Bessie (Dudley) McLaws

Bessie (Dudley) McLaws, age 94, passed away in her home on July 23, 2025.

Bessie was born in Burley, Idaho on August 7, 1930 to Robert and Lillian Dudley.  Bessie grew up a “farm girl” out in the View area in Burley, Idaho. She met the love of her life Fred McLaws on a double date when she was 17 years old and Fred  had just returned home from serving in WW II .

  Bessie and Fred were married on  January 21, 1948.  The two of them spent the first few years of their marriage  renting homes around the area then decided to  build and make their home in Rupert, Idaho in 1956.  Bessie went through nurse’s training and was a practical nurse while Fred was serving in the Korean war and spent many years caring for ailing family and those in the community.

  In the early years of marriage Bessie enjoyed hunting, fishing and searching for arrow heads with Fred, gardening, knitting, canning and participating in the Relief Society.  After many years of trying to have children Bessie and her husband were finally blessed with their first child Gary and fifteen months later Lynne.  When Gary and Lynne were young most summers were spent at the swimming pool cheering them on when they participated on the swim team.

Bessie is survived by her grandsons and loved being a grandmother to Blake ((Autum) Eppers; Keven (Braquel) Barkdull; Anthony (Danielle) Garcia and Mason (Bree) and great grandma to great-grandchildren, Draya, Darien, Kenny, Kierra, Waylon Cameron, Alaena, Hadden, Kennedy, Maddie and Jax. 

Bessie spent her life enjoying her family and in her free time wrote to her pen-pals, tended her rose garden, knitted, and spoiled her cats.  In the later years of her life Bessie began knitting caps for the Cancer Society and when she was finally forced to stop (due to age and illness) she had knitted 2628 caps for the cancer center and hospitals and over 155 for family and friends. 

Bessie was preceded in death by her husband Fred McLaws, both parents, all but one of her siblings, and several nieces and nephews.

Bessie’s family would like to thank Horizon home health and Hospice for their care and concern and also all of their friends and loving neighbors for their assistance at this time.

Grave side services will be held 11:00 a.m. Thursday, July 31, 2025 at Gem Memorial Garden services are under the direction of Joel Heward Hansen Mortuary.

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