Zella Louise Bloxom

Zella Louise Bloxom, age 81, of Coeur d'Alene, ID went to be with her Lord on May 19, 2015. Zella was born to Paul Earl and Luella (Welsch) Brown on December 14, 1933 in Richfield, Kansas. The family was abandoned by their father during the depression. Luella married Elmer Earl Ball, a cowboy farmer, when Zella was 2 ½ years old and he raised the four children in Delta, Colorado. Barbara Joan Ball and Edward Earl Ball were born of that union. The family grew up together in peace and harmony on the farm in Delta where Zella attended school. She graduated in 1951 from Delta High School where she majored in music and business. She played saxophone in band and orchestra and was a majorette in the marching band. Zella was in many activities and held class offices. She was offered a scholarship in to Denver University but declined it to marry Vernon Lorenz Cottier, also of Delta. She assisted him in business. Of that union was born three sons, Terrance Lee Cottier, Gordon Ward Cottier and Gregory Cottier. This family moved to Missoula, Montana in 1964. Divorced in 1966, Zella raised the family alone until they were through school and then moved to Coeur d'Alene, ID. With the boy's independent, Zella attended North Idaho College School of Nursing. Zella was named to Who's Who of American Junior Colleges, and received her associate degree in 1977. She then was an instructor in the R.N. Nursing Lab at NIC and later, after more school, taught certified nurse aids at NIC. She worked at Kootenai Medical Center and then for Dr. Wilbur Lyon, and Dr's Bell and Guth, as well as substitute work for other doctors. She worked as a home health R.N. covering the five northern counties until she established a home health agency, Personal Care Inc., to cover the five northern counties, employing 148 RN's and CNA's. Zella married Jack L. Bloxom on December 29, 1976 and enjoyed his coaching baseball and basketball at NIC, getting to know many wonderful students and parents. Zella served on the Park and Recreation Tubbs Hill Advisory Committee and was chairman of the P&R commission over a period of 10 years for the City of Coeur d'Alene. Retirement brought more time for gardening, fishing and enjoying their lake place as well as the house on Crestline. She loved flowers and plants. She also loved traveling and seeing new places and people. Zella is survived by her husband, Jack Bloxom of Coeur d'Alene; two sons, Terrance Lee Cottier of Dalls and Valley View, TX and Gordon Ward Cottier of Avery, ID; Jack's daughter, Michal Ocena Stewart of Seattle, WA; a sister, Barbara Joan Shaw of Jojoba Hills, CA; a brother, Edward Earl Ball of Delta, CO; grandchildren, Amy Snow, Sarah Rimbey, Jody Johnson, Alexandra Stewart and Travis Cottier; great grandchildren, Olivia Rimbey, Trevor Snow, Ethan Snow, Jakob Carpenter, Kyra Swearingen, Finley Cottier, Tatum Cottier and Kobe Cottier. She was preceded in death by a son, Gregory David Cottier; sisters, Zelma (Jean) Manual and Vera (Jinx) Marchment; a brother, Wesley Duane Brown; and their parents. The funeral service will be 10:00 a.m. Friday, May 22, 2015 at the Yates Funeral Home, Coeur d'Alene Chapel. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery