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PHILIP EDWARD TIMM
POLSON ‹ Philip Edward Timm, 82, died peacefully of natural causes at St. Joseph Assisted Living on Oct. 4, 2001.
He was born March 4, 1919, in Chicago.
He spent his early years on a family farm outside Kansas City, Mo., where Harry S. Truman was a frequent visitor. He was interested in aviation from a very early age and experimented building contraptions in which to take to the air. At one point he nearly burned the barn when his hot air balloon caught fire. But he considered his greatest mechanical achievement the reconstruction of a Model T Ford from junk and driving it when he was 10 or 11.
The family moved to Casper, Wyo., in 1933, where he worked at the Ford garage and attended high school. His aviation experimentation continued and while in high school, he designed and manufactured a two-seat monoplane powered by a Model A Ford engine. He taught himself how to fly the machine when he was a senior in high school.
Phil missed high school commencement because he was in Oklahoma, ferrying an airplane back for a friend. He was employed by Inland Airlines in Cheyenne, Wyo., until he beginning of World War II. For the next couple of years he was superintendent of maintenance for several wartime flight training organizations in Kansas and Colorado.
He married Maria L. Rigal in Cheyenne on Nov. 6, 1941. With the exception of his service with the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, they were inseparable friends and companions for six decades.
Phil served in Italy with the 1st Air Force, Troop Carrier Command, flying mail, freight and passengers throughout occupied Europe and North Africa. He was discharged in 1946, returned to Casper where he flew charters, taught students and maintained airplanes and operated an automotive repair business.
In 1955, Phil, Maria and two offspring, Glenn and Elizabeth, moved to Polson, where in the spring of 1956, Phil was asked to manage the Polson airport and establish a fixed-base operation.
Along with other enterprises, he and Maria ran that operation for some 20 years. He had the first commercial seaplane operation on Flathead Lake. He amassed some 20,000 flying hours in Jennys to helicopters during the 50 years he was a commercial pilot and flight instructor. He was a master aircraft and power-plant mechanic and held the first test-qualified aircraft inspector authorization in Montana.
He was also a world traveler, visiting almost everywhere from Newfoundland to Australia, including flying in the supersonic Concorde to Britain and by ship throughout the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal.
He was a charter member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which is credited with saving general aviation in the late 1930s. In Polson, he was a member of Rotary and a past president of the Chamber of Commerce.
He is survived by his wife Maria (at Assisted Living in Polson); a son, Glenn; a daughter, Elizabeth (Byron) Christian; and a grandson, Colin Timm (all of Polson).
The family requests that donations be made in Phil's name for aviation degree scholarships for local youth to Rocky Mountain College Memorial Gifts, 1511 Poly Drive, Billings, MT 59102 (1-800-877-6259, ext. 1142, Obert Undum, director). A scholarship basket will be available at the services.
Funeral Mass was celebrated on Oct. 9 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Polson, with Fathers Gary Reller and Bruce Plummer officiating. Burial with military honors followed at Lakeview Cemetery.
WILLIAM MARSHALL VAIL
POLSON -- William Marshall Vail, 71, died on Sept. 30, 2001, at St. Joseph Hospital here from a major heart attack.
He was born Sept. 2, 1930, in Shelton, WA, to Joseph and Wilma Vail.
He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He retired in 1991 after 38 years with the Boeing Co.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Janet Vail (Polson); a son, Dave Vail (Monore, WA); and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday (Oct. 5) at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Polson, with the Rev. Richard Widerholdt officiating. A private inurnment will be held.
Memorials may be made to the Polson Community Church Building Fund or the Polson Kiwanis Club Scholarship Fund.
KENDALL 'BABE' WABAUNSEE
ST. IGNATIUS -- Kendall "Babe" Wabaunsee, 75, died on Sept. 5, 2001, at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula.
Babe was born Sept. 2, 1926, in Mayetta, Kan., the son of James and Charlotte Wabaunsee. He was raised on the Potawatomie Reservation in Kansas. Babe worked heavy construction for many years throughout the western United States and Alaska, where he also worked on the Alaska Pipeline, eventually settling in the Yakima Valley until 1980, when he moved to St. Ignatius. He was an instructor for the Kicking Horse Job Corps from 1984 until his retirement.
An avid car collector and backyard mechanic, Babe was a member of the Prairie Band of Potawatomie and enjoyed being around his grandkids.
He was preceded in death by his brothers, Will and James "Bud" Wabaunsee; sister Vicky Matt Waoshshe; a daughter, Jeri Williams; and a grandson, Junior Dick.
Babe married Jamie Hawk in the 1950s and she survives at the family home in St. Ignatius. Also surviving are his children, Barbara (John) Dick of Elmer City, WA; Gordon Williams and Betty Wabaunsee of Tri-Cities, WA; Thelma Wabaunsee, Larry Wabaunsee and Jim Wabaunsee of Yakima Valley, WA; Kenny (Jill) Wabaunsee of Frenchtown; Kevin Wabaunsee of St. Ignatius and Lois (Frank) Castillo of Tacoma, WA; 23 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Traditional wake services began on Sept. 7 at the Longhouse in St. Ignatius. Rosary was recited there on Sept. 8. Mass of the Resurrection was celebrated on Sept. 10 in the St. Ignatius Catholic Mission. Interment followed at the St. Ignatius Catholic Cemetery.
SALLY A. (PEACE) WEESE
POLSON -- Sally A. (Peace) Weese, 37, Polson, died at Patrick Hospital in Missoula on Sept. 10, 2001, of complications from diabetes.
Sally married Kevin Weese on Oct. 23, 1990, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
She was preceded in death by her father, James.
She is survived by her husband Kevin, Polson; her mother, Nancy Peace, Polson; her uncles and aunts, Ross and Myrna Peace of Fairfield, Earl and Jan Peace of Bozeman, and Jim and Nancy McLaughlin of Clarkston, WA; her mother-in-law, Lorraine Weese, East Glacier; and numerous cousins and other relatives.
A memorial Mass was recited on Sept. 10 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Polson. Inurnment followed at the Lakeview Cemetery in Polson.
LILLIAN WILLCOMB YEOMAN
POLSON -- Lillian Willcomb Yeoman, 89, Polson, died on Sept. 19, 2001, of natural causes at St. Joseph Hospital.
She is survived by her son, Larry Yeoman (Great Falls); her daughter, Linda Bates (Madras, OR); a grandson, Scott Sarisky (Phoenix); and two granddaughters, Marci Sarisky (Charlotte, NC), and Breanne Yeoman (Boston).
Memorials in her memory can be made to the American Red Cross or the Port Polson Players.
No services are planned and cremation has taken place.
E. JEAN ZEILER
ST. IGNATIUS -- E. Jean Zeiler, 56, died on Sept. 9, 2001, at her home north of St. Ignatius.
Born Aug. 2, 1945, in Mount Ayr, Iowa, to Lloyd and Ruby (Knight) Danielson, she moved with her family to Shelton, Wash., at the age of five. Growing up in the Shelton area she went to beautician school in Silverdale, Wash., before moving to California, where she married her husband, Chuck Zeiler. They made their home in California, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska before moving to Montana in the summer of 1990.
An accomplished artist, Jean also did upholstery and seamstress work and enjoyed making crafts.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Joyce DeFrane.
Survivors include her husband, Chuck, of the family home; children Pete (Fawn) Zeiler and Hope Zeiler, all of St. Ignatius; her sisters and brother, Margaret ("Bud") Wilson of Mount Ayr, Iowa; Virginia ("R.C.") Merther of Olympia, WA; and Lloyd "Chris" (Leona) Danielson and Iva Lee (Don) Boren, all of Shelton, WA; Faith Danielson of Everett, WA; and Mary (Ronnie) Barns of Randal, WA; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
In accordance with her wishes, cremation will take place and no formal services are planned. There will be a memorial run sponsored by the Mission Mountain Motorcycle Club at a later date and all are invited to participate.
