Carol Ann Furnish

 On April 11, 1944, Carol Ann Marion Furnish was born in the Wardner Hospital in Kellogg, Idaho, to Gerald and Svea Furnish, a sister to Dale. She had an idyllic childhood on the spacious family property with a stream running through it, surrounded by friends and relatives. In 1962, she graduated from Kellogg High School (GO WILDCATS) and went on to Kinman Business University in Spokane and enrolled in the medical secretarial program.

After a few early jobs, she was employed by Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane as a medical transcriptionist, where she worked for the next 27 years. She was known for her sharp wit, her loyal friendship, and her love of animals, especially cats. Rather than exploring the world on her vacations, she explored Spokane and all its galleries, museums, historic sites, and beautiful parks.

In 1991, she married widowed Richard Knutson of Brooks, Alberta. Carol Ann loved to walk and found flat Brooks a nice change from hilly Spokane. When Richard retired in 2000, the choice was made to stay put and let her last cat, BJ, live out his life in the house and treed yard, which he loved.

On March 28, 2004, Carol Ann and Richard moved to Creston, BC, into the only house they had looked at in town. They, like everybody else, were attracted by the climate and scenery.

Carol Ann was diagnosed with MS in 1985. She carried on her life normally until she had a setback in 2012. She managed to recover from that until 2018, when a second problem put her permanently in a wheelchair. Throughout her tribulations, she never became angry or bitter but always maintained a positive and cheerful attitude.

She leaves to mourn her husband Richard, his children Lori (Doug), Derek (Kathy), and Ryan (Kristen) and grandchildren Sydney, David, Claire, and Mason. Also, her brother Dale (Patsy), children Scott (Debbie) and Lisa, grandchildren Lexi, Lacie (Cody), Emily, and Tyler (Kaitlyn), great-grandchildren Kaden, Sofia, Annora, Liam, and Jude. As well as her special friend, Rhonda, Carmen Knutson Janssen, and many more friends and relatives. She was predeceased by her parents, Gerald and Svea Furnish, and her niece, Lori Furnish.

Special thanks go out to the wonderful folks at Home Health and Kootenay Medical Supplies for enabling us to live at home. Also, thanks to her long-term doctor, Dr. Oberleitner, and the proficient and positive staff at the Creston Valley Hospital.

There will be a graveside service at Greenwood Cemetery in Kellogg, Idaho, when the weather is nice.

Memorial donations can be made to the Shoshone Animal Rescue at P.O. Box 884, Kellogg, Idaho, 83837-0884 (shoshonepetrescue@yahoo.com) or to the animal shelter nearest you.

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