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Leland Duane Loehr
Leland Duane Loehr, 76, passed on "to his new life" on Saturday, June 19, 2004, at the Brendan House in Kalispell with loving children by his side.
He was born on July 25, 1927, in Starkweather, N.D., to Dewitt Talmadge and Cleo Belle (Paul) Loehr. He grew up working for the family farm with 13 other children. He finished eighth grade in Starkweather.
When he was 13, he moved on to help with family finances. During World War II he moved to the Oregon coast to work in the shipyards.
He returned to Starkweather and married Beverly Jane Bolmer on Nov. 28, 1946, in Bisbee, N.D. They then moved to Minot, N.D., where they adopted a son and had two daughters. At this time, he worked for White's Creamery until 1964, when the family moved to Kalispell.
After moving to Kalispell, he went to work for Skyline Dairy, where he quickly advanced to production manager/supervisor. He added two members to his family here, a son and a daughter.
He did much traveling for the dairy, attending numerous conferences, and would take Beverly every chance he had.
He was also a dairy products judge for the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo for many years. He finally had to retire from the work he so enjoyed due to a heart attack in 1985.
He was a 20-plus year member of the Eagle's Club in Kalispell and also a member in Columbia Falls. He loved the summer picnics, where he could take all of the family to enjoy the outdoors and fellowship.
He was extremely devoted to his wife and children. He loved fishing, especially fly-fishing, camping, hunting, and anything outdoors. He loved spending time with all of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Most of all, he loved dancing with his sweet wife.
He had a wonderful sense of humor and a very special love that will much be missed by everyone that knew him. "You will be so very missed; you are in our hearts forever. Give hugs and kisses and dance with Mom for us all! We love you!"
He was preceded in death by his parents; his beloved wife, Beverly; an unborn child; and two grandchildren, Daniel and Tia Poor; also three brothers, William, John and Cloyce; and two sisters, Bernice and Ethel.
He is survived by two sons, Michael Loehr and wife, Bonnie, of Montana, and Lee Loehr of Kalispell; three daughters, Dorothy Sekora and husband, David, of Choteau, Rita Young and husband, Dan, of Kalispell, and Lori Arnold and husband, David, of Whitefish; nine grandchildren, Jay Sekora and wife, Tracy, of Pennsylvania, Jason Poor in the Army in Arizona, Jessica Poor and Beverly Poor in Kalispell, Ruben, Marvette, Tanya, and Cheryl and Duane Arnold in Whitefish; also two great-grandchildren in Pennsylvania; Justin and Anthony; six brothers, Charles, Lawrence, Bud, Ralph, Clayton, and Donald; two sisters; Alice and Catherine; also many nieces, nephews, and family and friends.
At his request there will be no service.
Memorials may be made to Home Health Options, Hospice, 175 Commons Loop,
Ste. 100, and Kalispell MT 59901.
Arrangements are be under the direction of Johnson Mortuary and Crematory.
M. Sterling Rygg
M. Sterling Rygg, 89, passed away on Friday, June 18, 2004, in Kalispell.
He was born Dec. 26, 1914, in Warren, Minn., to Peder and Etta Rygg. Sterling was raised in the small town of Fairdale, N.D., graduating from Fairdale High School in 1932. He then attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., where he majored in economics and was captain of the tennis team. He graduated in 1936 with the distinction of being the only one not qualified to teach or go on to a seminary. He instead wished a career in business.
After graduation, he worked for GMAC and then was employed in a local Fairdale business.
In 1940, Sterling left North Dakota and hitch-hiked to Montana, ending up in the beautiful Flathead and Glacier Park. He found Glacier Park particularly appealing and did spend a significant amount of time later in his life exploring the park's back country.
He went to work for Montgomery Ward, where he remained employed until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942. His naval experiences included deep-sea diving, fire fighting, and rescue work as the skipper of a salvage ship with five officers and 60 men in the Mediterranean Sea at Anzio and in southern France.
During the war, Sterling married Inga Johnson, a college sweetheart, in Minneapolis. After the war, they returned to the Flathead Valley, where they spent most of their remaining life.
Sterling and a college roommate teamed up in 1946 and purchased a building in Whitefish in which they intended to house a Chevy franchise they'd just obtained. Three months later and a Chevrolet not yet on the ground prompted them to call Ford Motor Co. and see if Ford desired them as Ford dealers in Whitefish. For the next seven years, they operated Glacier Motor Co. as a Ford franchise until they sold the business and Sterling became a farmer.
Three years later, Sterling returned to Whitefish and repurchased the Ford franchise, which he operated until his purchase of the Ford franchise in Kalispell in 1964.
Sterling was an active and involved member within the automobile industry. At various times he owned both Ford and other make franchises elsewhere, and he usually ended up selling them to other partners he had brought in.
He served on the Montana Automobile Dealers' Association board of directors for a number of terms and as its president. For 1979, Sterling was selected as a recipient of Time magazine's coveted Quality Dealer Award. It went to only 20 Ford dealers nationally who were selected for their individual outstanding contributions to business and their communities.
Sterling also had considerable interest in the workings of government and was elected to the Montana House of Representatives four terms in the 1960s. He served as a member of the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention in the rewriting of Montana's constitution and was chairman of its Revenue and Finance Committee.
Sterling was both a strong believer in his community and in the Lutheran church. He served as congregation president at both Christ Lutheran in Whitefish and Bethlehem Lutheran in Kalispell. He also served as president of both the Kalispell and Whitefish Chambers of Commerce, and as a director of three local banks. Nationally, he was a member of the executive committee of the board of directors of Lutheran Homes and Hospitals and was a regent of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash. Other interests included golf, duplicate bridge (playing into his late 80s) and anything and everything Norwegian.
He and Inga left Montana to spend each winter in Florida, but always awaited their return to the Flathead.
Sterling was preceded in death by his son Phil in 1998; and his wife, Inga, in 2002.
He is survived by son, Tom and wife Cheryl, and their daughters, Briana and Kristin; daughter, Mary Roper and husband Jeff, and their sons, Jess and Reid; and his daughter-in-law, Char Rygg, and her daughter Becky and sons Jeff, Adam and John. He is also survived by his brother, Ralph Rygg, of Texas, and his sister-in-law, Irene Rygg, of Washington, as well as other cousins, nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday (today) at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, and a reception will follow in the church basement.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to the Phil Rygg Spinal Cord Injury Scholarship Fund, c/o Lutheran Community Foundation, 625 Fourth Ave. South, Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55415.
Harold Street
Harold E. Street, 84, passed away May 8, 2004, at Riverside Senior Living in Whitefish.He was born July 4, 1919, in Somers to Ephraim and Sadie Street, but spent his life in Whitefish, attending public school there. He went to work for the Great Northern Railroad in 1933 as a car man, and retired from there in 1979. After he retired he worked as a lift operator on Big Mountain for about 10 years. This was one of best experiences of his life. He also spent two years serving in the 749th Railway Battalion during World WarII, with most of that spent in the Philippines and Korea.
He was an honorary member of the Flathead County Sheriff's Posse, a life member of Whitefish Moose Lodge No. 642, Lion Mountain Post No. 276 VFW of Whitefish, and the 749th Railway Veterans Club.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ardys, of 57 years, his parents, two brothers, Merle and Russell, and granddaughter Kim Van Valkenberg.
He is survived by one daughter, Beverly Keierleber and husband Gary of Camino Island, Wash., two sons, Ted and wife May of Woodbridge, Va., and Dale and wife Linda of Kennewick, Wash., five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; three sisters, Marvel Logan of Columbia Falls, Thelma Smith and Allyce Street, both of Whitefish.
There will be a memorial service in his honor on June 5 at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Whitefish, with the Rev. Andy Kennaly officiating. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the charity of your choice.
Austin Funeral Home in Whitefish is in charge of the arrangements.
MICHAEL HOUGHTON
Michael Houghton, age 40, died June 23, 2003 in Prescott Valley, Ariz.
He was born and raised in Red Lodge, and graduated from Red Lodge High School in 1981.
Michael worked in construction, mainly as a cement finisher, but he also worked in many other areas of construction.
He was an avid sports fan and enjoyed golfing, playing pool and fishing. Michael enjoyed spending time with his family and friends.
He will be missed by all who knew him.
Michael is survived by his mother, Marlene Quarles of Palmer, Alaska; his father, Tom Houghton of Buffalo, Wyo; his sister and brother-in-law, Kim and Robert Cotta of Durango, Colo.; a niece, Anna, and numerous aunts and uncles. Michael’s nephew, Sean Michael, preceded him in death in 1990.
Memorial services were held at Sunrise Funeral Home in Prescott Valley.
The family requests memorial contributions be made in Michael’s name to: The Sclerodema Foundation, 12 Kent Way, Suite 101, Byfield, MA 01922.
Arrangements were entrusted to Sunrise Funeral Home and Crematory, Prescott Valley, Ariz.
Dr. James Fulbright
Friends and family of the late Dr. James Fulbright will meet at the Big Mountain chair lift at 1-1:30 p.m., Friday, June 11, to observe a memorial and spreading of ashes at the top of the mountain.
Dr. Fulbright was a former dentist in Whitefish.
He recently passed away after a long battle with cancer.
He was living in the state of Washington.
Participants are encouraged to prepare for changing weather conditions on the summit of the mountain.
KENNETH W. LANGSTAFF
Kenneth W. Langstaff, 97, of Polson, passed away on July 4, 2003 at Home Sweet Home in Polson from natural causes.
Kenneth was born on Nov. 21, 1905 in Billings to Adrian John Langstaff and Edith Maude Langstaff. He grew up and lived in the Bridger, Joliet and Edgar areas. Kenneth joined the U.S. Army and served during WWII. After the war, Kenneth worked in Edgar at the service station before purchasing the Highway Garage & Standard Station in Joliet.
He married Iva Dell Kellogg in September, 1953 in Red Lodge. They lived in the Joliet/Boyd area, and eventually moved to Dillon. Kenneth had done some gold mining while they lived in Dillon. He and Iva moved to the Ronan/Pablo area, and he most recently lived in Polson.
Kenneth loved wildlife and nature. His hobbies were rocks, gardening and fishing. He was a member of the Jehovah Witnesses.
He was preceded in death by his wife, four brothers and three sisters.
He is survived by his step-daughter, Ruby Elshire of Billings, and a stepson, Robert Kellogg of Las Vegas, Nev., several step-grandchildren, a brother, Ronald Langstaff of Bridger, and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial services are pending and will be held at a later date.
Arrangements and cremation are by Grogan Funeral Home & Crematory, Polson.
