidan and Caleb.

A graveside service will be held with the family and a memorial mass will follow at a later date. 

The family suggests memorials be made to St. Mary’s School Foundation at PO Box 8485, Moscow, ID 83843, to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, PO Box 8249, Missoula, MT 59807-8249, or the charity of the donor’s choice.

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