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Jo Murray
Jo Murray, 50, of Libby died Sunday, May 11, at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital.
She was born March 8, 1953 in Santa Cruz, Calif., to Joe and Verna Snyder Cox. She grew up and attended school in Santa Cruz and graduated from Loma Linda High School in 1972.
She moved to Libby in 1981 and had worked at what is now the Libby Café for many years and she had also worked at Cardinal Hardware. She married Dan Murray in November 1983 at Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho.
She enjoyed horses, crafts, flowers, gardening, camping, fishing and people. She was a founding member of the Kootenai Reinbows Drill Team.
Survivors include her husband Dan Murray of Libby; parents Joe and Verna Cox of Libby; sons Shane and Jacobi Curtis of Bonners Ferry, Idaho; Lance Murray of California; Larry Murray of North Dakota; Todd Murray and wife Dara of Libby; daughters Kathy Betts and husband Richard of Clateskanie, Ore.; Cindy Jaynes of Libby; Cheryl Murray of Kalispell; brother Steven Cox and wife Diane of Sitka, Alaska; sister Dee Teske and husband Brent of Libby; numerous grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Services will be Saturday, May 17, at 11 a.m. at the Nelson and Vial Funeral Home Chapel. Memorials may be given to Wings.
Rev. Walter Wheeler
The Rev. Walter A. Wheeler, 89, died May 7, 2003, at Harmony House in Brewster, Wash.
He was born on Aug. 3. 1913, at Fargo, N.D.
He attended Northwest Bible Institute in Seattle, Wash., and married Genevieve Alexander of Bridgeport, Wash., on July 19, 1940.
They retired and moved to Brewster in 1992.
Walter was preceded in death by son the Rev. Paul Wheeler, who died at Libby in 2001.
He is survived by his wife Genevieve, Brewster; son Steve Wheeler and his wife Carmen, Gilroy, Calif.; daughters Arlene Brewer and her husband Roy, Kirkland, Wash., Genevieve Benintendi and her husband Ed, also of Kirkland, Eunice Wheeler, Kent, Wash., Juanita (Deedi) Lloyd and her husband John, Wilmington, N.C., daughter-in-law Anita Wheeler, Salem, Ore., foster daughter Bonnie Smelser and her husband Eddie, Vancouver, Wash., 15 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Services were conducted on May 10 at the Brewster Assembly of God Church.
Mason Sjostrom
Mason Rae Sjostrom, infant son of Sven Rae and Elizabeth Ann Montgomery Sjostrom of Avery, Idaho, died on April 23, 2003.
He was born on Nov. 4, 2002, at St. Maries, Idaho. Mason loved music, watching basketball and hockey and playing with his big sister.
Although his life was short, his smile and sweet disposition touched the lives of many.
Survivors include his parents and sister Holly of Avery; maternal grandparents and former Libby residents Barbara and John Montgomery, St. Maries; paternal grandparents Richard and Renee Sjostrom, Pocatello, Idaho and three sets of great-grandparents, Betty and George Earle, Libby; former Libby residents Imogene and John Montgomery, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and Max and Wy Lane, Cove, Ore.
Mason is also survived by godmother Leann Bifford, Lewiston, Idaho; godfather and uncle Cody Montgomery, Moscow, Idaho, and many other relatives and friends.
Mass of the Angels in celebration of Mason’s life was conducted at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at St. Maries on April 28, 2003, with Father William Taylor officiating.
Memorials may be made in Mason’ name at the St. Maries branch of the American West Bank.
Lillian Cripe
Lillian M. Cripe, 76, of Libby, died April 28, 2003, at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital.
She was born on Feb. 6, 1927, at Amenia, N.D., to Edward Jaros and Florence Johnson Jaros, and came to Libby with her family in 1942.
She married Bob Cripe in 1946 and they were later divorced.
Lillian was a longtime employee with the U.S. Forest Service at Libby and at several other locations.
A person of many interests, she enjoyed gardening, yard work, playing cards and pool, and earlier in her life she was an avid skier and airplane pilot.
Survivors include her sister Irene Moe, Libby; half-brothers Clifford Haugen, Spokane, and Donald Haugen, Plentywood, and nieces and nephews including Yvonne Resch, Sue Lippert, Tina Moe, Rick Moe, Ron Moe, Brenda Steinbaugh, Larry Sams and Buddy Maisel Jr.
Services were conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home Chapel, followed by interment services at the City of Libby Cemetery.
Visitation was from 1-8 p.m. Wednesday and until noon Thursday at the chapel.
Richard Jellesed
Former Libby resident Richard M. Jellesed, 68, of Columbia Falls, died on April 28, 2003, at North Valley Hospital in Whitefish.
He was born on Dec. 12, 1934, at Stanley, N.D. to Matt and Jurene Jellesed.
Raised and educated in Stanley, Richard moved to Montana in 1952.
He served with the U.S. Army from 1957-1959 and was honorably discharged.
He married Jean McNulty in 1959.
Richard had worked for the St. Regis Paper Co. in Libby and also did some logging. He was a member of the Teamsters Union and after retiring in 1994 had lived in Columbia Falls.
Survivors include his wife Jean, Columbia Falls; son James Jellesed of Great Falls and his children Jessica, Letisha and Heather; son Jeff Jellesed, his wife Cindy and their children Derrick, Shayne and Tori, Bismarck, N.D.; daughter Jayda Carr, her husband Ashley and their children Danielle, Shelby, Cameron and Cody, Columbia Falls; Pepper in Libby and Dena in Texas; great-granddaughter Cheyanne in Libby, sisters Jean McGinn, Spokane, and Leona Halvorsen, White Earth, N.D.; and brothers Raynard, Libby, Terry, Battle Mountain, Nev., and Ned, Tacoma, Wash.
Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 2, at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.
Local arrangements are by the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Raymond Lowther
Former Troy resident Raymond Leslie Lowther, 72, of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, died on April 16, 2003, at the Bonner General Hospital in Sandpoint, Idaho.
Services were conducted on Saturday, April 19, in the Bonners Ferry Funeral Home.
Raymond was born on June 20, 1930, at Sandpoint, to Willard and Mary Bixel Lowther.
After graduating from high school at Clark Fork, Idaho, he logged in the Rivulet area in Montana and worked on the construction of Noxon Dam.
On Jan. 16, 1951, he joined the U.S. Navy and served as a radioman aboard the USS Boxer during the Korean War.
After his discharge in December 1954, Raymond returned to Clark Fork to work at the Clark Fork Mercantile.
Over the years he also worked for Roger’s Thrift at Sandpoint; Kensler’s IGA in Troy, and the M&M Grocery in Bonners Ferry.
He also purchased the Good Grief Tavern north of Bonners Ferry and operated it until the late 1980’s when he retired.
Raymond continued to work for several years as a bartender and caretaker at the Lantern Motel and Restaurant in Bonners Ferry.
Raymond served on the Troy City Council and the fire department and the Bonners Ferry VFW, American Legion and Eagles. He enjoyed fly fishing and hunting and playing pool and cribbage.
Survivors include his son Brad Lowther and his wife Laurie, Bonners Ferry; daughter Lisa Fitzgerald and husband Jim, Littleton, Colo.; grandchildren Matthew, Joseph and Rebecca Lowther; brothers Richard Lowther and his wife Phyllis, Moses Lake, Wash.; Robert Lowther, Hope, Idaho; Russell Lowther, Tulsa, Oka.; ex-wife Vonnie Lowther, Hayden, Idaho; good friend Becky Walsh, Bonners Ferry and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and son Greg.
