Meet Claire Veseth of Idaho
Claire Veseth
Anne's Mom
Claire moved from northern Idaho to southern Idaho five years after Anne’s death to be closer to several of her children. She retired from nursing soon after and now volunteers—helping prepare, serve, and do dishes for a meal for the homeless one day a week. Claire spends 6-12 hours a week at the Idaho Foodbank Warehouse helping pack food to send out to the food insecure people of southwest Idaho. She has completed her Master Naturalist certification several years ago and enjoys volunteering at the local nature center and other nature inspired opportunities. She visits her two growing grandsons who live nearby as often as she can.
- Fun: I love to explore and hike in Idaho and the western U.S., mostly camping in my Prius but sometimes opting for an Airbnb or motel; sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. Reading is a favorite pastime, both non-fiction and fiction. I recently took up birding and am appreciating getting to know my local birds and other birders.
- My passion: A trip that made an impact on me was a small boat cruise in Alaska the year after Anne died. Among other areas, we spent three days traveling up Glacier Bay, seeing how the glacier had receded and the changes in the landscape the receding had caused. We had a naturalist on board for three days and not only did she identify the plethora of birds we saw but she talked about the glaciers, climate change, and the rising oceans caused by the impact humans have placed on the world. I think it was this trip that gave me a big reason for protecting the world we have; I want it left so my grandsons can enjoy it too. It has made me live with a smaller footprint and thoughtfully change how I do things and make conscious decisions about what I buy.
- My favorite color is turquoise; I made a turquoise themed quilt for Anne, who also liked the color, when she started college and it is now on my bed.
- Avocados are one of my favorite foods; they can go on anything and make it special from toast to tacos to sandwiches and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- I've been involved with these NFFF Programs:
- Memorial Weekend
- Wellness Conference
- Grief in Progress Podcast
- Peer Support Network
- The Journey
Some of Anne's qualities that Claire carries forward in her own life include: her daughter's kindness, generosity, and positive attitude. This keeps Anne's presence close to Claire every day.
Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest (ID)
Age: 20
Date of Death: August 12, 2021
She worked for the Forest Service as a wildland firefighter on the North Fork Ranger District for two seasons. She appreciated being in the outdoors‚ working hard and making a difference. She was a young woman with integrity‚ determination‚ a desire to do good‚ and a passion for life. Her loss leaves a deep hole in our lives and hearts. She will be forever missed by her coworkers‚ friends‚ and family.
Anne loved her family and friends and she couldn’t hold a grudge. She could do anything she set her mind to, whether it was learning to break dance, fixing cars or riding horses. She was non-judgmental and loved being generous with her time and energy. She didn’t want to do the same things her siblings did; except for the activities they did that she wanted to do, like wildland firefighting, which her brother also did. Anne was kind and her beautiful smile warmed a lot of people.
