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Dale Moen
Dale K. Moen, 44, died Saturday, May 11, 2002, at his home in Libby.
He was born on Aug. 14, 1957, at Kalispell, to Wernell and Elda Elshog Moen.
Raised and educated in Kalispell, Dale graduated from Flathead High School with the Class of 1976.
He moved to Libby at the age of 19 and worked for W.R. Grace for 12 years.
He purchased Helen’s Tap Room in 1986 and had operated it for the past 15 years.
He married Renee Smith in 1990 in Idaho.
Dale enjoyed camping, NASCAR and horseshoes.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Jean Owens, Kalispell, and brother-in-law Jerry Syth.
Survivors include his wife Renee Moen, daughter Marsha Moen and son Dan Moen, all of Libby; brother Don Moen and his wife Ginney, also of Libby; sister Noreen Syth, Kalispell; step-children Callie Hardy and her husband Shawn, Doug Probert and his wife Rachell, Rayla Werner and her husband Berry, all of Salt Lake City, and Tracie Sherman and her husband Steve of River Falls, Wis.
Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday at the Libby Christian Church.
Local arrangements are by Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
William Birnie
William (Bill) Birnie, 71, of Athol, Idaho, died on Sunday, May 12, 2002, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Bill was born on Aug. 24, 1930, in Danvers, to John and Elsie Birnie. He graduated from high school in Lewistown.
Bill served with the U.S. Army in Fairbanks, Alaska, during the Korean War. He worked as a carpenter, building schoolhouses in Helena and Missoula.
On Nov. 19, 1966, he married Eleanor Davis in Coeur d’Alene.
In 1969 they moved to Libby, where Bill worked on the Libby Dam project.
He later worked in an oil refinery at Sinclair, Wyo., and followed construction jobs in the Northwest, retiring in 1991 and moving to Athol.
Bill enjoyed working with his hands, building things out of wood, hunting, fishing and reading.
Preceded in death by his parents, three sisters and four brothers, Bill is survived by his wife Ellie, Athol; children Calvin Davis, Libby, and Lynn Francis, Missoula; grandchildren Justin Williams and Brock Williams in Anchorage, Alaska; Kelly Jo Davis, Kent, Wash.; Garrett Davis and Richele Davis in Libby; Zachary Francis, Kingman, Ariz., and Heather Francis, Tempe, Ariz; brother John Birnie, Lewistown, and sister Ruth Foster, Sandpoint, Idaho, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Memorial services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday in Coffelt’s Moon Chapel in Sandpoint.
Gerald Cosgriff
Gerald T. Cosgriff, 65, died of cancer at his home in Libby on Sunday, May 12, 2002.
He was born on Sept. 21, 1936, at Murray, Utah, to Martin and Lillian Eklund Cosgriff.
Gerald grew up on a ranch near Big Timber, attended Big Timber schools and graduated from Sweetgrass County High School in 1934.
Gerald served in the U.S. Army, receiving an honorable discharge in November 1964.
He married Donna Vaughn on March 31, 1963, at Big Timber, where they lived for five years while Gerald worked for Oie Motors.
They moved to Libby in 1968 and Gerald worked for St. Regis Paper Company for 30 years as a waste water treatment operator and in their superfund cleanup.
He retired in 1997.
Gerald enjoyed keeping bees and had kept them for more than 22 years. He also enjoyed chess, building and learning. His faith in God and reading the Bible were important to him.
He loved his home, his children and his grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers and a daughter.
Survivors include his wife Donna, Libby; sons Edward Thomas Cosgriff and his wife Judy, Libby, and David Marshall Cosgriff and his wife Stacey, Libby; daughter Amy Ann Cosgriff, Bonners Ferry, Idaho; mother-in-law Eileen Vaughn, Libby; brother Jim Cosgriff and his wife Nancy, Libby; sister Mary Myrstol and her husband Harold, Clyde Park; five grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be given to Wings or St. John’s Lutheran Hospital Hospice.
Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Faith Bible Church.
Local arrangements are by the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Gareth Johnson
Gareth L. Johnson, 61, of Libby, died on Saturday, May 11, 2002, as the result of injuries received in a vehicle accident near Sandpoint, Idaho.
He was born on July 30, 1940, at Libby, to Earl (Curly) and Edna Decker Johnson.
Gareth was raised and educated at Eureka, Plains and Libby, graduating from Libby High School with the Class of 1959.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in June 1961, serving both stateside and overseas until his honorable discharge in 1967.
He married Linda Leener on Dec. 8, 1964, at Nurenburg, Germany.
Following his discharge, Gareth returned to Montana, living in Libby and working for many years for St. Regis Paper Company and Champion International.
More recently he had worked for the Crown Pacific Company at its facilities in Idaho, eastern Montana and Port Angeles, Wash.
Gareth enjoyed the outdoors, particularly riding horseback, and had a great love for family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Survivors include his wife Linda, Libby; children Ralf Johnson, Missoula; Jimmy Johnson, Libby; Jackie Baren, Portland, Ore.; Angie McDunn, Helena, and Viola Risdon, Spokane; brothers Duard Johnson, Fortine, and Everet Johnson, Colona, British Columbia; sisters Verla Randall, Gleason, Wis., and Alta Slaughter, Jackson City, Mo., and 10 grandchildren.
Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday at the Libby Church of God with the Rev. Gary Mize officiating.
Internment with military honors will follow in the City of Libby Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3-8 p.m. Thursday and until noon Friday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to Libby Volunteer Ambulance, P.O. Box 777, Libby MT 59923.
China Bree Steiger
China Bree Steiger, infant daughter of Angela Steiger and Michael Hacket, died Friday, May 10, 2002, at her home in Libby.
She was born at Libby on April 21, 2002.
Survivors include her parents, sister Chantell and grandparents Toni Smith and Randy Erickson, all of Libby, and great-grandparents Joy Dodd of Libby and Jim Smith of Colstrip.
China is also survived by aunts and uncles Cheri Dunbar, China Merrill, Chopper Kately and Summer Merrill, all of Libby, and Crystal Merrill, Fargo, N.D., Dustin Steiger and Candy Douglass of Libby, Rocky Austin, Trona, Calif., and Lyle Austin, Seattle, Wash., and numerous cousins.
Graveside services under direction of Nelson & Vial Funeral Home will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the City of Libby Cemetery.
Bradlee Hahn
Former Troy resident Bradlee Charles Hahn, 17, of Helena, died May 1, 2002, at his home after a two-year struggle with bone cancer.
He was born on June 1, 1984, at Bonners Ferry, Idaho, to Doug and Lisa Hahn, and was raised in Troy until he was eight years old.
His family moved to Havre and later to Helena.
Brad enjoyed learning and won the Geography Bee in the 5th grade.
Diagnosed with bone cancer in March 2000, Brad began treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Although he missed a lot of school he continued to perform with the Helena High School orchestra, kept up with classes and saw the world through his camera.
He volunteered at the Holter Museum of Art, worked part-time at the Independent Record and received his GED in November 2001.
Brad had been accepted at Concordia University in Portland, Ore., where he planned to study history.
Among his many interests were photography, music, reading and driving his car. Big Sky Kids and First Descents gave Brad opportunity to experience kayaking, camping and skiing, living life in spite of his physical challenges.
Preceded in death by grandmothers Shirley Perry, Wickenburg, Ariz., and Mary Hahn of Spokane, Brad is survived by his parents, brothers Lowell and Daniel and sister Elise, all of Helena; grandfathers Charles Hahn, Spokane, and Bernard Perry, Syracuse, N.Y., numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends.
Donations in Brad’s name may be made to The Ronald McDonald House, 850 2nd St. SW, Rochester MN 55902, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Big Sky Kids of Eagle Mount or the Holter Museum of Art.
Brad’s life will be celebrated at 3 p.m. Friday, May 10, at the Holter Museum of Art, 12 East Lawrence, Helena.
