Search Archived Marriage Records
Jennie Desch
Jennie Dorothy Desch, 82, of Kalispell, died at Brendan House on Saturday, March 10, 2001.
She was born on May 5, 1918, in Big Arm, to Richard and Mary Jane Meyer Zimmerman.
When she was four years old she moved to Polson where she received her education, graduating with the Class of 1936.
She worked in many places, including the Polson Laundry, Kelly’s Grocery and Mallory’s Grocery.
She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Polson.
On June 29, 1947, Jennie married Fred J. Desch in Hamilton. They moved to Kalispell in August 1947, where they built their home.
Jennie was a member of Central Bible Church and active in Circle II.
She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, two brothers and her husband Fred on March 20, 1997.
She is survived by sons Richard and his wife Linda Desch, Wolf Point, and John and his wife Barbara Desch, Libby; grandchildren Jennifer Desch and Andy Desch, Kalispell; Heidi and Daniel Desch, Libby; Matt Desch, Missoula, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Central Bible Church, First Ave. E., Kalispell, with burial following at C.E. Conrad Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Circle II, in care of Central Bible Church.
Arrangements are under direction of Johnson Mortuary and Crematory.
Ida Evans
Ida F. Evans, 79, died Monday, March 12, 2001, at Libby.
She was born on July 11, 1921, at Oswego to George and Bessie Stout and came to Libby with her family as a small child.
Raised and educated at Libby, Ida graduated from Libby High School with the Class of 1938.
She married Paul Evans on July 30, 1940.
Ida and Paul lived for many years in Libby, where they raised their children, and where Ida was active as a leader in the Girl Scout program.
She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, loved and enjoyed her family, and was an excellent dancer.
Paul and Ida moved to Utah for a time and also lived in Spokane before returning to Libby.
Survivors include her husband Paul, Libby; daughter Adrian Evans, Provo, Utah; son Thurman Evans, Shingle Springs, Calif., and several nieces and nephews, including Marvel Thompson and Judy Eby, both of Libby.
Services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Interment will follow in the City of Libby Cemetery under the direction of Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Sylvia Bakken
Former Libby resident and longtime nurse Sylvia Edith Louden Bakken, 85, died Friday, March 2, 2001, at Heritage Place in Kalispell.
She was preceded in death by her husband Peter Bakken; daughter Judi Parker; sister Clara Kendall; brothers Harold Louden and Cal Louden and sister-in-law Betty Louden.
Survivors include daughter Linda Ward and her husband Keith, grandson Chad Ward and granddaughter Kristen Ward, all of Missoula; brother Bob Louden and his wife Dorcas, Bigfork; sister-in-law Betty Louden and Bunny Louden, Kalispell; brother-in-law Glen Kendall, Spokane, and many nieces and nephews.
Services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Kalispell with burial following at Conrad Memorial Cemetery.
Johnson Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
Edith Carrell
Former Libby resident Edith Gertrude Shelley Carrell, 79, died on Feb. 8, 2001, in Colville, Wash.
She was born on Jan. 12, 1922, in Watford City, N.D. to Harvey and Ethel Kenelty Shelley.
Her family moved to Libby where Edith attended Libby schools.
She married Charles Carrell at Libby, where they lived until moving to Phoenix, Ariz., in 1956.
They moved to Colville in 1994 to be near their family.
Edith worked as a nurses aide and was active in her church, playing piano and teaching Sunday school classes for many years.
She loved her family and the Lord and will be remembered for her sweet smile.
Survivors include daughters Edie Peterson and her friend Don Arnott, Rice, Wash.; Lynn McCain and her husband John, Colville; son Dwight Carrell and his wife Gail, Phoenix; grandchildren Shawn and Cason McCain, Shelley Krysinski, Gretchen Vining, Erika Lindquist, Jennifer and Joy Carrell and great-grandchildren Melissa, Cameron, Christopher, Kerstin, Kortney and Auburn.
She was preceded in death by her hudsband of more than 59 years, Charles Carrell, in 1998, and by her sister Jean Shelley, in 1997.
Danekas Funeral Chapel and Crematory was in charge of arrangements. Burial will take place in the family plot at the City of Libby Cemetery.
Jim Howarth
Longtime Libby resident James Henry (Jim) Howarth, 82, who served with the Army Air Corps’ 351st Bomb Group during World War II, died Sunday, Feb. 25, 2001, in Spokane, where he has lived for the past eight years.
He was born on April 21, 1918, in Orient, Wash., the second of the five children of James L. and Sophie E. Bailey Howarth.
An Arrow Lake Native American, Jim was raised on Kelly Hill. He attended school in Marcus by walking across a railroad bridge spanning the Columbia River. The bridge no longer exists.
He later lived with his grandparents in Marcus. His grandparents spoke the Indian language of the Colvilles.
After attending school in Marcus for four years, Jim was placed in a boarding school in Desmet, Idaho, along with two of his sisters. He remembered the discipline as very strict and when there were no witnesses he said he was beaten with a rubber hose.
Jim graduated from the eighth grade at the age of 15 and returned to Spokane to live with his mother and step-father. He enrolled at Lewis & Clark High School but quit school when he felt he was repeating work already learned in boarding school. He again went to live with his grandparents in Marcus.
Prior to Jim’s arrival, his grandfather had given the 160-acre farm to a son and had no stable income. Jim worked for area farmers to support the family until 1937, when his grandfather died.
Shortly thereafter, although she had no medical problems, his grandmother died.
Jim enlisted in the Army Air Corps in Tacoma, Wash., in 1941 and was eventually stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. Without formal training, Jim was a gunner on a B-26 and in April 1943 was sent to gunnery school. He trained on a B-17 and was transferred to England as a gunner and operating engineer.
His crew was shot down on their 19th mission, close to Leipzig, Germany. The bombardier was killed and the radio operator was injured, and even though the plane went into a spin, Jim was able to put a chute on both the radio operator and himself and bail out.
The radio operator died a month after being captured and when Jim landed he injured his right leg and was semi-paralyzed from the hips down while imprisoned for 12 months.
Because a PFF ship, containing electronic equipment, was shot down about the same time, the Germans suspected Jim was part of that crew and his interrogation was severe. While at Stalag Luft IV he was unable to walk and other prisoners would carry him. His weight dropped from 165 pounds to 117 pounds, but with the help of fellow prisoners who massaged his limbs, Jim was finally able to walk with the use of homemade crutches.
The prisoners were moved from Stalag IV in February 1945. Jim doubted he would survive after the first two days, as men who could not keep up were taken away. Since he lagged behind he received more beatings than the rest of the prisoners. They were forced to keep moving as the Germans were caught between advancing Russian, English and American troops.
Eventually the prisoners of Stalag IV were liberated by the English. They were processed through Camp Lucky Strike and after a 30-day leave in Brussels, Jim took a furlough to England and from there found his own transportation back to the United States on the USS Argentina.
Jim married Bridget Arnold in January 1946 and they had a child who died 10 days after birth. They were divorced in 1948.
Jim worked construction in Alaska, where he invented the gravel spreader used by the railroads.
He married Thelma Wiley in 1952 and they had a son James. They were divorced in 1955.
In 1957, Jim married Lois McAttee and they moved to Libby.
Jim operated a successful logging company until 1967. He also worked on the Libby Dam Project.
He purchased an automotive garage and parts store in Libby and he and Lois also ran the VFW Club here.
Jim served as the Veterans Service Officer for Lincoln County and was District Judge Advocate. In 1988 he was the VFW state convention chairman and was a representative to the VFW national home in Missouri. He also served as a service officer for the DAV and the American Legion.
Under Jim’s direction, the first mobile van service was started to transport veterans from Libby to the Spokane Veterans Hospital.
In 1993 Jim and Lois moved to Spokane, where Jim continued to be an advocate of prisoners of war and helped numerous POWs receive benefits, many up to 100 percent.
According to a recent national VA report, Jim led the nation in securing benefits for POWs and his involvement in veterans’ activities continued.
He was preceded in death by sisters Christine James and Bessie Cashion, brother Robert, son Donald and step-son Clifton Totten.
He is survived by wife Lois, Spokane; son James C. Howarth, Spokane; step-sons James Totten, Livermore, Calif.; Jerry Totten, Tumwater, Wash., and Virgil Totten, Libby; step-daughter Shirley Inman, Molalla, Ore.; sister Alice Tanner, Hayden Lake, Idaho; brother-in-law Harold James, and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Vigil services were held on Friday, March 2, at the Danekas Funeral Chapel in Colville, Wash., and funeral services were at noon on Saturday, March 3, at the Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Kettle Falls, Wash.
Private burial was at PIA Mission Cemetery.
