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James Leslie Hamilton
James Leslie Hamilton passed quietly in his sleep to meet his Creator on Dec. 23, 2003, at his residence in Corvallis. James was born Jan. 26, 1920, in Missoula to Roy Francis Hamilton and Laura Luella Starrh. The Hamilton family was politically involved in multiple positions of Missoula. James' father, Roy, was mayor of Missoula for a short term and for 14 years was city street commissioner when Missoula was governed by three commissioners and the mayor. James spent his childhood and youth in Missoula while attending the Missoula School District and graduating from Missoula County High School. While attending high school, James excelled as a notable football player for the Spartan football team and belonged to the Golden Spartan.
Upon graduation, James moved to Seattle and was employed by Boeing Aircraft. With the beginning of World War II, James enlisted in the Army Air Force in 1942 and was sent to the training center at Sheppard Field, Wichita Falls, Texas, and was then sent to Enid, Okla., and later to Coffeyville, Kan. From Coffeyville, James was transferred to San Antonio, Texas, and then returned to Seattle where he attended the Boeing Aircraft Engineering School. He was stationed at Pampa, Texas, serving as crew chief on the Mitchell bombers, the B-25s. He was honorably discharged on Nov. 19, 1945, with decorations as Sergeant of the Air Force, ATO Ribbon, Service Stripes, Good Conduct Medal AR 600-68 and a Victory Medal.
Jim married
his sweetheart and life-long love, Nina Lamoreaux in Coffeyville on Dec. 12, 1943. Jim and Nina's marriage was later solemnized in the LDS Salt Lake City Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah. Jim and Nina's love began through correspondence while Jim was in the military. Upon meeting, they knew their life and love was destined for eternity. On Dec. 12, they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with their devoted family beside them.
After World War II, Jim and Nina returned to Missoula. James was employed by the railroad and at the Anaconda Copper Mining Company in Bonner. He joined the Missoula City Fire Department on Nov. 1, 1947, retiring after 26 years on Aug. 1, 1973, as a Captain of the Missoula City Fire Department.
In 1973, Jim and Nina purchased 42 acres of land north of Corvallis and started cattle ranching on a small scale and built their home. James and Nina sold their home and resided on Arley Lane for 10 years until their original home in the Bitterroot was returned to them. James supervised and financed the relocation and remodeling of their original home. The "home" was the structural gathering place for the entire family. James was proud of the craftsmanship and work of the family's home.
James survived a devastating accident while driving his tractor on Old Corvallis Highway in 1996. His remarkable spirit and strength contributed to his endurance and stamina for survival. However, the effects of the accident remained with him until his passing.
James was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1949 and served faithfully in many positions. He was a High Priest, fulfilling three Mission calls. The numerous church callings included the Young Men's MIA President, leadership roles in the Boy Scouts program, Ward Clerk, Ward Seventies Group Leader, Missoula Stake finance clerk (seven years), Stake Genealogy Committee Counselor, Stake Young Adult Leader, Stake Sunday School secretary, and as secretary of the High Priest group.
During his life, he took family, friends and relatives on many excursions across Montana. James knew every trail in the Gold Creek and Rattlesnake drainage and he often hunted and hiked in the Seeley Swan-Bob Marshall Wilderness. As a family, the summers were spent on the lakes, rivers, and backcountry of western Montana. James found his peace in fishing, hunting and horseback riding. Our fondest memories are of Dad on horseback, preparing and setting up for camp, and as our guide along many mountain trails.
James supported his family in all their endeavors and dreams. He encouraged their life-long learning and educational goals. His love of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren abounded daily through ritual contact via phone, visitations, or letters. James was a father figure to many of his grandchildren.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Roy Francis Hamilton and Laura Luella Hamilton, and his only brother, Richard Hamilton.
James is survived by his wife and our dear mother, Nina Lamoreaux Hamilton; children, Steven James Hamilton (Billings), Carolyn Gumbiner (Corvallis), and Marylou de Roulhac (Poplar); eight grandchildren, Aimee (Danny) Hamilton Schwartz, Bobby Joe (Mike) Hamilton Sampson, Andrea Hamilton, Dana (Ski) Gumbiner, Lisa (Bill) Gumbiner Llewellyn, Michelle (Paul) de Roulhac Dannels, David (Elizabeth) de Roulhac, Jon Paul de Roulhac; six great-grandchildren, Evan Waltz, Paul Hadwin de Roulhac Dannels IV, Pinyon Azure McNair de Roulhac, Jack Taylor Gumbiner, Annika Elizabeth Gumbiner Llewellyn, and Halle Adele Hamilton Sampson. Three additional great-grandchildren are expected during the summer of 2004.
A memorial service is scheduled at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 30, at the Corvallis Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Internment is planned the same day at 2:30 p.m. at the Missoula City cemetery.
Charitable donations may be made to the Diabetes Foundation.
All arrangements are under the direction of the Daly-Leach Chapel in Hamilton.
Loren E. Kraft
Loren E. Kraft, 73, of Hamilton passed away Sunday, Dec. 21, 2003, at his home in Grantsdale.
Loren was born on April 24, 1930, in Hamilton to Loren Noel and Lulu Marie Rolo Kraft. He received his education in the Bitterroot Valley. Loren entered the U.S. Marines in 1947 and was discharged in 1950, returning to the valley.
He was a logger most of his adult life. He enjoyed his family, the outdoors, hunting, fishing and four wheeling. He spent many hours mining sapphires.
On Dec. 11, 1954, he married
Violet L. Peters in Superior.
Loren is survived by his wife, Violet, of the family home; children, Terri and husband, Don Briggs, of Pendleton, Ore., Danae and husband, Gene Fine, of Imbler, Ore., Teena and husband, Larry Pfyffer, of Missoula, Michael Kraft of Hamilton, Pamela and husband, Ronald Wagner, of Missoula, Craig Kraft of Ogden, Utah, Cindy and husband, Pete Caimi, of Hamilton; stepbrother, Darrell Binkard, of Hamilton; 15 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
The family will privately place the urn. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
The family suggests memorials to Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital, Cancer Treatment Center or to MDM-Hospice of the Bitterroot Foundation, 1200 Westwood Dr. Hamilton, MT 59840.
Arrangements are under the care of the Daly-Leach Chapel in Hamilton.
CARROLL RUDOLPH
CHINOOK - Carroll Ray Rudolph, 79, died Sunday, June 1, 2003, at a Chinook nursing home due to natural causes.
A funeral service will be 2 p.m. Thursday in the American Lutheran Church with burial in the Kuper Memorial cemetery.
Carroll was born in Chester on Oct. 10, 1923, to Ray and Hazel (Ray) Rudolph. He was raised in Joplin and graduated from Joplin High School in 1943. He attended college at Northern Montana College in Havre for two years.
Carroll was a farmer and rancher all of his life. He and his brother Donald had Rudolph Brothers Registered Angus until 1987.
Carroll was retired for a year until he married
Kathern Hall Lowry in 1988. They had rentals and attended many auctions in the area.
Carroll was preceded in death by his parents and one sister.
Survivors include his wife, Kathern Rudolph of Chinook; stepson, Dale Lowry of Montana; stepdaughters, Joan Mord of Havre and Kathy (Mike) Radavich of Great Falls; brothers, Donald (Shirley) Rudolph and Harley (Mary) Rudolph, all of Chester; eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.
Genevieve McClintic
A Christian Burial Mass will be celebrated, Monday, Dec. 29, at 11 a.m. at St. Francis Catholic Church in Hamilton with the Rev. John Darragh as Presider. Interment will follow at the Riverview cemetery.
Genevieve, 91, of Sula passed away Wed., Dec. 24, 2003, in Helena. Arrangements are under the care of the Daly-Leach Chapel in Hamilton. A complete obituary will follow.
Ted Ashby
Ted Ashby, 68, passed away in the evening, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2003, at his residence in Hamilton. Service arrangements are pending.
Ronald Brothers of Dowling Funeral Home and Crematory, 415 S. Second St. in Hamilton, is caring for the family.
James H. Pelkey
James H. Pelkey, 87, of Corvallis died of kidney failure Tuesday, December 16, 2003, at Valley View Estates in Hamilton.
He was born April 18, 1916, in Paynesville, Minn., to Hermy and Jennie Pelkey. He graduated from Glenwood High School in Minnesota. He worked for Marigold Dairy as a milkman. In August 1939, he and Freda Schmidtke were married
. The couple moved to California in 1940. He entered the U.S. Army in 1945. James was stationed at Camp Roberts, was a driver in the motor pool, and drove for a general. After his discharge he worked as a chauffeur and butler for a wealthy family in Los Angeles. He later worked at the U.S. Post Office and at Shell Chemical for 30 years, retiring from a petroleum testing lab in 1981.
Freda died in August 1974. On Nov. 5, 1977, he married
Elsie Chansler. She later died on Dec. 8, 1985.
He was active in the Immanuel Lutheran Church for 41 years, was custodian, usher, and elder, and drove the van to pick up children for Sunday School and VBS. He loved music, square dancing, attending concerts and operas, and he traveled to Europe several times with Elsie.
He was also preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Easter, in February 2001.
Survivors include a daughter Pamela (George) Thomas of Corvallis; four grandsons, Christian (Debbie) Duvall of Loma Mar, Calif., Kelly Thomas of Missoula, and Joshua and Clayton Thomas of Corvallis. Also surviving are two sisters, Leonie Hankerson and Evelyn Malone of Owatonna, Minn.; nieces, Shirley (Pat) McCarthey in Minnesota and Caliste (Jim) Coffey of Los Angeles, CA.; and nephew, Bill Hankerson.
Graveside Services were held at the Corvallis cemetery Friday, December 19, 2003.
The Whitesitt Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Stevensville was in charge of arrangements.
Lillian Marie Lilja
Lillian Marie Lilja, 76, of Missoula died peacefully at her home on Saturday, January 3, 2004. Service arrangements are pending. Ronald Brothers of Dowling Funeral Home and Crematory 415 S. Second St. Hamilton 363-1111 is caring for the family.
Albert Duane Spang
Albert Duane Spang, 47, of Stevensville died Dec. 31, 2003, as a result of an automobile accident northeast of Stevensville.
He was born Dec. 15, 1956, and was the son of Patty Spang and the late Albert Spang.
He received his education in Stevensville and in 1981 enlisted in the U.S. Marines.
Survivors include his mother Patty of Stevensville; two brothers, Robert of Stevensville and Jeff in Ohio; a sister Valerie Wallace of Boise, Idaho; three nieces and a nephew.
Funeral Services will be conducted at the Whitesitt Funeral Home Monday, Jan. 5, 2004, at 3:00 p.m. with Peter Daley officiating. Military Honors will be provided by VFW Post #1507. Private burial will follow at Riverside cemetery.
Edgar A. Wutzke
Edgar A. Wutzke, 69, passed away Saturday, Jan. 3, 2004, at his residence in Hamilton.
Edgar was born on Dec. 14, 1934 in Medina, N.D., the son of the late William and Freida Stoller Wutzke. He was raised and educated in North Dakota. Following his high school graduation he entered the U.S. Air Force. After his discharge, he returned to the Northwest. He worked throughout North Dakota, Wyoming and Montana doing construction in both heavy equipment and carpentry as well as building large buildings, such as hospitals and schools. He was involved in the clean-up work in Washington following the Mount St. Helens eruption.
In 1988 he moved to the Bitterroot Valley and lived here since. On May 4, 1990 he married
Beulah M. Loesch in Couer d'Alene, Idaho.
Ed enjoyed traveling in their motor home and later their fifth wheel. He was an avid cribbage player and a member of the Hamilton Eagles Lodge.
Surviving include his wife, Beulah of Hamilton; his children, Eddie of Powell, Wyo., Robert of Hamilton, Tammy Barstad of Lincoln, N.D., Sherry Taylor of Portland, Tenn., Michael of Campo, Calif., and Tina Walthal of Meridian, Idaho; sisters, Irene Dewald of Wishek, N.D., Anna Elhard of Arizona and Delores Comber of Glasgow and his brother, Larry, of Jamestown, N.D.
A memorial service will be held Wednesday, Jan. 7th, at 2:00 P.M. at the Daly-Leach Chapel in Hamilton.
Private family urn placement will take place at a later date in the Sunlight Valley in Wyoming.
The family suggests memorials to the charity of the donor's choice.
Donald L. Collins
Donald L. Collins, 68 of Darby died Thursday, Jan. 1, 2004, at his home in Darby.
Arrangements are pending and will be announced by the Daly-Leach Chapel in Hamilton.
Kenneth E. Fortney
Kenneth E. Fortney, 85, of Darby passed away on Jan. 1, 2004, at St. Patrick Hospital.
He was born June 20, 1918, to Roger and Ida (Bowman) Fortney in Farmersville, Ohio, where he was raised and educated.
Ken was in the U.S. Army from 1942 - 1963 and served in World War II and the Korean War. While in the Army, he worked on guided missile systems.
His experience with electronics in the military led to a career in television repair. Ken owned and operated his own shop in Darby from 1965 until his retirement in the early 1990s. After his retirement, Ken earned an electronics degree from the DeVry Institute of Technology.
Ken was involved in many organizations. He was a member of the Eagles, a life member of VFW #6697, a life member of the Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club, Disabled American Veterans, Korean War Veterans Association, Darby Silver Tops Senior Citizens, AARP, and the former Darby Volunteer Fire Department. He was a former Darby Town Councilman, and the founder of the Bitterroot Community Federal Credit Union.
His hobbies included cross-country skiing, outdoor photography, snowmobiling, riding his ATV and hiking.
He was preceded in death by his stepson, Orville Brown, a sister and a brother. Survivors include his daughter, Andrea Schnackel of Dayton, Ohio; his son, Father Kenneth E. Fortney, Jr. of Thompson Falls; grandchildren, Ryan Schnackel and his wife, Courtney, and Christina Schnackel; and three step-grandchildren, Kenny, Donny and Debbie Brown.
Memorial services will be held on Thursday, Jan. 8, at 11 a.m. at St. Philip Benizi Mission, Darby, with Father Fortney officiating. Interment will be at Lone Pine cemetery. A reception will follow at the church.
The family suggests memorials to the Kenneth Fortney Scholarship Fund, c/o Bitterroot Community Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 467, Darby, MT 59829.
Arrangements are under the care of Garden City Funeral Home and Crematory.
