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Thelma Cutler
Former Libby resident Thelma Cutler Fite, 81, died March 7, 2002, at her home in Stillwater, Okla.
She was born on Feb. 14, 1921, at Polson, to Mr. and Mrs. Ole Oie.
Thelma was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and a former volunteer at Kalispell Regional Hospital.
She lived in Libby for several years while her first husband, David O. Cutler, was associated with the Gompf Funeral Home.
Thelma and David had been married for 38 years when he died in August 1986,
Survivors include her husband Lloyd Fite, Polson; daughter Patricia Arie and her husband David, Stillwater; sisters Christine Johnson and Virginia Peek, Polson, and Carrie Anderson, Columbia Falls; brother Robert Oie, Polson; four grandchidren Laura Laing, Sherman, Texas; Libby Waddell, Phoenix, Ariz.; Bruce Laing, Arlington, Texas and Lydia Hockemeyer, Coppell, Texas; and four great-grandchildren, Madeline and Macie Waddell, Ryan Hockemeyer and Molly Laing.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Grogan Funeral Home in Polson, with interment following at the C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery in Kalispell.
Memorials may be made to Judith Karmen Hospice, 915 South Main, Stillwater, OK 74074 or to Life Adult Day Center, 411 West Matthews, Stillwater OK 74075.
James Gravning
James L. Gravning, 74, of Libby, died March 6, 2002, at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital.
He was born on Jan. 28, 1928, at Watertown, S.D., to Samuel and Geneva Bruflat Gravning.
He grew up in Watertown, where he attended school. He enlisting in the Merchant Marines when he was 16 years old and served with the U.S. Army during World War II.
He married Edith Puckett on March 18, 1950.
James worked as a truck driver for a petroleum company in Sioux Falls, S.D. for 14 years and then continued to drive long haul trucks across the country for many years, living in various places.
He married Elsie Smith on May 24, 1983, in Las Vegas.
James enjoyed riding motorcycles, hunting, parachuting, gambling and salmon fishing.
Survivors include his wife Elsie, Libby; sons Larry Gravning, Hermosa, S.D., and Dale Gravning, Seattle; daughters Dawn Gravning, Ephrata; Wash.; Kim Jeppson and her husband Dwight, Bellingham, Wash.; Sherri VanKeulen and her husband Brian, Bellingham; brother Ray Gravning and his wife Marge, Sioux Falls; LaValle Gravning and his wife Marty, Brookings, S.D., and Marlin Gravning and his wife Thelma, Sioux Falls; sister Sharon Gravning, Sioux Falls, 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Services were conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home Chapel.
Arrangements were by the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Novella Nelson
Novella S. Nelson, 68, of Libby, died March 5, 2002, at St. John’s Lutheran hospital after a two-year battle with cancer.
She was born on June 17, 1933, in Pineville, Ky., to Daniel and Molly Lawson.
She grew up and attended school in Pineville, moving to Libby in 1970. She married Jerome Nelson at Libby in 1972.
Novella enjoyed fishing, gardening and gambling.
Survivors include her husband Jerome, Libby; sons Jeffrey Hodge, Libby, and Erik Lawson and his wife Shannon, also of Libby; daughter Linda Berryman and her husband Jerry, Libby; brothers Earnest Lawson, Virgil Lawson and Bobby Lawson, all of Fort Wayne, Ind.; sister Dorothy Brock and her husband Luther, Fort Wayne; grandson Tyler Cunningham, Libby and granddaughter Casey in California.
Arrangements for private family services are being made by Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Tanya Smith
Tanya I. Smith, 51, of Troy, died March 4, 2002, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., of respiratory failure.
She was born on Sept. 15, 1950, at Helena to Ted and Martha Birch DeVere.
She attended Washington schools and graduated from high school in Puyallup, Wash., in 1988,
Tanya attended community college classes, earning a nursing degree in 1988.
She married Duane Smith at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho in 1992.
Tanya loved the outdoors, picking berries, riding horses, gardening and nursing. She was a caring and loving person.
Survivors include her husband Duane, Troy; six daughters Kelli Dimond, Troy; Sandra Bollinger, Libby; Jenifer Sandacker and her husband Grant, Bonners Ferry, Idaho; Genesis Smith, Mae Smith and Montanna Smith, all of Troy; son Derek Smith, Troy; her parents Ted and Martha DeVere in Oklahoma; sister Dorita Gordon and her husband Rusty, in Oklahoma; adopted mother Donna Enzrud in Washington, six grandchildren, Zachary, Christopher, Arial, Amanda, Erik and Rebecka.
There will be a family gathering on Sunday, March 10, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Bill Behler
Bill L. Behler, 52, died Friday, March 1, 2002, at his residence near Troy.
He was born at Santa Rosa, Calif., on April 25, 1949, to Louis and Dorothy Behler and was raised and educated in the Santa Rosa and Kenwood area.
A building contractor, Behler lived and worked for many years at Shady Cove and Gold Hill, Ore.
He was a frequent visitor to northwest Montana and moved to the Troy area in 1986.
Behler also operated a secondhand store in Libby for a time.
An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed the great outdoors of Montana and his favorite activities included hunting and fishing.
Survivors include his friend and companion Lynn Dack, Troy; daughters Shannon Phillips and Shannie Lund, both of Spokane; step-daughter Kelli Johnson, Myrtle Creek, Ore., his parents in Santa Rosa; brother Sid Behler, Kenwood, Calif., and four grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a brother Paul.
A gathering will be held on March 23 at his home near Troy.
Memorials may be made to St. John’s Hospice, 350 Louisiana Ave, Libby MT 59923.
Arrangements are by Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Roger Blinco
Roger Blinco, 50, of Libby, died Feb. 23, 2002, in Portland, Ore., while undergoing treatment for an aneurysm.
He was born on April 14, 1951, at Libby, to Mary Jane Bertrand Blinco and Leslie Blinco.
He is survived by his wife Cheryl Coffman Blinco, Libby; daughters Leandra and Jessica Blinco, four step-children and eight grandchildren.
Roger is also survived by his mother in Kalispell; brothers Steve Blinco, Great Falls; Bruce Blinco and his wife Cheryl, Havre; Thomas Blinco, Libby; and Vernon Blinco and his wife Caroline, Billings, sisters Margaret and her husband Larry Bucher, Kalispell; Nancy Fisher and Charles Castro, Spokane, Shirley Blythe, in California and Rose and her husband Ed Howard in Idaho and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father in 1990.
Private memorial services were conducted Friday, March 1, in Libby.
Fent Clark
Fent Clark, 85, of Libby, died Feb. 27, 2002, at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital.
He was born on July 27, 1916, in Utah, to William and Susie Clark.
Fent was raised and educated in Burley, Idaho and served with the U.S. Navy Seabees during World War II.
After receiving an honorable discharge he returned to Idaho, living first at Burley and Idaho Falls, and later in Billings and Bozeman in Montana.
He moved to Libby in 1960 and worked as a masonry and roofing contractor until his retirement.
Survivors include his wife Sally, Libby; son Ryan Clark, Libby; step-sons Greg Erickson, Elko, Nev.; Tim Erickson, Los Altos, Calif.; Tom Erickson, Libby; step-daughter Cydni Bryant, Spokane; brothers Dick Clark, Saulton Sea, Calif., and Roy Clark, Salt Lake City; sister Afton Dille, Las Vegas, Nev.; 14 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by grandson Sam Erickson in 1997.
Services were conducted at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Interment with military honors followed in the City of Libby Cemetery under direction of Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
