Search Archived Marriage Records
FAYE JORE
RONAN -- Faye Jore died on Oct. 8, 2003. She was born Faye Ellen Snyder, one of 14 children born to Wayne and Melva Snyder. Faye was married to Merle Jore for over 47 years. They had six children -- Rick, Roger, Mike, Roxy, Matt and Maxine -- all of whom survive her, along with 18 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. She was an avid gardener, reader and cook. She was also a huge supporter of the Ronan community and schools. Faye and Merle were the earliest and biggest supporters of Jore Corp., a company founded by her sons. Faye designed the original and each subsequent expansion of the kitchen and cafeteria at Jore Corp. and her welcome smile touched all of those who enjoyed the homemade meals. Services to honor Faye's life were held on Oct. 12 in Ronan.
CARMEN KNAPTON
LIBBY -- Carmen Viola Adams, 53, died on Oct. 20, 2003, of a genetic illness. Carmen, daughter of Mayble Bear and Clarence Adams, was born on Aug. 30, 1950, at the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation Agency hospital. She is a member of the Medicine Bear Clan of the Assiniboine Tribe, with relatives and ancestors from the Fort Belknap and Fort Peck Indian reservations. Carmen spent her youth along the Hi-Line from Havre to Bainville then onto West Glacier. She attended schools in Harlem, Havre, Culbertson, Bainville and Columbia Falls, where she graduated in 1969. She married Mark Knapton in the fall of 1970. Mark and Carmen owned and operated a daycare and a diesel mechanic shop in Kalispell. Carmen leaves behind her three sons and their families: Jacob and wife Toni and daughter Kendahl and son MacKenzie (Kalispell); David (Kalispell); and Brian and wife Jessica and daughter Rooke (Sturgeon Bay, WI); her parents, Mayble and Bruce Avery (Libby); brother Bernard and wife Kim Azure and family (Arlee); brother Jon Adams (Libby); sister Tammy and husband Cole Anderson and family (Troy); sister Shannon and husband David Cimino and family (San Juan, Puerto Rico); and several nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins. She was preceded in death by husband Mark; her biological father, Clarence Adams; brothers Rick and Scott Bear, and Mike Adams; sisters Mary Jo and Mickie Joy Avery and Patti Adams; grandparents Joe and Josephine Wakeman; grandfather Benny Bear; and great-grandparents George and Agnes Cochran. Funeral services were held Oct. 24.
LOUIS LEMERY
SPOKANE -- Louis Lemery, 96, died here on Oct. 23, 2003. He was born on Oct. 14, 1907, in Adams, OR. He attended rural Hillcrest and St. Ignatius Mission elementary schools, graduated from Loyola High School in Missoula in 1927 and from Gonzaga Univ. in 1931. He worked for the Flathead Irrigation Project in Polson and St. Ignatius; was tribal secretary and chief clerk for the Salish-Kootenai Tribes; worked at Cass Lake, MN; and was a realty officer in the Portland office. His interests included hunting and fishing during his years in Montana and golf after moving to Portland. He retired in 1972, following a 30-plus-year career with the BIA. He received the department's Citation for Meritorious Service. He is survived by his son, James L. Lemery (San Diego); daughter Janet L. Rodeghiero (Roundup); nine grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and three nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Ruth Callahan Lemery; parents Albert W. and Minnie Gibson Lemery; sisters Ruth Lemery Udall (St. Ignatius), Louise Lemery Golic Levy (Woodburn, OR); and brother Benjamin Lemery (Woodburn). Private family services will be held. Should friends desire, memorials may be made to Gonzaga Univ. in Spokane; Loyola High School in Missoula; St. Ignatius Catholic Church Restoration Fund in St. Ignatius; or the charity of choice.
WILLIAM V. LOVELESS
POLSON -- William V. Loveless died here on Oct. 7, 2003. He was born Feb. 25, 1915, in Kila, to Albert and Iola (Chapman) Loveless. Bill received his schooling in Kila and served in the Navy Seabees from 1942-1945 during World War II. He married Leona Hahn Hawkins in July 1957. They lived at Dayton. The family moved from Dayton to Polson in 1962. During these years they attended the Presbyterian Church in Dayton. In December 1977, Bill became a widower but continued to live in Polson until moving to the Immanuel Lutheran Home in Kalispell in 1996. Bill's early fascination with motors and things that "run" turned into his life's work as an auto mechanic and millwright. He was preceded in death by his wife; his parents; brothers Firman, Howard (Happy) and Lawrence (Larry); and sisters Alberta Freeman and Gail Bruch. He is survived by a stepson, Gary Hawkins (Billings); several nieces and nephews; as well as a sister-in-law, Opal Loveless (Polson). A funeral service was held on Oct. 13 in Polson. Interment with military honors followed at the Lakeview Cemetery in Polson.
TYLER BENOIST
POLSON -- Tyler Evan Benoist, 14, of Ronan, died from injuries suffered in a fire at Pablo on Nov. 28, 2003. He was born June 27, 1989, at Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Phillip and Norma Lefthand Benoist. They moved from Minneapolis to Mobridge, South Dakota, and then to the Turtle Lake area near Polson in 1998. Tyler attended school in Polson, Ronan, and at the time of his death he was attending Two Eagle River School in Pablo. He was preceded in death by his father; a grandmother, Caroline Lefthand; and two uncles. He is survived by his mother, Norma Fox; brothers Christopher Lefthand, Phillip Benoist Jr. and Justin Benoist (all of Ronan), and James Quequesah (Spokane); sisters Leah Benoist and Charlene "Carly" Lefthand-Irvine (both of Ronan), and Melissa Benoist (South Dakota); and his grandparents, George Lefthand (Hot Springs) and Lillian Benoist (North Dakota). Wake services began on Dec. 1 in the Elmo Hall. Mass of the Resurrection was celebrated on Dec. 3 in Elmo. Burial followed at the Dayton Cemetery.
A.H. CHENEY
THOMPSON FALLS -- A.H. "Lon" Cheney, 86, died at his home here on Nov. 14, 2003. Lon was born and raised in Polson. He enlisted in World War II and served in the European Theater. He received the Purple Heart. Upon returning to Polson, he worked a series of jobs, including working on the construction of Kerr Dam. He married Virginia Rose McCleary on April 6, 1947. He worked with the Montana Fish and Game Department, serving as a fish and game warden from Nov. 1946 to Nov. 1973. He then spent six years as the sheriff of Sanders County. He was an expert gardener who loved animals, particularly dogs and horses. Lon was preceded in death by his parents, Alonzo and Ruth Cheney; his wife, Virginia; and a brother Forrest. He is survived by two daughters, Beverly and Ruthie; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Memorials in his honor may be sent to the Montana Animal Rescue Society (MARS), or the Thompson Falls Senior Citizens Center. A memorial service was held on Nov. 19 in Thompson Falls. Interment followed at Lakeview Cemetery in Polson.
JOSEPH 'JOE' CULLOOYAH
VALLEY CREEK -- Joseph "Joe" Cullooyah, 73, died on Nov. 22 after suffering an apparent heart attack while shoveling snow. Born March 9, 1930, in Arlee, to Louis and Felicite Cullooyah, he was raised in the Arlee area and attended school at the Ursuline and Jesuit schools. During childhood, Joe went many times with his parents and other members of the Arlee traditional Salish community on fall hunting trips to the Placid Lake area. Joe served two enlistments in the Army seeing extensive combat in Korea. He also served in Berlin. Upon his return he was a foreman for the sawmill in Libby for many years and later had his own trucking company. He was also remembered to be one of the caretakers for the Arlee Powwow Grounds. He was invaluable to the Salish-Pend d'Oreille Culture Committee, teaching Salish to people as a personal tutor, working on committees such as the History and Place Name Project and working with linguists for the betterment and preservation of the Salish culture and language. He also served on other committees such as the Elders Advisory Committee and had represented those Salish people who wished to have other Indian blood be counted for enrollment purposes when that issue arose earlier this year. He worked at many youth camps and events as a storyteller, historian, environmental and tribal consultant, including the Intertribal Youth Practicum, the American Indian Math and Science Camp, the annual Flathead River Honoring, various events at Blue Bay, at SKC encampments and the Reservation-wide Community Housing Development that was held up the Jocko and at the Agnes Vanderburg camp. Joe also enjoyed picking huckleberries in the Buckhorn area; fishing and hunting; and he had for many years enjoyed telling traditional stories in the Bitterroot (Hamilton). He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings Paul Finley, Lawrence Finley, Charlie Finley, Adeline Joscum, Anastasia Quequesah and Ann Mary LeftHand. Survivors include his sister, Louise Finley (St. Ignatius); his aunt, Agnes Oshanee Kenmille (Pablo); and a large and extended family of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. A wake began Nov. 23 at the Foster and Durgeloh Funeral Home in St. Ignatius; it moved to the Salish Indian Senior Center in Arlee on Nov. 24. Funeral services were conducted on Nov. 25 in the Sacred Heart Catholic Mission in Arlee. Interment followed in the Jocko Cemetery with military honors. All tribal offices were closed on Nov. 25 in Joe's honor.
ANNIE ESPINOZA
ARLEE -- Annie Keenan Espinoza was born in the Finley Creek area near Arlee on Oct. 18, 1912, and died on Nov. 1, 2003, at the family home here. Annie was the oldest child of Pat and Mary Josetti Pokerjim Keenan. She was raised and educated on the Flathead Reservation and at the Ursulines Catholic School. She was a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and spoke fluent Salish. Annie very seldom left the Jocko Valley. As a young girl she and her family traveled to Spokane in a covered wagon and returned to Arlee in a Model T. She worked very hard as a young woman, caring for her siblings, picking strawberries and apples in Hamilton and Arlee. Annie played basketball on the Arlee girls' team in 1926. Annie met Pablo Espinoza on his arrival in Arlee in 1924, then the two married in Sept. of 1933. Annie and Pablo farmed, ranched, raised children, foster children and grandchildren for 45 years until Pablo's death in 1978. Annie loved to grow flowers and plants, and to raise chickens and cows. She liked to pick flowers in the spring and chokecherries in the fall. She liked to dry deer meat for the Head Start children, and making coffee and frybread over an open fire. She was an accomplished beader and did beautiful hand embroidery. She was also a very good cook, apple pie maker and fruit canner. Annie loved four things: Family, nature, candy and the Lord. She was the matriarch of the Espinoza Clan. She was preceded in death by her husband and parents, and children Pablo "Sarge" J., Carl R., and Anita L. Hanson. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Patrick and Carmie, Ralph "Dib" Valerie, and Lolita L. and Drew Hendrickson; 25 grandchildren and 33 great-grandchildren; foster children Shawn A. Antoine Espinoza and Robert Sherman (whom she and Pablo took in when they were 18 months old), as well as James "Jumbo" Matt, Stella Weaselhead (deceased), Francine Mathias Dupuis, Marcie Mathias Carmen and Tony Mathias; five siblings: Clara Dumontier (Missoula), Mary Jenny Riekena (Ronan), Chuck Keenan (Arlee), Rose Bacon (Arlee) and Regina Veitenheimer (Missoula); and a cousin, Agnes Pokerjim Paul. Mass of the Resurrection was celebrated on Nov. 5 in Arlee. Interment followed at the Jocko Cemetery near Arlee. Memorials may be made to the Arlee High School Athletic Scholarship.
