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Robert Allen Spencer Sr., 63
Robert Allen Spencer Sr., 63, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2009, at his home in Kalispell. He was born in Havre on May 8, 1946, to Truman and Bertha (Blair) Spencer. Bob married
Peggy Bradley in 1967 and they had two children, Bob and Krystal. Bob and Peggy divorced and he later married
Mary (Caudill) Craft, also of Kalispell. Bob lived the majority of his life in Kalispell, working in the automotive industry until retiring in the early 90s due to medical reasons. In retirement, Bob found joy and hidden talent in many things like woodworking. He also loved finding, collecting and repairing antique clocks for himself as well as family and friends. Bob was a longtime member of the Eagles and a member of the Bald Eagles, and most recently regained interest in something he has always loved, riding his Harley Davidson. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary; his parents; his brother, Jim; and a stepdaughter, Brandy. Bob is survived by a son, Bob, and wife, Lori Spencer, of Idaho; daughter, Krystal, and husband, Ryan Weaver, of Washington; stepson, Joe Craft, of Montana; grandchildren, Brandon and Kenedee Spencer, Addison Weaver and Vincent Meuli; and sisters, Darlene Rollins of Miles City, and Eleanor Everest of Lincoln City, Ore. He also leaves behind his four-legged best friend and companion for years, Truman. Friends are invited to gather with Bob s family to celebrate his life at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, at the Eagles, 37 First St. W., in Kalispell. Cremation has taken place and at Bob s request, there will be a private urn burial. Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Bob s family.
Harry Duke Sultzer, 81
Lt. Col. Harry Dukehart Sultzer, U.S.A.F. Ret., filed his final flight plan Dec.18, 2009, following a stroke. Duke was born in Butte, June 11, 1928. His father s job with the Department of Reclamation took the family from the Fort Peck Dam project to Oklahoma, Michigan and Buffalo, N.Y., where he graduated from high school. Duke returned to Butte to attend Montana State School of Mines (now Montana Tech). While in Oklahoma, Duke worked as a janitor so he could take flying lessons. He soloed at age 15. In 1949, he followed his flying dream and joined the new United States Air Force. While in Butte, he courted Linforth Murray. Duke and Lin eloped in 1952, marrying in Decatur, Miss. Duke s Air Force career spanned 32 years, with combat service in Korea and Vietnam as a fighter pilot and field maintenance officer. In 1966 he was awarded the Air Medal for Meritorious Achievement While Participating in Aerial Flight. Tours of duty in Japan, Virginia, Germany, Kansas and California afforded his family many wonderful adventures. Duke s happiest day assignment was in 1990 when he and Lin arrived in Bigfork with the truck, the dog and the gun. He was a member of the Montana Skeet Shooting Association. In 2008, at age 80, Duke was inducted into the MSSA Hall of Fame in recognition of shooting accomplishments and contributions to the sport of skeet shooting. He was also awarded the DuBois-Kinker Award from the Zone 7 Skeet Shooting Association for his hard work and contributions to Zone 7 Skeet. An avid golfer, Duke was a charter member of the Roosters at Eagle Bend Golf course. He began a Wife Saver Old Boys Lunch Bunch. Every week the Old Boys gathered for lunch at many area restaurants. He also formed bridge and poker groups. He was a most happy fellow. Duke is survived by his wife, Lin; sons, H.D. lll, Thom M. and wife Michelle Ginger, and Karl L. and wife Cindy; daughter, Gretchen, and husband, Neil Beddow; grandchildren, Dylan and Keeva Beddow, and Karl s son, Thad. He will be remembered for his smile and twinkle of eye. Duke is now at his final duty station, the very best one. He was a good man. Cremation has taken place. Memorial services will be held in mid-April in Bigfork. Memorials may be sent to the Bigfork QRU, 810 Grand Dr., Bigfork, MT 59911.
Donald Claus Eisinger, 87
We said good-bye to our dad at noon on Thursday, July 29, 2010. Don celebrated his 87th birthday this past March 12. He was one of seven children born to George and Margaret (Goettches) Eisinger of Wayzata, Minn. Raised in Wayzata, he married
his high school sweetheart, Grace Carey, in December of 1946. Their marriage spanned six decades! Proud to be an American, Don was a decorated World War II veteran and served as a medic in the Europe/African, South Pacific and North American Theatre. After the war, Don came out West and landed a job with the Forest Service, fighting blister rust in the Haugen area; later he would get on with the Great Northern Railroad in Whitefish. He retired from the railroad after 34 years of service. Don and Grace raised their five children in Whitefish, where he personally built the family home on West Fourth Street. After retiring, Don and Grace spent the winters in the sunny south, before coming back home full time in 1997. Don enjoyed the outdoors or was in his workshop building something. He was never one to sit around and he loved to visit with everyone. Don and Grace lived at Buffalo Hill Terrace where he was a wonderful baker and shared his goodies with many of the residents. After Grace passed away, he moved into a townhouse and, in 2008, he moved in with his daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Rick Walker. Don joins his most cherished wife, Grace, and youngest son, Doug, in the garden of eternal peace. He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Carol and Rick Walker of Kalispell, and Linda and Jesse Payne of Wheatland, Mo.; daughter, Connie Eisinger, of Missoula; and son and daughter-in-law, Tom and Billie Eisinger, of Whitefish; grandchildren, Chris Cahill, Carey Cahill, Jerod Eisinger, Ricky Eisinger; great-grandchildren, Kimberly Cahill and Katlyn Eisinger; brothers, Kermit, Leonard and Howard; and numerous nieces and nephews. Dad was a tower of strength, a big man with a big heart. We will always have the wonderful memories of the ideal family, living in a prosperous time and in the Last Best Place! Thanks, Mom and Dad, for all the right stuff! There will be a memorial service at a later date. Johnson - Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Don's family.
Daryl Gene Sempf, 56
Daryl Gene Sempf, 56, died Monday, July 5, 2010, at his residence in Kila. He was born April 28, 1954, in Kalispell, to Donald and Dolores Sempf. He attended many schools and graduated from Medford High School in Oregon in 1972. After graduation he returned to the Flathead Valley, where he attended Flathead Valley Community College. Daryl began employment for Columbia Falls Anaconda Aluminum Company in 1973, where he continued to work for 20 some years. In his earlier years he enjoyed summers at Elk Horn Lodge in Swan Lake with his grandfather, Fred Sempf, now deceased. Throughout his life he enjoyed many outdoor activities and working on cars. Daryl was also a caretaker to his grandfather, great-aunt and mother. Survivors include a daughter, Carey Sempf, two grandchildren, Leanna Bailey and Joseph Eckelbarger; and one great-grandchild, Mallarie Parker, all of Chatsworth, Ga.; sisters, Deborah Starin of Las Vegas, and Denise Miller, one nephew and two nieces, of Virginia Beach, Va. A graveside service for Daryl will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 23, at C.E. Conrad Memorial cemetery. All friends and family are invited to attend. Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Daryl s family.
Donna Marie Brown Kidwell, 73
Donna Marie Brown Kidwell, went to the Lord on July 15, 2010, at home in Kalispell, with all her children at her side, after a short battle with cancer. Donna Kidwell was born Nov. 15, 1936, to parents, Buster Raymond Brown and Lorraine Marie Barrows in Kalispell, and spent her entire life in the Flathead Valley. Donna was married
to Richard Lessor and had two children, Larry and Dixeen. She later married
Kenneth Galloway and had four children, Raymond, Dale, Valorie and Cheryl. In 1979, Donna married
Richard Kidwell, the love of her life. Donna worked in several restaurants in the valley as a cook and waitress, and in the Christmas tree business making wreaths, grave blankets and other decorative items using tree boughs. She also worked at Walmart and was the first greeter at the opening of the Evergreen store. She loved quilting, crocheting, gardening, baking, and being in the outdoors. Donna cherished her family and loved spending time with them. Donna is survived by her husband, Richard Kidwell; brothers, Dave Brown and Kerry Croskrey; sister, Lucille Parpart; sons, Larry Lessor, Raymond Galloway and Jackie, and Dale Galloway and wife, Joy; daughters, Dixeen Cornell, Valorie Galloway, and Cheryl Birch Morran and husband, Dan. Her grandchildren include Andrea Lessor Wood, Travis Galloway, Daniel, Anthony, Tony and Amy Birch, Christopher Galloway, Alex and Sarita Lessor, and Cody Jackson. Her great-grandchildren include Bristol, Mickel, Kurt, Kayci, Bruce, Kameron, Byron, Cassandra and Shelby. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Tim and Ross; and sisters, Leila and Loretta. No services will be held. A memorial to celebrate her life will be held Aug. 21 at the Kidwell home.
Lynda Erickson Morford, 72
Lynda Erickson Morford (born Lynda Jane Erickson), beloved mother, mother-in-law, sister, aunt, grandmother and friend, passed away on June 10, 2010, in Green Valley, Ariz. She was 72. Lynda was born Sept. 18, 1937, in Libby to William John and Olga Wik Erickson. She grew up in Libby and attended grade and high school there. She and her family enjoyed spending summers at their cabin at Flathead Lake. Lynda graduated high school in 1955, and went on to attend Pembroke College at Brown University in Providence, R.I. She graduated in 1959, with a degree in liberal arts and a minor in journalism. She always enjoyed drawing and painting. Following this, she lived in London for a time, and then San Francisco, before moving to Seattle and working for an architectural firm called MBBJ. Through a co-worker, Lynda met her future husband and, after a wonderful courtship, she married
James Glen Morford in November 1973. They had one daughter, Amy. They lived on Bainbridge Island and then moved to Arizona in 2004. Together they enjoyed many adventures, including sailing, snowshoeing, traveling to Greece, New Zealand, cruising on barges on rivers in France with friends, going to Hawaii, Mexico and on cruises. They were active with Intiman Theater, the Seattle Opera and the Washington Athletic Club. She remained partial to the cooler climates of Seattle and Montana, with more greenery and water than Arizona. Lynda was known by family and friends to have a very gracious, gentle, generous, kind, caring, artistic and creative spirit. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Olga; and her husband, James. She is survived by her daughter, Amy Morford Nebeker, and Brent, of Tucson, Ariz.; grandson, Ashton Nebeker; brother, Alan Erickson, and Tomiko, of Miami; aunt, Hilma Strom, of Flathead Lake, Polson; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Don and Marilyn Morford; her husband s son and two daughters, Jimi Morford of Ridgecrest, Calif., Heidi Morford of Clinton, Wash., and Julie Morford of Seattle; two nephews, Paul Erickson and Mark Morford; two nieces, Melanie Morford and Kristin Morford; one other-grandson, John Meeker; and two granddaughters, Carrie Meeker and Gracie Meeker. There will be a small gathering of family and friends to celebrate Lynda s life in July. Contributions may be made to La Hacienda at La Posada for a memory garden that La Hacienda is putting in. Mail contributions to La Posada, 350 E. Morningside Dr., Green Valley, AZ, 85614, and write in memory of Lynda Morford on the check.
William H. Bud Barker, 75
William H. Bud Barker, 75, died from complications of lung surgery on Tuesday, June 29, 2010, with his family, at home in Woods Bay. He was born to William H. Harry and Francis Barker on Feb. 16, 1935, in Butte, where he graduated from Butte High. He served in the U.S. Navy. He returned to Montana and met and married
his wife Marta. He graduated from Montana State University in 1965. Bud was preceded in death by his son, Tom Barker; his parents; his in-laws; and a nephew, Keith Albright. He is survived by his wife, Marta; his sons, Sam Barker and Ben Barker, and Ben s wife, Cathy, all of Woods Bay; his daughter-in-law, Julie Roberts, and granddaughter, Emily, both of Utah; his sisters, Bette Albright and her husband, Herb, Barbara Parker and her husband, Reno, Bonnie Sturgeon and her husband, John, and Norma Neyman and her husband, Don; and a number of nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends. He had a special place in his heart for each of you. Bud was active in the Lions Club, the Shrine Pipe Band, the Masonic Lodge, and Scottish and York Rite. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, July 9, at the Community United Methodist Church in Bigfork. Graveside committal and interment with military and Masonic honors will follow at 12:45 p.m. at C.E. Conrad Memorial cemetery at 12:45 p.m. Buffalo Hills Funeral Home is caring for the family.
Sonny J. Kless, 25
On Sunday, June 27, 2010, Sonny J. Kless flew out of the lives of his friends and family and into the arms of the God he knew. Sonny was born to Jeff Kless and Janelle Gentry on Aug. 13, 1984, in Whangarei, New Zealand. Sonny, true to his nature, always disputed this date and preferred the U.S. date of the 12th. This would be one of the few times he would arrive early. This may also have been a thinly disguised excuse to reap a few extra presents. Sonny spent his early years on board the sailboat, Dark Star, in the Pacific and then in Vancouver, British Columbia. He then spent his time growing up in Colorado, California and Montana. He attended school first in Bigfork and then Kalispell, where he was also active in speech, drama, football and basketball. Sonny was blessed with exceptional intelligence and quick wit. Typically, this comes with mixed blessings. As most parents of young adults know, teenagers can act out. Sonny was no exception. With his typical intensity, and penchant for social economy, a one-hour crime spree brought Sonny an extended two-year stay in Wyoming. This became a blessing in disguise. The desolate countryside and the Spartan living conditions gave Sonny the time to use his intelligence for introspection, and his life took a new direction. Returning to Montana, Sonny attended the University of Montana in Missoula, graduating in May of this year with a double degree in environmental science and communications. While at the U of M, Sonny developed a fund for sustainable education programs to borrow money from, then repay, thus giving sustainable environmental causes sustainable financing. During this time Sonny earned his private pilot s license, a dream he had since childhood. Sonny s goal was to become a commercial pilot. Sonny searched for his path with unrivaled sincerity and curiosity, and in that pursuit accidental heartbreaks would sometimes come to those who loved him. This may be the final heartbreak, but Sonny will continue on his path. Sonny is survived by his mother, Janelle Gentry; and father, Jeff Kless; brother, Dustin Haines, of Eugene, Ore.; and sister, Sydney Kless, of Boulder, Colo. Survivors also include his grandmother, Anne Gentry, of Whitefish; grandfather, J. Gentry of Rifle, Colo.; uncle, Kirk Gentry, and aunt, Michelle Gentry, of Kalispell; aunt, Barbara Kless, and uncle, Jim Kless, of Palm Springs, Calif. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations be sent to Lake County or Sanders County search and rescue; or the Student Pilots Scholarship Fund, Glacier Bank, Kalispell. A gathering to remember Sonny will be held at 2 p.m. today, July 3, at Best View Storage, on Columbia Falls Stage Road.
Adelaide Mary Foy, 93
Adelaide Mary Foy died peacefully in Middleton, Idaho, on the afternoon of Friday, June 25, 2010. She was born Oct. 24, 1916, on her parents homestead outside of Bainville, Mont., the second child and first daughter of Frederick R. Harvey (1885-1968) and Gertrude Louise Burton (1893-1969). Her father was minister of the Congregational church at nearby Intake, and he also worked as a circuit preacher, serving Savage and Plevna. Between 1919 and 1926, her family lived in Genoa Junction, Elcho, Gleason and Dudley, all in Wisconsin, where she attended primary schools. In 1926 they returned to Bainville, and subsequently she entered high school there, staying in town during the week, working for her board and room. She graduated from Bainville High School in 1933. She attended Intermountain College at Helena, where she experienced the destructive 1935 earthquakes that destroyed the college buildings, finishing her teacher s certificate the following year in Great Falls, where Intermountain had temporarily relocated. She began her career as a teacher in a rural school outside Bainville in the fall of 1936. In 1937 her family moved to Dixon and she taught in rural schools in the area. In 1942 she married
James Beauford Jim Foy, owner of a barber shop in Ronan. The two of them spent the war years working in the Kaiser shipyard in Portland. Their son David was born in 1946, and their daughter Judy followed in 1948. In 1948 they relocated to Hot Springs where her husband operated the Rainbow Barber Shop, and where she took up her teaching career again in 1952. She furthered her education by attending summer school in Missoula and studying by correspondence. She was a talented and skillful teacher, becoming elementary principal in 1964, the same year she was awarded her master s degree in education from the University of Montana. The family moved to Columbia Falls in 1964, where she continued teaching until she retired as vice principal in 1979. She remained active in community affairs and, in 1991, was named Montana Senior Citizen of the Year. She and her husband traveled widely in North America after retirement. She was predeceased by her husband; her brothers, Torrance, Almont and Bill Harvey; and her sisters, Nellie Richardson and Lucille Palmer. She is survived by her brothers, Bob and Dale Harvey, of Kalispell; her son, David, of Calgary; and her daughter, Judy Luce, of Caldwell, Idaho; her grandchildren, Mandi Heinle and Ken of Hathaway, Mont., and Cory Luce and Tera of Boise, Idaho; and great-grandchildren, Kassidi and Kadie Heinle, Jasper and Cody Luce, and Jeff Wood of Henderson, Nev. Adelaide was part of a large and loving family. They were an important part of her life and she enjoyed researching and sharing the family s history and genealogy and just spending time with them at the many family gatherings throughout the years. She will always be loved and remembered by her family, friends and the hundreds of students whose lives are better for having experienced her generous heart, her kind and loving spirit and her undaunted positive attitude. A celebration of Adelaide s life will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, July 5, at Lakeside Chapel in Lakeside. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
