Edna Ellen Potts Hawks
With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Edna Ellen (Potts) Hawks at a hospital in Meridian, Idaho, on March 22, 2025, at the age of 80. She left this world a beloved sister, aunt, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her surviving family finds comfort in the belief that she has been reunited with her daughters Sue Ellen and Heidi.
Edna was born on February 7, 1945, in Ontario, Oregon, the fourth of seven children to Sam and Afton Potts. She spent her childhood in Arizona, Idaho, and Oregon, where she developed a deep love for nature. Exploring the wild areas around her home brought her the greatest contentment.
She attended high school in Payette, Idaho, where she met Ellis Hawks. They also shared the same church community, and during her senior year, Ellis proposed. They married on September 6, 1963, in the Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah. Together, they built a life centered around family, exploration, and learning.
Edna and Ellis raised their family in small towns across Idaho and Oregon. While balancing the demands of motherhood, Edna pursued her lifelong passion for geology. Rockhounding was more than a hobby to her - it was a way of understanding the world. She collected, studied, polished, and turned rocks into jewelry. She shared her enthusiasm with her children, often turning car trips into impromptu geology lessons. Her summers were filled with rock and gem shows, and her love of the land extended to native plants and wildlife. She often found edible roots and greens that she cooked and occasionally served to those willing.
Although Edna was unable to pursue higher education herself, it became one of her greatest aspirations for her children. She instilled in them the belief that education was a gateway to opportunity. She loved seeing her children and grandchildren achieve their academic and professional goals. Later in life, she fulfilled a personal dream by attending a geology class at Boise State University.
Above all, Edna’s greatest pride was her family. She raised eight children, six of whom survive her, and adored every grandchild and great-grandchild who joined the family. She welcomed each new generation with love, support, and encouragement.
Edna was preceded in death by her daughters Sue Ellen Hawks and Heidi Hawks, her brother Robert Potts, and her sisters Hazel Harris and Barbara Scoggins. She is survived by her siblings Darlene (Willie, deceased) Fraley, Clifford (Jeannie) Potts, and Jimmy (Kayleen) Potts; her former husband Ellis Hawks; her children Krys (Bruce, deceased) Courtois, Ellis (Kristi) Hawks, Lucinda (Jefferey, deceased) Moebius, Joseph (Kerry) Hawks, Becca (Jeff Hawkins) Hawks, and Katie (Michael) Hobson. She also leaves behind 21 grandchildren and 13 great and step-great-grandchildren.
Edna taught us the world is vast and full of wonder, and we should embrace it. Each time we see a beautiful stone or a wild mushroom, we will remember her.
A celebration of Edna’s life will be held on May 24, 2025, at 11 a.m. in the large pavilion at Esther Simplot Park in Boise. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to a favored charity, honoring her love for exploration, creativity, and family.
