Bessie Freeman Labudde 1931 – 2014
Bessie Freeman Labudde 1931 – 2014
Bessie LaBudde passed away in her sleep on July 8, 2014 in Boise, ID.
Born in
Horse Shoe, N.C. to Ethel and Charles Freeman of Cherokee, English and Scottish
descent, she grew up in modest circumstances in the foothills of the Smoky
Mountains.
An insatiable learner, Bessie
worked her way through the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she
made the dean’s list and graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Biology in
1953.
She then entered the University of
Wisconsin in Madison where she worked as a research biologist while pursuing
graduate studies in botany.
She obtained
her master’s degree and married John A. LaBudde in 1955.
Bessie gave
birth to Samuel Freeman in 1956 and subsequently deferred pursuit of further graduate
studies to focus on parenting and allow John to complete his doctoral degree in
biochemistry.
Benjamin Arthur was born
in 1958 and, following John’s award of a doctorate and acceptance of a research
position with the Mead Johnson pharmaceutical company, the family moved to
Evansville, Indiana.
Indiana
remained home for the next forty years and saw the arrival of Sarah Michele in
1962 and Nathan Winden in 1964.
Bessie
began working as outreach and health coordinator for the local PBS station in
1973, and served concurrently as the education director of the Evansville
Alcohol Medical Education Program.
In
1976 she joined the University of Evansville where she served as Director of
External Studies, summer sessions coordinator and industry outreach coordinator
until 1984.
During this time Bessie
received a B.S. in Psychology in 1981 and an M.S. in Counseling in 1986 from
the University of Evansville.
In 1984 Bessie
moved to Ivy Tech Vocational College as lead counselor for displaced worker
retraining before leaving in 1993 to begin her own business,
Testing and Career Services
. She
continued her long history of volunteer work with the Friends of Angel Mounds
and the Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Sciences where she served as a
grant/educational material writer, guide and outreach coordinator before
ultimately joining the board of directors for both institutions.
Having
separated from her husband, Bessie retired in 2002 and moved to Boise to spend
time with her daughter and grandchildren.
She quickly became involved in volunteer service with the Boise Art
Museum and began attending the local Unitarian church following her long
involvement with the Unitarian community in Evansville.
She made many great friends among her fellow museum
docents and within the church. She was very grateful that so many found time to
repeatedly call and visit her during the time leading up to her death, a
passing that was eased greatly thanks to the exceptional compassion and
competency of the St. Luke’s Hospital nursing staff.
Ever a fan
of wildflowers and wildlife, Bessie’s days shared with friends and with her
grandchildren walking along the Boise River were among the happiest of her
life.
Her love of art, history,
gardening and public service found welcome reception with friends and neighbors,
and stands as a testament to their character and that of the community. Bessie felt
that she had found a place where others give as freely and fully of themselves
as she had always aspired to herself.
Bessie is
survived by her three sons, Benjamin, Nathan and Samuel, her daughter Sarah
Stine (Scott), and three grandchildren, Ethan, Emma and Peter Stine. She is
also survived by her younger brother Charles (Bo) who lives with his wife Ann
and their two sons, Charles Jr. (Cindy) and Daniel (Melissa) in Montgomery,
Alabama.
A memorial
service will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday, July 12
th
at the Boise Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship.
All are
welcome.
The family asks that in lieu of
flowers, donations of time and/or resources be made to organizations engaged in
public or environmental service.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Bessie Freeman Labudde 1931 – 2014, please visit our flower store.
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