Priest River Times Priest River, Bonner County, Idaho Cleo Myrtle Mickelson, 83 Cleo Myrtle Mickelson, 83, of Priest River, Idaho, died at the nursing home in Newport on Nov. 5, 2004, following a battle with cancer. Cleo was born on Jan. 3, 1921, at Grace, Idaho, the daughter of Myrtle Martinson and Arthur Manhart. She attended six months of business college after graduating from Ogden (Utah) High School in 1938. She married Gean Edward Mickelson in Salt Lake City, Utah, on March 14, 1941. They moved to Pittsburg, Calif., where Cleo worked as a PBX operator and secretary for the company that built Camp Stoneman. They lived in northern Idaho for nine months while Gean helped build Farragut Naval Base. They both worked in the Kaiser shipyard upon moving back to California. Cleo worked as an electrician until becoming pregnant with their first child. During that time, she did secretarial work, and later they purchased a dry cleaning and laundry business. In 1948 they moved to Priest River and took up farming until moving back to Utah in 1951. Ten years later, they returned to Priest River where they have lived in the same house for the last 43 years. Cleo was a hardworking farmer and housewife. In her free time, she enjoyed baking, mostly cookies and cinnamon rolls, crocheting Christmas balls and doilies, and sewing quilts. Her biggest joy was to bestow her handmade treasures on everyone she loved. Cleo was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and was a Relief Society teacher for 20 years. Survivors include her husband, Gean, at their home; one son, Garry (and Diane) of Priest River; four grandchildren, Wendy, Gean, Jimmy (and wife, Tina), and Christopher; and 11 great-grandchildren, Leaha, Amanda, Caleb, Tiffany E., Trisha, Ryan, Tiffany P., Daniel, Amber, Kyle and Dillon, all of whom lovingly referred to her as "Nammie." She is also survived by one brother, Clifford (and Virginia) Manhart of Grace, Idaho; six nephews and one niece. She was preceded in death by her parents, daughter Lugean Brown, and two sisters, Agusta Manhart and Vernell Fransten. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 9, at the LDS church at Priest River. Burial followed at Evergreen Cemetery, Priest River. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements