Grace Mowrey

Grace Mowrey, age 95, passed away on November 13, 2021 due to age-related causes. Amye Grace Allen was born on March 16, 1926, in Rexburg, Idaho, the youngest of 11 children. The family later moved to Salmon, Idaho where her father operated a cold storage facility.

For 3 years, Grace was the Salmon High School drum majorette. Shortly after high school her boyfriend Bobby Lipe was killed in the Pacific during WWII.

Grace attended Utah State University. At a dance in Idaho Falls, she met Russell Colson, who had returned from fighting in the Pacific. They married in 1948 and became parents of Amye and Paula.
In a 1952 blizzard, the family was traveling near Birch Creek when they hit black ice. The car rolled and Grace, who was 8 months pregnant, was ejected. Russ and the girls were not badly hurt, but Grace was unconscious. A rescuer took them to the Blue Dome Café; then a snowplow cleared the way for an ambulance. Mary, her third daughter, was born healthy the next day. Grace, however, suffered a traumatic brain injury, which left her unconscious for 6 weeks. When she awoke, her memory of her family and earlier life was permanently gone.

Russ and Grace couldn’t reconcile after the accident and they divorced. Grace and her girls moved to Salmon where they had the support of her parents and her brothers Stan, Jess, and Paul Allen as well as their families.

Grace was a deputy assessor in the courthouse and later the secretary at Salmon High School and the District Office. She was skilled in typing, shorthand and organization. She was a wonderful seamstress and she made her girls’ dresses. She had a beautiful voice and she sang at many church events, weddings and funerals. In later years she was skilled in painting ceramics and making chocolates.
After being single for 10 years, Grace married Golden Welch, a widower. Golden had 2 children, Gary and Wendy, and a year later their daughter Lynda was born. Golden was a long-time teacher, principal, and football coach at Salmon High School, and Golden and Grace were U.S. weather observers for many years.

Golden passed in 1973. In 1999 Lynda introduced Grace to Gene Mowrey in Meridian, Idaho. They were married for 17 years. Grace was blessed to have Lynda, her husband James and their children Jourdan, James and Zack living nearby.

Grace has always been a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is loved by many, has endured much, and is now with her beloved Mom and Pop.
Grace is survived by her children, Amye (Dennis) Godfrey, Paula (Bob) Garner, Lynda (James) Parmer, 17 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren and 2 great-greatgrandchildren. In addition, she has several stepchildren and grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her daughter Mary Hilton and her grandson Bryce Longaker.