Lois Marilyn Bleak

Lois Marilyn (Mimi) Bleak – Born August 28th, 1934, Denver, Colorado – Entered into rest November 23rd, 2025, Idaho Falls Idaho.

Soon after her birth to Charles William and Ester Mae Pickett the family moved to the HM ranch in the beautiful Dunoir Valley near Dubois, Wyoming, where she would soon be joined by Margaret Ellen and William Charles Pickett. Lois was born with a love of adventure and wild places. She was completely at home on the ranch, where she spent the summers at cow camp and bred her own string of horses, which she trained and sold. Winters were harsh in the high country, where the family would be snowed in for months at a time. At the tender age of eleven, she tired of the same old diet and decided to supplement their diet with venison, so using a single-shot, .22 rifle she killed her first deer. Lois got into trouble for poaching, but the deer was eaten and enjoyed! After that, she made it a regular habit to keep wild game in the dinner rotation. 

Lois loved to learn and was a very good, although reluctant, student. Due to the remote location, she had to go to boarding school or stay with family friends. After graduating valedictorian from high school, she married and soon welcomed Charles William to her family, followed by Barbara Anne. During this time, she also earned money as a hunting guide and built a reputation as a competent hunter. Steven was then added to the family and unfortunately passed away as a toddler, which she never got over. Christopher Lee was then born, and Lois divorced. As a single mother with three kids in the late fifties, she faced many challenges, so she moved to Idaho Falls and financed her own training as an architect. She was employed by Anderson Lumber where she designed many homes and commercial buildings, which she took great pride in. At this time, she met a handsome young war hero, David Bleak, and she embarked upon a true fairy tale love life for the rest of her days. 

Lois and David were married October 7th, 1960, and their youngest son Bruce David, was added 10 months later. In the spring of 1966, the family moved to Moore, Idaho, to a small farm which became her beloved home. Lois raised sheep, goats, chickens, cows, horses, ducks, geese, and turkeys, as well as extra kids that showed up to her home and many stayed because they knew she loved them all and no matter what they would have a warm place to sleep and a full belly. Lois was a very giving person and was already to help anyone who needed a hand up or just someone to listen. She trained herself to be a competent amateur vet and was frequently called upon to help the neighbors with sick animals and also would hire out to take over the lambing of the local farmers sheep flocks. In the seventies, the family began operation of a dairy farm. Lois busied herself with creating a breeding program to improve the herd. She was proud that the herd milking average was one of the best around.  

In 1993, the work was getting to be a burden, and they wanted to retire, so Dave and Lois sold the farm to their son and moved to town for the summer months and to Bard, California, for the winter months, a tradition they continued until Dave’s health made that impractical. Still having a need to do something, they started walking the roads in the valley and picking up cans and trash every day. They made enough money picking up cans to make the car payment and made a difference to the roads around the valley. After Dave passed away in March of 2006, Lois wanted a way to keep herself busy and also help out around the valley that she loved, so she kept picking up cans and roamed far and wide through the valley hunting all the cans she could find, she wanted to help the local population so she quietly donated all the money that she got from the selling the cans to local food bank. Lois was soon a familiar sight digging through cans and dumpsters around town. In her tattered old coat and using a cane, she looked like a homeless person and people that didn’t know her would give her money. She just said thank you and added that money to food bank fund. She didn’t keep track of the amount she donated, but it was thousands of dollars. Her goal was to collect at least a ton of cans every year which would fill her driveway until the man would come haul them away.

Lois leaves behind a legacy of service to the community, a love for all her animals, especially dogs, and a devotion to her family and friends. Lois was also a mentor to many people who turned to her for advice and guidance. She considered it an honor to be asked.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Ester Picket, her brother, Bill Pickett and her sister Margie Bleak, and also her infant son Steven. She is survived by her children Chuck (Carmen) Bleak, Barbara Martin, Chris (Patty) Bleak and Bruce Bleak. She is also survived by her beautiful sister-in-law, Ardie Pickett, and her favorite brother-in-law, Douglas Bleak, numerous nephews and nieces, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Footnote: Mimi is a childhood nickname that stuck and even today she is Mimi to all who know her in Wyoming and Lois in Idaho.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 3, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at the Moore Community Center, 3353 W. 3155 N., Moore, ID. The family will greet friends for one hour prior to the service. Arrangements are under the care of the Anderson Family Funeral Home. Her ashes will be scattered later beside her beloved husband and her nephew Shawn.