Barbara Jean “Bobbie” Farish, formerly of Caldwell, passed away at her home in Marsing on February 25, 2019 after a brief illness. Bobbie was 86.
Bobbie was born on August 31, 1932, to William and Nola Bequeath in Caldwell, Idaho. She grew up in a loving home, and had many happy memories of her childhood. At a very young age, Bobbie endured the ravages of polio, but she never let that slow her down or get in her way. She graduated from Caldwell High School in 1951.
After high school, Bobbie attended Secretarial College and prepared herself for her life's work.
Bobbie was the consummate secretary – efficient and proactive, her attention to detail was rivaled only by her organizational skills. And, she could type a million words a minute. After a long stint at the J.R. SimplotCompany, she “retired” to do the work that she truly enjoyed.
Bobbie's first love was her family, followed closely by the sport of rodeo. This was a fortuitous combination, since most of her family competed at one time or another. She was there to watch and support all of them, from junior rodeos to the professional ranks. However, her contributions to rodeo went far beyond being a supporting fan.
Her secretarial skills and intimate knowledge of the sport put her in great demand by associations at all levels of the sport. She was a regular as a timer and secretary at kids and All Girl rodeos. She served many years as the Association Secretary of the Idaho Girls Rodeo Association and the Idaho Cowboys Association. She held lifetime memberships in both the IGRA and the ICA. But, her dream job was with the CNR. Bobbie spent over a decade as the Executive Secretary of the Caldwell Night Rodeo. She was the smiling face of the rodeo that kept the Rodeo Board on track and the rodeo running smoothly. She was the perfect person for this position and was sorely missed when she finally decided it was time hang up her spurs so that she had more time to take care of her husband Starr and her mother Nola.
Bobbie was predeceased by her Mother and Father, her husband of 40 years, R. Starr Farish, her sister Wanda Bequeath Mason, her cousins Al Bequeath and Ronnie Bequeath, her niece Billy June Bequeath Dewey, and her nephew Casey Bequeath.
Bobbie is survived by her brother, Bill Bequeath of Marsing, her sister Joy Brown of Caldwell, cousins Gail Conway and Elvie Bequeath, daughter Melody (Doug) Cook of Marsing, her grandchildren Sammee (Tony) Green of Madras OR, Kirby Cook of Marsing, Kelsey (Taryn) Cook of Homedale, and 3 great grandchildren, Paysen and Kingslee (Sammee & Tony) and Teal (Kelsey & Taryn). In addition, she has numerous nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews.
Bobbie suffered from dementia these past several years, and while she wasn't always sure what day it was, two things never changed: To the very end she loved to watch a rodeo or bull riding on TV, and she always had a smile for everybody.
We would like to extend a special thank you to Maleah Bowers. Shortly after Bobbie moved to Marsing, Maleah began helping us take care of and watch over her. Bobbie grew to love her as one of her own and considered Maleah part of the family.
A Celebration of Bobbie's Life will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday, March 13th, 2019 at Dakan Funeral Chapel in Caldwell, Idaho. A meal and fellowship will follow.
In lieu of flowers or memorial contributions, Bobbie's family would encourage you to stay in touch or reconnect with relatives and friends. We never know how much time we have left, and the time spent with them will always be cherished.
Condolences and memories may be shared with Bobbie’s family at www.dakanfuneralchapel.com
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