Idona Belle (Brown) passed away May 17. 2021 at the Residency Care Center in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. A private graveside service was held at West Lawn Cemetery in Gering Om May 22, 2021 with Bishop Brent Rawlings officiating. Gering Memorial Chapel was in charge of funeral arrangements.
The second of eight children, Idona was born September 11, 1925 in Lodgepole, Nebraska to Curtis and Alice (Quinn) Brown. She grew up in Lodgepole and graduated from Lodgepole High School. In 1943. After graduation she traveled to California to see her older sister, secured a job and decided to live in California. After returning to Nebraska for a visit with family, she met her future husband, Keith T. Richins on the passenger train while traveling back to California. After Keith’s service with the United States Army during WWII ended, they were married in Sidney, Nebraska on June 25, 1946. To this union two daughters were born, Melinee Kay and MalaDonn. Idona and Keith celebrated 64 years of marriage prior to Keith’s passing in 2011.
After moving to Gering, Idona was employed with United Telephone Company as a clerk in the Gering office and transferred to the Scottsbluff location when the Gering office was closed. Many of her co-workers became lifelong friends.
Idona was faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served in the Junior Sunday School for several years.
Idona is survived by her two daughters and their husbands, Melinee Kay (Jerry) Dunn of Gilbert, AZ and MalaDonn (Ron) Schuman of Alliance, NE. She is also survived by four grandsons, Michael (ShaLyne) Blair of Gilbert, AZ, Christopher (Kim) Blair of Woodbridge, VA, Ryan (Kimberly Schuman of Cheyenne, WY and Brett (Angela) Schuman of Casper, WY and thirteen great grandchildren, Ashley (Alex Hightower) Blair, Keegan (Camille) Blair, Ellie Blair, Kimbal Blair, Jadyn Blair, Kaitlyn Blair, Mckenzie Blair, Gavin Blair, Haley Schuman, Alan Schuman, Patrick Schuman, Harper Schuman and Benjamin Schuman.
Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband Keith, sisters Julia and Virginia, brother Dick, sister-in-law Elnora Brown, brothers-in-law Merle Sanderson, Jesse Hubbard, Delmar Zalesky and Ron McMillen and son-in-law Ted Blair.
