Cleo H. Caraway

Cleo Harriet Caraway, 91, died Saturday, March 8 at her home on Lake Creek Road near Troy. Born to Fannie Fredrickson Walker and Charles Edward Walker at Milton-Freewater, Ore. on July 4, 1916, Cleo was fond of telling any who would listen that she was born on the 4th of July outside in a tent because it was too hot to stay in the house.

She lived with her family in Oregon, Wisconsin and Walla Walla, Wash. before moving to Benton City, Wash. when she was 12 years old. Cleo attended school in Benton City where she met Jake H. Caraway. It is said that they “skipped school one day” and eloped to Prosser, Wash. to marry when they were both 18 years old; Cleo's best friend Ruby Clinefelter also skipped school and also married in Prosser on the same day.

Cleo and Jake lived their early married years in Benton City and Smelterville, Idaho. They then moved to Troy in the early 1940s and established the family home on an old homestead on Lake Creek Road.

Cleo had a special love of gardening and houseplants and passed this on to her children and grandchildren. She was fond of raising chickens and often maintained “the ranch” on her own many times while Jake worked away from home.

She hauled water from the spring house, milked cows, cleared irrigation ditches and repaired fences; she was also known to have rolled up her sleeves and helped her son mechanic on his cars.

Cleo and Jake's marriage produced five children, 13 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. Preceding her in death were her sister Virginia in 1976; her husband Jake in 2001 and oldest daughter Rubye Irene Benevente in 2002.

Surviving Cleo are her children: Gladstone R. Caraway and his wife Karel of Benton City, Wash., Frances Campbell and her husband Pete of Troy, Raye H. Caraway of Graham, Wash., and Mary Karen Caraway and her husband Scott Thompson of Libby.

Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the City of Libby Cemetery. Family and friends may call at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home from 4-8 p.m. Friday and until 1 p.m. on Saturday.