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On Saturday evening, Dessa quietly left while her husband and daughter were by her side, after a long struggle with multiple health issues, including dementia.

Dessa was born to Dr. J.P. Finck and “Jonnie” Finck, RN. Her dad felt that the process of labor would be too dangerous for his wife and unborn child.  He decided that it was safer to leave Caldwell for his mentors at Tacoma General in Tacoma, Washington, for a caesarian. Her mom was not opposed to this, for she had previously worked for Tacoma General and her family hails from Poulsbo.  At that time determining due dates was difficult, so Dessa was delivered prematurely and had to spend time in an incubator. As soon as they were able to leave the hospital, Dessa returned to Caldwell, Idaho to a home her parents were building on land her grandparents owned on Canyon Hill.

In 1949, polio came to Caldwell and Dessa’s parents feared for her health. It was decided for her safety to be sent to stay with her aunt in Poulsbo, Washington. Dessa stayed with her Aunt Clara and Uncle Cliff Iverson. Cliff owned the local butcher market with his brothers and Dessa would help make deliveries for the market with her little wagon. The butcher market was right off the docks, so Dessa would watch the men unload salmon and halibut and prepare the fish for the market. Poulsbo at that time was still mostly a Norwegian community and Dessa developed a lifelong fondness of pickled herring in sour cream, fish balls in cream gravy, and potato balls with bacon. The outbreak of polio passed after a year and a half and Dessa returned to Caldwell.

Dr. Finck was drafted in the army as part of the Marshall Plan. Because of his position as an officer, Jonnie and Dessa accompanied him to France. The family settled in Nanterre for two years, where Dessa started at a local primary school. The drawback was that wine was served with lunch at school. Jonnie had to respond to a complaint from school that Dessa was sleeping through her afternoon classes. Once it was ascertained that milk was not served at lunch, but the red wine, Dessa became the only kid in the school that had a coke with lunch.

As the family settled back into life at Caldwell, the family developed friendships that turned into an extended family. Currently, the families are on their third generation of close-knit friendships with the children calling the grandparents, aunts and uncles of the other side as their own.

With Dessa being the only child, and a tomboy, she learned to shoot and ride horses. On her first horse, Gus, she would fall asleep and Gus would return her home. In junior high, on the backs of Goldie and Joe, Dessa would sneak out for midnight rides during warm, moonlit nights. One night, she rode Joe to Greenleaf and realized she had gone too far and barely returned to her bed, fully clothed, before her dad came in to wake her up.

Running a medical clinic meant that her parents were very busy and it was decided that Dessa should spend summers with her dad’s friend. Orren McMullan and his wife Belle, would take Dessa with them to Price Valley, outside of New Meadows. Dessa would spend her summers riding horses and herding sheep into the Seven Devils.

Dessa graduated from Caldwell High School in 1964 and that fall, she packed up and headed to the University of Washington. While there, she pledged to the Phi Mu sorority. She became the youngest sorority president during her junior year. While at UW, sitting in a crowded class, she met the love of her life. Dessa was so in love, she failed on class called Marriage and the Family. Her parents were not pleased and pulled her from UW and enrolled her at Idaho State University, where Dessa received her Bachelor’s in Nursing. During this time, the love of her life, packed up his 1957 Ford Thunderbird and followed her to Pocatello.  They were married in 1968. Following her graduation in 1970, her husband enrolled for his graduate studies at the University of Washington and Dessa went to work for Providence Hospital in Seattle.  Dessa was a skilled nurse and soon found herself on the first cardiac transplant team. In 1973, Dessa discovered she was pregnant and wanted their child to have the kind of childhood she had, so they returned to Caldwell.  Another child followed in 1979 and Dessa settled into being a fiercely protective mother. If Dessa counted you as one of her “kids”, heaven forbid anyone who did wrong by them. Dessa may have only stood at 5 foot 2, but one forgot that when Dessa was angry.

Dessa’s parents valued education and instilled in Dessa the desire to learn. Dessa worked full time, but also attended classes. She earned her Master’s in Public Administration from Boise State University and her Doctorate in Education from the University of Idaho. In  1989, Dessa left West Valley Hospital for Boise State University in the Vocational College, teaching nursing for LPNs. Dessa left Boise State University in 1996 to join St. Luke’s. Dessa retired from St. Luke’s in 2011; however, retirement was not her thing. Until she became too ill to serve, Dessa sat on numerous boards.

The family would like to thank Dr. Jeff Gilbertson, not only for his care, but his friendship. The family would like to thank the Bright Star staff at Prickly Pear, for loving her as much as they did. Due to Covid-19, no service will be held, but ask that friends and family listen to The Beatles and the Old Rugged Cross to remember her. The family hopes to have a remembrance at a later date.

Dessa leaves behind her husband of 52 years, a daughter who she adored and a son who she revered and fought fiercely for his health. Dessa also leaves behind a granddaughter, whom Dessa called her greatest gift. Dessa also leaves behind friends whom she adored. The family requests if you want to remember Dessa, please support a charity of your choice.

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Dessa Lagerstrom Obituary | Altogether