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Mildretta Adams
     HOMEDALE - Mildretta Adams, 79, of Homedale, died Thursday, July 9, 1987, in a Caldwell hospital of natural causes.
     Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, July 13, at the Homedale Presbyterian Church. Rev. John Pickrell will officiate, under the direction of Flahiff Funeral Chapel of Homedale. Burial will follow in the Marsing-Homedale Cemetery.
     Mrs. Adams, an author, was born July 10, 1907, at Deer Flat four miles south of Nampa, a daughter of pioneer parents Ira and Martha Hamilton. The family moved to Sands Basin, Owyhee County, in 1911 where she was raised. She married Walt Adams in January of 1926 at Caldwell. The couple had since made their home in Homedale and Silver City, Owyhee County. In 1950 she accepted the challenge of being census taker for Owyhee County, seeking out the most remote dwellings over the expansive and desolate territories, some of which had to be accomplished on horseback. She spent six decades exploring the Owyhees on horseback, and had bounced many a mile over back roads, wagon ruts and cow trails on the seat of an old pickup, long before there were four-wheel-drive rigs and BLM maintained access ways. In 1961, Mildretta established, and together with her husband, operated the Old Schoolhouse Museum in Silver City. She had authored three popular historical books on Owyhee County. Her books were a labor of love of Owyhee County and the areas that were closely bonded in those early days. Intrigued and absorbed in an area rich with one of the most colorful paths of an area in the state, Mildretta had dedicated all of her spare time to locating historical sites, digging relics, collecting antiques, hunting Indian artifacts and rockhounding in this country. She had written many articles on local and county history, published over the years in newspapers covering the general regions.
     Survivors include her husband, Walt of Homedale; three daughters, Alene Downing of Homedale, Pat Davis of Bruneau and Marilyn Burke of Meridian; a sister, Mabel Beatty of Portland; nine grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Her parents, four brothers, six sisters and a grandson died earlier.

The Idaho Daily Statesman (Boise, Idaho)