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Carolyn Asbury
Carolyn Asbury, 50, died Feb. 15, 2000, in Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford, Ore.
She was born on Sept. 20, 1949, at Eureka, to Carol and Bill Delaney.
Survivors include her beloved husband of 10 years, Marv Asbury; a daughter Jeannie Richardson, Missoula; mother Carol Delaney, brother Rod Delaney and nieces Bethany and Kelley Delaney, all of Libby, other relatives and many friends, mostly in the Portland area, where she had worked in radio for many years.
She was preceded in death by her father Bill Delaney in 1987 and by an infant son, Joshua, in 1973.
Carolyn’s ashes will be scattered at Fountain of Youth Recreation Park in Niland, Calif., where she and her husband had recently purchased a home.
A memorial party will be held at 2:30 p.m. Friday, March 3, at Wilkinson Hall in Libby. Memorials may be made to March for Jesus 2000.
Edwin Mason
Former Libby resident Edwin L. Mason, 77, died of cancer on Feb. 24, 2000, at Bellingham, Wash.
He was born June 20, 1922, at Troy, to Walter C. and Edith Scott Mason.
After graduating from Troy High School with the Class of 1940, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving with the combat engineers in North Africa and Italy. He was honorably discharged in 1945.
On Oct. 21, 1948, Ed married Shirley J. Switzer in Libby.
Ed was employed by Zonolite Co., J. Neils Lumber Co., and St. Regis Paper Co. He was manager of the retail department for St. Regis at Libby until 1964; worked as a lumber salesman in Nebraska and was retail manager for St. Regis at Klickitat, Wash., and several other western Washington locations.
Ed was general manager for Great Western Lumber at Everson, Wash., until he retired.
He and his wife traveled extensively, enjoying their van. Ed was an avid fisherman and spent many days fishing Puget Sound and other Washington lakes and rivers.
Ed was a member of Troy Lodge 126, AF&AM, for 52 years, serving as master in 1953.
He was a member of the Elks Lodge at Libby and in Bellingham, where he helped in the construction of the present facility and served as trustee.
He is survived by his wife Shirley, Bellingham; daughter Marina and her husband Rick Engels, and Martha Mason, both of Bellingham; grandsons Robert and Corey McAllister; brothers Walter E. Mason, Libby, and Byron Mason, Yerrington, Nev., brothers-in-law Roger and Bruce Switzer, and sister-in-law Norma Karnes, and several nieces and nephews.
Cremation has taken place and a memorial service was conducted at the Bellingham Elks Club on Feb. 28.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, Whatcom Unit, Box 2447, Bellingham WA 98227-2447.
William Melcher
Longtime Libby resident William J. Melcher, died on Monday, Feb. 21, 2000, his 78th birthday, in Delta, Colo.
He was born on Feb. 21, 1922, in Chicago, to Woodbury R. and Ruth L Beadles Melcher.
He lived with his family in Perry, Fla., for three years before moving with them to western North Carolina.
While Bill was in high school, World War II broke out and he joined the U.S. Navy, proudly serving his country from September 1940 until October 1946. He was awarded the World War II victory medal, American defense medal, Philippines liberation medal, African-European Asian Pacific medal and the good conduct medal.
After the war he continued his education at Asheville-Biltmore College in North Carolina and at North Carolina State in Raleigh, where he studied agricultural engineering.
He married Billie Sue Burleson on Aug. 22, 1947, at Asheville, N.C. They were the parents of three daughters and shared 52 years of loving marriage.
The Melchers moved to Libby in the early 1960s, living here for 34 years, until moving to Montrose, Colo., in 1998.
Bill was employed as an electrical engineer, mining engineer and safety director, retiring after 20 years of service.
He was instrumental in setting up the Libby Volunteer Ambulance and was an early member. He became an emergency medical technician with registration number 382. He worked at the state level helping develop medical plans for Montana.
An active member of the Lincoln County Ambulance Planning Board, Bill responded to county disasters.
During a major overhaul of county communications, Bill helped put a plan together that resulted in improved emergency communication for Lincoln County.
He was a master trainer with the Medic Alert and First Aid programs, teaching classes throughout the western United States.
Always willing to fill in for an ambulance member who had an emergency, Bill was there for any ambulance need. He was a member of the extrication crew and his engineering training was an asset in his work as a volunteer.
A spiritual man all his life, Bill was recently baptized by his wife’s pastor at Libby, the Rev. J.E. Jacobson, in a speaker phone ceremony performed with the assistance of a Hospice chaplain in Colorado.
Bill enjoyed his family, philosophy, reading, square dancing, teaching, hiking, serving as a medical technician and first aid training.
Survivors are his wife Billie Sue, Delta, Colo.; daughters Sallie Melcher, Portland, Ore.; Susan Melcher, Montrose, Colo., and Sandie Rucker, Libby; grandchildren Kerri Peterson, Portland; Merlin Rucker in Virginia; Terel, Mariah and Maura Rucker, Libby, and Morgan Foote, also of Libby.
He is also survived by sisters Bette Cromwell, Jeanne Austin and Mary Melcher, Montrose; their children and families; sister-in-law Pansy and her husband Albert Rolston, Newark, Ohio, and their children.
Memorial services were conducted by Montrose Hospice Chaplain Ken Backman at the Delta Taylor Funeral Service Chapel at 1 p.m. on Feb. 23. Local services will be conducted at the Peterson Cabin in the Yaak at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of the Uncompahgre Valley in care of Susan Melcher, Box 691, Montrose, CO 81402.
Raymond Schnackenberg
Raymond H. Schnackenberg, 65, of Marion, died at his home on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2000.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Margaret Kinniburgh Schnackenberg, and brothers Edwin and Harold.
Survivors include daughters Connie Schnackenberg, Marion, and Debrah Schnackenberg, Franktown, Colo.; sister-in-law Laura Schnackenberg, niece Colleen Wood and nephews John, Steve and Joe Schnackenberg, all of Libby, and numerous grandnieces and grandnephews.
Visitation was from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m Tuesday at Johnson Mortuary. Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the mortuary, followed by burial at Glacier Memorial Gardens.
George Wagner
Former Libby resident George William Wagner, 89, of Kalispell, died at Kalispell Regional Medical Center on Feb. 23, 2000.
He was born on Feb. 24, 1910, in Letcher, S.D., the only son of Thomas William and Panzie Balding Wagner.
When George was a year old the family homesteaded near Ronan not far from the Lower Valley near Kalispell, where his grandparents and great-grandparents had settled in 1899.
They returned to South Dakota where George went to school and helped on the farm.
In 1933, when he was 23 years old, George moved his mother and grandmother and two sisters back to the family farm in the Lower Valley. His father and the rest of the family came later that year.
In addition to working on the farm, George worked in the sawmill at Somers, taking any job to help with the family finances.
In 1935 he built a small house in town and worked in a grocery store, where he met Hazel Guy.
They were married on June 6, 1936 and farmed in the Lower Valley until 1963, when they moved to Libby.
They owned and operated J&H Mobile Home Sales and truck stop. George also ran a rock crusher and drove for Union Oil.
At one time they operated a race track. They retired in 1981 and moved back to the Lower Valley.
George was preceded in death by a daughter, Virginia Kitzmiller in 1974 and by his wife Hazel in 1988. He was also preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Marie Lawrence.
Survivors include his son Robert R. Wagner and daughter and son-in-law Georgia and David Branscome, all of Kalispell; sisters Ruth and her husband Keller Johnson, Nampa, Idaho; Doretta and her husband Guy Nees, Darlene and her husband Joe Laurin, Lois Nail and Bonnie Clover, all of Kalispell; 10 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and friends.
A memorial service was conducted at 1 p.m. Monday at the Church of the Nazarene in Kalispell, with the Rev. Ross Lougheed and the Rev. Guy Nees officiating.
Buffalo Hills Funeral Home and Crematory was in charge of arrangements. Memorials may be made to the music ministry of the Church of the Nazarene,1295 Whitefish Stage Road, Kalispell MT 59901.
Bert Thomas
Troy native and lifetime resident Robert (Bert) Homestead Thomas, 92, died peacefully at his home on Monday, Feb. 28, 2000.
He was born “at the ranch on Three Mile, up Callahanon March 4, 1908, to Robert E. and Sarah Hughes Thomas.
As a young man Bert traveled to Alaska and worked on a dude ranch in Arizona. He also worked his way to New York City, where he caught a ride on a steamer, traveling down the Atlantic Coast, through the Panama Canal, and visiting California before returning to Troy.
Bert’s 36-year career in the lumber industry began in 1936, when he started scaling logs for J. Neils Lumber Company at Leonia, and culminated in his service as logging superintendent for St. Regis Paper Company. He retired in 1973.
Many of his ideas, once thought to be idealistic, have become accepted and are incorporated into the management practices of today’s logging companies.
Bert opposed clear cutting when it was popular and supported thinning to decrease fire hazards and accelerate growth. He advocated leaving streamside strips of timber to protect water resources.
He met Alvina Anderson at Linger Longer on Savage Lake and they were married on Dec. 24, 1937.
They built a cabin on “the lake” where the family enjoyed weekends and holidays. The “cabin” is still a special place for the family.
Bert enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening and spending time with special friends and family. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge for more than 50 years and those friendships lasted a lifetime.
He was preceded in death by Alvina, his wife of 53 years, in 1990.
He was also preceded in death by brothers Hayden, Bill, Frank and Arvin Thomas and sister Gwen Weston.
Remaining family members include daughters Gwen Grieb and her husband Richard, Hayden Lake; Idaho, and Jacqueline Ayers and her husband Floyd, Boise, Idaho; six grandchildren, Craig Ayers and his wife Margaret; Steven Mix and his wife Jill; Krista Ayers, Lisa Schlachter and her husband Norm; David Mix and Tami Ayers; eight great-grandchildren, Josh, Connor, Hunter, Jerica, Jilson, Taegan, Briana and Cody; nephews Bob Thomas and his wife Alice; Jerry Thomas and his wife Lou Ann; and John Weston and his wife Mary; sister-in-law Virginia Thomas and her daughters Carol, Kathy and Margaret; and his faithful companion Forrest.
Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 4, at the Troy Masonic Temple with the Rev. Donald Belcher officiating.
Masonic rites will be conducted by Troy Lodge No. 126, AF&AM.
Private interment will be in the Troy Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Troy Ambulance or the Troy Fire Department.
Arrangements are under direction of Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
