Alice "Marie" Furniss
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Our angel mother and grandmother, Alice "Marie" Furniss, age 94, passed away March 19, 2021, at her home in Blackfoot, Idaho.
Marie was born at home on August 31, 1926, near Riverside, Idaho. She was raised in a loving home, the first of nine children born to Christian Julius Polatis and Effie M. Tanner Polatis. Marie lived most of her life in the Blackfoot area, attending the old Wilson Grade School and graduating from the Thomas High School in 1944. She continued her education at Ricks College and then, years later, graduated from Idaho State University with a BA degree in Education.
On June 19, 1946, she married Verl Harper Furniss in the Idaho Falls LDS temple. Verl preceded her in death on January 23, 2008, after 62 years of marriage. Verl and Marie lived in Driggs from 1946-1948 and then in Rexburg until 1950 while Verl attended Ricks college. Then Marie was offered a teaching position at Rockford Elementary and she and their two children (Gayla and Doral) stayed with her parents so she could teach school while Verl lived in Logan, Utah to finish his degree at Utah State Agricultural College. Marie had always wanted to be a teacher and her first opportunity was a 5th grade class with 45 students! When Verl graduated, they ran a small dairy and farmed in the Rockford Thomas area. Marie was able to stay at home and they added four more children to the family: Blair Verl, Kim Ray, Kristy Joy, and Brett Wayne. As the children entered school, Marie wanted to go back to the classroom but needed to get more education. Upon her graduation from ISU she began teaching in the Blackfoot School District at Stalker Elementary and later at Stoddard Elementary. She was a teacher for about 30 years.
Marie was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where she has served in all auxiliaries. She and Verl served in the Africa Enugu Nigeria mission. They also worked at the Blackfoot West Stake Family History Center and for a time served at the LDS Employment Office in Blackfoot. She always enjoyed attending the temple and serving as a temple officiator with her husband. Marie was also a 50-year member of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers.
Marie was an avid reader and life-time learner. She enjoyed crocheting and made many afghans for her family. She was well-known for her cooking. Marie loved watching the Lawrence Welk show, doing Sudoku and find-a-word puzzles and she faithfully wrote to us when we moved away from home. Her greatest joy was spending time with her family.
She is survived by her daughters Gayla (Walt) Osborn and Kristy McCandless, of Blackfoot; and sons Blair (Valerie), Kim (Jill), and Brett (Lisa), all of Blackfoot; siblings Dan (CloElla) Polatis, Carol (Henry "Hank") Miles, Richard (Kathy) Polatis and sisters-in-law Eunice Polatis and Verla Furniss.; 24 grandchildren and 33 great grandchildren
She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Verl Harper Furniss; a son, Doral William; siblings C. J. Polatis, Lowell Polatis, Dean Polatis, Joseph Polatis and JoAnn Polatis; sisters-in-law Ruth Polatis, Colleen Polatis, and JoAnn Polatis; and three grandchildren, Kathryn Marie Schell, Kelly Marie McCandless and Dustin Jerimiah Furniss.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, March 27, 2021 at Hawker Funeral Home, 132 S. Shilling Avenue in Blackfoot. Family and friends will gather from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Friday, March 26, 2021 at the funeral home and for one hour prior to the service. Burial will be at the Riverside/Thomas cemetery.
Due to the Covid 19 restrictions, those friends and loved ones that prefer to stay home can watch the service on a live broadcast. The service can be viewed at
https://www.hawkerfuneralhome.com/page/broadcasting