Marilyn Alice Easteppe

Marilyn A. Easteppe, 79, of Caldwell, Idaho, passed away on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at a local hospital from complications of a stroke with her sister, Sheila Stone, by her side.  Marilyn was born February 26, 1946, to McKinley (Mac) and Aileen (Schmitt) Easteppe in Nampa, Idaho. 

A few years after she was born, her parents homesteaded desert land in the Black Canyon Irrigation District northwest of Caldwell.  Marilyn grew up on the farm doing farm chores and cooking for hay-stacking crews.  She attended Notus schools for 12 years in the same building, graduating in 1964.  After graduating from high school, she spent several years providing daycare services, spent 2 years in Seattle, Washington, going to secretarial school, and eventually found her calling when she volunteered at Washington Elementary School, eventually becoming a full-time teacher’s aide.  In 1988, she enrolled at the College of Idaho, graduating in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in elementary education with an emphasis on reading and literature.  She spent one year as an assistant to Donna Shines in her special education room. She then started teaching at VanBuren Elementary in the second grade, moving up to the fifth grade after a couple of years.  Marilyn loved her students and was determined to make sure she found a way to help every student learn.  This became evident as one of the attending doctors at WVMC had been a former fifth-grade student. 

In 1978, the family purchased cabins along the Little Salmon River at Rainbow Bend. After her father passed away in 1982, she and her Mom spent most of the summers there enjoying the mountain air, playing cards, and Uncle Jim’s famous fish fries. She and her Mom also enjoyed trips to Jackpot along with Sheila and Ken. 

Marilyn retired from teaching in 2008 after spinal surgery.  For the next fifteen years, she settled into a quiet life of retirement.  Always the creative crafter, she began making original gift cards from beautiful pictures she colored.  In 2023, after another health setback, she found herself moving to Aspen Creek Senior Living.  She continued her card-making and developed loyal customers among her caregivers and fellow residents.  She loved living at Aspen Creek and made many good friends there.  She was grateful for her caregivers and enjoyed the daily visits, greeting them with a smile and upbeat conversation.   

Marilyn is preceded in death by her parents, Sheila’s significant other, Ken Smith and several aunts, uncles, and cousins.  She is survived by her sister Sheila Stone; Sheila’s stepchildren and grandchildren, Jamey (Erin) Smith and their children Sydney and Kelsey, and Marc (Tracy) Smith and their children Carson and Emma, and by Juan and Darlene Berrelez, her long-time helpers, and dear friends. 

Sheila would like to thank all the staff at Aspen Creek, including Martha, her friend and crafting buddy, along with everyone else too numerous to name.  A special thank you to West Valley Medical Center staff, nurses, and doctors for the exceptional care and compassion she received in her final days. 

Services are scheduled for Friday, May 30, 2025, 11:00 a.m. at Flahiff Funeral Chapel, 624 Cleveland Boulevard, Caldwell, Idaho. Donations may be made to Idaho Public TV, the Caldwell Foundation for Educational Opportunity, Inc., or a charity of your choice.