Genevieve Mary Newman

Genie was born October 31, 1920 in Idaho Falls, ID to Joseph A and Frances Sieger Phillipp. She was the oldest of 10 children. She attended Holy Rosary School, O.E. Bell Junior High School and graduated from Idaho Falls High School in 1938 where she learned typing and shorthand, skills she used throughout her life.

In 1943 she joined the Navy WAVES. After boot camp at Hunter College in the Bronx, NY, she was assigned to Cable Censorship in San Francisco where she remained until VJ Day. She was one of the first to know that the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. On VJ Day, censorship ceased and she said, “we used rolls of cable tape to throw out of the windows. San Francisco went wild, and we were escorted to our quarters until order was restored.” She was very proud of her important role during the war effort and made many life-long friends during her time in the service.

Following her return to Idaho Falls in 1946, she worked as secretary for Mayors E.W. Fanning and Tom Sutton until 1950.

On July 21, 1949, she married Stephen L. Newman at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Idaho Falls. They were married for 47 years and had seven children. He preceded her in death on Jan. 23 1996.

After her children were all in school, she went back to work in 1969 in the administration offices of Idaho Falls School District 91, where she worked until she retired in 1992 at age 72.

She was always ready for adventure whether joining her children white water rafting, traveling by motorcycle cross country with Steve or traveling. Some of her travels included an Alaskan cruise after Steve’s retirement, Greece to visit a former exchange student, Yulieth Saad, and pilgrimages to Rome, Fatima and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. Her last major trip at the age of 87 was to Washington DC to see the WWII memorial on Memorial Day weekend in 2008.

She was a member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church where in her eighties she still served as Eucharistic minister for the homebound and as pastoral council secretary. She was also an active member of the Idaho Falls Council of Catholic Women.

Survivors include her children; Roseann Smith, Hinsdale, IL, Lawrence (Julie) Newman, Parker, CO, Christine (Terry) Merkling, Richland, WA, Michael(Martha) Newman, Livermore, CA, Eileen (Terry) Thonssen, Pocatello, ID and Mary (Roy) Mercer, Las Vegas, NV; her grandchildren Jennifer (Rick) Gallwas, Rachel Smith, Krista (Jerry) Hewett, Greg (Laura) Newman, Adam (Lindsey) Mercer, Elyse (Sean) Johnson, Kevin Merkling, Courtney Merkling, Hillary Thonssen and Jami Altschuler; and 9 great grandchildren; her sisters Cathy Marr, Paradise, CA, Angela Frost, Idaho Falls, ID, Blanche Newman, Idaho Falls, ID Margaret (Russell)Bean, Teton, ID and Pauline (Roddy) Fischer, Twin Falls, ID; her brothers Herman Phillipp, Idaho Falls, ID and Paul (Joni) Phillipp, Park City, UT.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Stephen L Newman, daughter, Dorothy (Dani) Newman, her parents Joseph A and Frances Phillipp, her brother Joseph F. Phillipp and her sister Rosalie Phillipp.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, September 6, 2011, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, on the corner of 9th and Lee in Idaho Falls with Rev. Raul Covarrubias officiating. A rosary and vigil service will be from 7:00 to 8:00 pm Monday with a viewing for family and friends following from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Buck-Miller-Hann Funeral Home, 825 E. 17th St in Idaho Falls. Burial will be in Fielding Memorial Park, with military rites under the direction of the Bonneville Veterans Team.

The family would like to thank Dr. LaVonne Mills, the staff at Quinn Meadows and Hospice Alliance for the excellent care that our mom received during the last two years in Pocatello. They suggest memorials to Holy Rosary School Endowment Fund, 145 Ninth St., or the American Cancer Society.