In Memory

Ila Mae Shartner (Staab) - Class Of 1961

Ila Mae Shartner (Staab)

Ila Mae Staab - November. 2, 1943 — December 19, 2019

Ila Mae Shartner was born the youngest of four children November 2, 1943 to Fred and June Shartner in Oregon City, Oregon. She grew up in Vale, Oregon and graduated with the Vale High School Class of 1961.Ila Mae Staab quietly passed away after a long battle with Alzheimers, December 19, 2019. Her family and Friends miss her very much and will at last celebrate her life on August 28, 2021 11:00 a.m. at Vale Christian Church, Vale Oregon. Her memorial is in conjunction with the 60 year reunion of the Vale High School Class of 1961.

Ila Married David Sage shortly after graduation and had two children. As a single parent Ila moved back to Vale with Debbi and Donaven where she went to work for Idaho Power Company in Customer Service. In Vale, Ila remained connected with friends and family, with their help, they helped her raise her two children.

While celebrating their birthdays, Ila met Ernie Staab at the Golden Slipper, they fell in love, got married June 13, 1970 and together with each of their respective children they became a family.

Ila dedicated 32 years working for Idaho Power. Her career started in 1966 as clerk in Vale as she raised two children instead of going to college. In 1974 she started pursuing a career with Idaho Power and moved to Payette, Idaho as a traveling clerk, then to Twin Falls as an assistant division manager. She worked her way up through the customer service and accounting posts. In 1984 she became the first female division manager in the history of Idaho Power at the Twin Falls Idaho Southern Division office. In 1993 Ila was presented the Boise YWCA’s TWIN (Tribute to Women and Industry) award. In 1995 she was appointed general manager of the Western Division where she stayed until retirement in March 1998.

Ila spent her retirement years with Ernie on her family’s farm in Ontario on Railroad Avenue. They took long trips to Europe to visit friends and family. She loved traveling to Alaska to visit her daughter Debbi also to Santa Cruz, California to visit her son Donaven. She was always up for hiking and camping in the wilderness. Ila enjoyed taking long walks on the beach, also playing with her grandchildren. They invested in a RV, spent winters in San Diego and traveling back to Wyoming and Nebraska to visit Family. In 2009, Shari Jackson Levelle found out that Ila was her birth mother and was welcomed as a great gift to Ila and Ernie with the rest of the family. The thing Ila loved most was spending time with her friends and her family.

Ila took painting classes while living in Payette. This evolved into quite a collection of beautiful oil landscape, portraits and still life paintings. After retirement Ila found the joy combining color and patterns the world of quilting gave her (mostly she loved to shop for the fabric she needed for her pallet). She later took up felting wool and making beautiful slippers, then rug hooking with her wool scraps.

Ila was a member of Rotary Club in Boise, was on the Board of Directors of the Four Rivers Cultural Center and Project Dove in Ontario, Oregon. Ila, along with Ernie spent countless volunteer hours helping to coordinate the startup of “The Dove” thrift store and with its operation.

Ila Mae was preceded in death by her Parents June and Fred Shartner, Brothers Howard, Adolph and Ronald Shartner and Husband Ernest Staab. She is survived by her Children; Debbi Brooks, Donaven Staab, Shari Jackson Levelle and her 3 stepchildren Sheryl Byer, John Staab and Lynn Staab as well as 5 grandchildren, 14 step grandchildren, 9 step great grandchildren, 1 step great great grandchild and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Condolences may be made to her family at her Facebook memorial page. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to charities Ila supported; Alzheimer’s Association www.alzfdn.org, Alaska Run for Women www.akrfw.org, Project Dove www.projectdoveor.org, or Disabled American Veterans www.dav.org.

Memorial at Vale Christian Church, August 28, 2021 at 11am.