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Howard L Higgins
Howard L Higgins, age 74, of Seeley Lake, passed away at home on Christmas Eve from cancer.
Howard was born on May 16, 1935 in Norton Kansas to Eva and Walter Higgins. Howard graduated from High School and shortly thereafter enlisted in US Navy and served honorably.
Howard spent his working career working at the pulp mill and eventually become the Assistant Pulp Mill Superintendent. He spent 53 wonderful years married to Patricia; he was actively in involved in VFW Post 7992.
Howard loved fishing, hunting, camping, golf and working in his garden. He was involved in Little League and Senior League Baseball; he coached for 10 years when the boys were young.
Howard was preceded in death by his mother Eva and father Walter and one sister.
He is survived by his wife Patricia of Seeley Lake, two sons; Michael of Havre, MT and Thomas of Seeley Lake, he is also survived by two daughters Kelly of Seeley Lake and Shelly and her husband Tim of Stevensville.
He is further survived by eight grandchildren; Jenny, Terra, Justin, Kendra, Amy, Becca, Lana and Tessa and six great grandchildren; Dimitri, Vasiliy, Ivan Jr., Nikolay, Amber, and Jazell.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to St. Judes Childrens Hospital. A graveside service was held on January 2, 2009 at Sunset Memorial Cemetery in Missoula. A reception followed at the Chicken Coop in Seeley Lake.
Sadie (Miller) Kauffman
Sadie (Miller) Kauffman, age 96, of Kalispell (formerly of Condon), went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on December 28, 2009. She was born Nov. 15, 1913, to Daniel F. and Sarah (Coblentz) Miller in Bloomfield.
On September 22, 1940, she married Reuben S. Kauffman of Creston. In 1947, they moved to the Swan Valley where she resided until 2004. She then moved to Kalispell where she resided first at Prestige Assisted Living and later at Immanuel Lutheran Home.
She was a devoted wife and mother. She loved children and after raising her own, babysat for many neighbor children over the years. For a time she worked for the US Forest Service planting trees in the summer months.
Besides cooking, baking and sewing, she liked to take pictures and was known far and wide for the buggy-rim rugs she made.
She was a devout Christian and for more than 30 years she and her husband traveled the 60 miles to Creston to attend Sunday school and worship services at Mountain View Mennonite Church. The family also wishes to thank the staff at Immanuel Lutheran Home for the wonderful care they gave our mother during the last months of her life.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Reuben S. Kauffman; daughter, Gwendlyn Kauffman; infant son Jere; her parents; five brothers and six sisters.
She is survived by one brother, Nathan Miller and his wife Kathryn of Sidney; son-in-law Paul Kauffman of Wolford, ND; two sons, Lowell and his wife Pauline of Missoula, and Nathan and his wife Fern of Condon; two daughters, Myrene Iverson and her husband Jerry of Long Lake, Minn., and Carol Kauffman and her husband Dennis of Lebanon, PA; 19 grandchildren and 43 great-grandchildren.
There will be a memorial service for Sadie at 1 pm on Friday, January 8 at Mountain View Mennonite Church, Creston. Visitation will be at Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home in Kalispell from 9 am to 6 pm on Thursday, January 7. Internment will be at the Creston Cemetery. A private family burial service will take place prior to the memorial service. The family suggests memorials be made to Mennonite Central Committee, or Gideons Bible Society.
Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for Sadie’s family. You are invited to go to www.jgfuneralhome.com to view Sadie’s guest book, offer condolences and share memories.
Taylor Lee Cearley
Taylor Lee Cearley, age 15, of Missoula, died as a result of a tragic accident on Saturday, December 26, 2009.
Taylor was born in Missoula on July 14, 1994, to parents Shawn Erb Cearley and Jim Cearley, joining her big brother Brannon.
She attended Bonner Elementary, Washington Middle School, and was a freshman at Hellgate High School. Taylor loved being a part of Hellgate with her cherished friends Ashlee, Teal and Hailey. She was an honor roll student throughout her academic career. Taylor enjoyed basketball, choir, volleyball, water sports, and the outdoors.
Along with her parents and brother Brannon, a senior at Loyola Sacred Heart, she is survived by little brother Colin; and stepmother Nancy Labbe; grandparents Gary and Alice Erb of Polson, Jim and Lois Cearley of Seeley Lake, Dick Labbe of Deer Lodge; great-grandmother Marie Gilbert of Deer Lodge; aunts and uncles Karie Erb of Colorado, Kim Erb of Colorado, Montana (Kip) and Cindy Erb of Florida, Rob and Deb Franck of Missoula, Ed and Joni Pauly of Oregon, Joe and Lindi Ryan of Deer Lodge, Rob and Eileen Asbury of Virginia, Joe and Patti Bignell of Hall; many cousins, extended family, and friends.
Taylor was very giving and had a wonderful heart. Her contagious laughter and fun loving spirit will be deeply missed.
Service were held Thursday, December 31. The family suggests memorials be sent to Bonner Elementary School in Taylor’s name.
Janey Jo O'Brien
Janey Jo (Gates) O’Brien, age 60, of Condon, Montana, departed this life on October 19, 2009 after a short and courageous battle with cancer.
Janey was born September 16, 1949 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Colonel Albert E. Gates, Jr. and Vivian (Neal) Gates.
Being an Air Force Brat, she lived in numerous places in the United States, Germany, and spent 4 years in Spain where she attended middle school. She graduated from Bossier High School in Bossier City, Louisiana and received her BA in Accounting.
On June 27, 1982 she married John N. O’Brien and became the mother of his two sons from a previous marriage. She was a VISTA girl and also a true flower child.
After living in California, Utah, and Texas, Janey and the late John O’Brien accomplished their dream of moving to Montana in 1991 when they took over the lease and management of the Wilderness Bar.
Following the years of managing the Wildy, Janey taught Spanish at Swan Valley Elementary, tended bar at Liquid Louie’s, performed many jobs at The Hungry Bear, and did bookkeeping for various individuals and businesses.
Janey was a member in The Mad Hatters f/k/a Red Hat Society, the Swan Valley Tight Racks pool team, the Stitchin’ Bitches, the Lemon Drop Club, drama functions at the Hungry Bear starring in many productions, organizer of Halloween Parties and if there was any event going on she was most likely involved.
Janey was able to take the Mexican Cruise of her dreams with two of her best friends in February 2009. Janey made friends everywhere that she traveled and if Janey was your friend, she was also your family. She lived her life with enthusiasm and passion and was known as “Crazy Lady” as evidenced by her vanity license plate.
Janey is survived by her two sons John (Sandi) O‘Brien of Missoula and Justin (Karry) O‘Brien, of Missoula; grandchildren Tristan, Alex and Kelti; her brother Albert “Ned” (Ruby) Gates, III of San Antonio, TX; sister Guynell (Marshall) Pfitzer of Phoenix, AZ and several cousins, nephews and nieces. She was predeceased by her husband John N. O’Brien and her parents Albert and Vivian Gates and her brother Eric Gates.
A Celebration of Life Ceremony will be held November 1, 2009 at 2 pm at The Hungry Bear in Condon, MT.
Annette Zietz
Annette Zietz, 83, of Bismarck, ND passed away Tuesday, September 1, 2009, at St. Alexius Medical Center, Bismarck, ND.
Annette was born June 8, 1926, in Bismarck, ND to Dr. Wilbur and Frances (Cobb) Diven. She was raised and educated in Bismarck where she graduated from high school in 1944. She attended Stephens College, Columbia, MO and graduated from UCLA in 1948.
Annette worked at the Department of Agriculture until her marriage to James Zietz on April 23, 1951.
Annette was active in PEO and the El Zagal Shrine Hospital Auxiliary, and enjoyed supporting the Children’s Shrine Hospital. She enjoyed knitting, reading, gardening, and loved to spend time with her grandchildren.
Annette is survived by one daughter, Marcy Zietz (Pat Christianson), of Seeley Lake, MT; two sons, Brad (Shelley) Zietz, of Fargo, ND; Greg Zietz, of Bismarck, ND; and two grandchildren, Ben and Greta.
Annette was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, James in 2004, and an infant brother, Winton Diven.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to PEO Chapter AJ Scholarship Fund, or the El Zagal Shrine Hospital Auxiliary.
Funeral Services were held Friday, September 4, 2009, at First Presbyterian Church, Bismarck, ND with Rev. Jake Kincaid officiating. Burial was in North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan, ND.
Funeral arrangements were made by Perry Funeral Home, Mandan, North Dakota.
Fern D. (Mack) Wirtz
Fern D. (Mack) Wirtz a long time resident of Kalispell, MT, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, July 19, 2009 at the Missouri River Nursing Home in Fort Benton, MT after seven years of complications from Parkinson's disease.
Cremation was taken place under the direction of Croxford Funeral Home. Services were not held at that time to prepare for a "CELEBRATION OF LIFE MEMORIAL" to be held in Kalispell, MT on Saturday, September 19th, 2009 at the Lawrence Park Pavilion from 1 pm - 4 pm.
This will be an old fashion " FAMILY/FRIENDS GATHERING POTLUCK/PICNIC"!!! Our mom loved the old fashion family/friends gatherings, potlucks/picnics. We do this to honor her, so don't bring flowers or cards; bring your favorite hot dish, salad or dessert to share with all of us as we fellowship together in remembrance of her.
Dress comfortable and casual for this outdoor event and please bring a comfortable folding chair and your fondest memory of Fern D. Wirtz to share with all of us. There will be a short ceremony at 1:30 pm to share music, fond memories and the kind of love Fern shared with so many of her family and friends.
Fern was born August 28, 1925 in Dooley, MT, to Peter D. and Lenora (Freeman) Mack.
She married Hubert H. Wirtz September 17, 1941 in Kalispell. Hubert was her soul mate of almost 69 years of marriage and they were honored with a fabulous "65th" Wedding Celebration and Family Reunion in Ft. Benton, MT where all of their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, living siblings on both sides of their families and many nieces, nephews and friends attended.
Failing health has prevented anymore celebrations, however, their support for one another during this difficult time was the example of their special love for each other. She will be missed by many.
Fern was a homemaker and worked for a number of years at the Flathead High School Cafeteria.
She enjoyed working in her yard and garden, and loved being with her husband and family at the many picnics, potlucks and camping trips. She was also an avid country music admirer and played by ear, her piano, organ, accordion and guitar.
Fern was preceded in death by her parents Pete and Lenora Mack, her in-laws, William and Tillie Wirtz, brothers William J. Mack, Chester H. Mack, Wallace Mack, Robert L. Mack; sisters Persis M. (Mack) Downen, Evelyn F. Mack, Phyllis Mack, Dorothy E. (Mack) Brewster, Eunice C. (Mack) Knick, Lucille Mack, Olive (Mack) Reed and Frances M. (Mack) Ward.
She was the last of her siblings, her youngest brother Robert L. Mack died three weeks prior to her death. Both Hubert and Fern came from families of 13 children and both were in the middle of those numbers. Hubert, now almost 89 years old, is the oldest of the 7 children left living in his family.
Fern is survived by her husband Hubert H. Wirtz, residing at the Missouri River Nursing Home in Fort Benton, MT; daughters Darlene (Dee) and husband Tim Dennison of Seeley Lake, MT, Gerry and husband Ron Jovanovich of Fort Benton MT. and grandchildren, Michael (Ginger) Jovanovich of Tulsa, OK; Troy (Tina Dullum) Dennison of Missoula, MT; Tina (Kate Wiebe) Jovanovich of Wells, ME; and Tracie Dennison (Doug) Schmitt of Aurora, II; great grandchildren, Taylor Renae and Savanna Grace Jovanovich; Austin Michael, Sierra Marie, and Elizabeth Shae Dennison; Sarah and Erin Wiebe and Kaitlyn Marie and Kylie May Schmitt; and many nieces and nephews.
Please share any memorials in honor of her, to someone who is struggling in this economic crisis, because that is who our mother was, always sharing what she had with those who needed it the most. May God bless you generously for sharing what you have with those who have less.
With sincere appreciation, Darlene (Dee) Dennison and Geraldine (Gerry) Jovanovich, her daughters and their extended families.
Luke Hendrix
Luke Hendrix went to his ranch in the sky on August 19, 2009 after sustaining injuries in an auto accident. He will be missed.
Luke was born May 12, 1970 in Winnemuccca, Nevada. He graduated from McDermitt High School in 1988.
After doing a stint at mining, Luke began his lifelong dream of working as a cowboy. He enjoyed training horses, he frequently shod horses for himself and others, and was at his best while riding the range, whether horseback or on an ATV, and listening to old cowboys tell their stories.
Luke is survived by his parents, Ron and Margo Hendrix, of Seeley Lake, his sister, Niki Bronec, brother-in-law Alan, nieces, Jordan and Mikayla and nephew, Nathan all of Missoula.
His nieces and nephew thought the world of Luke and will always remember the camping trip to Onion Reservoir, his and Nathan’s ride on the 4-wheeler, being wrapped up in the rugs and carried around shrieking the entire time and of course “babysitting” Uncle Luke after surgery. He is survived by two grandmothers and preceded in death by two grandfathers.
There was a gathering to celebrate Luke’s life on Sunday, August 23 in Elko, Nevada. There will be a memorial in Seeley Lake, Montana on September 19 at 2pm at the Baptist Church.
Luke has a huge and loving family of aunts, uncles, and cousins in Montana. He was very proud of being the only native Nevadan in his immediate family. Luke’s ashes will be scattered in Nevada, the land that he loved, at a later date.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Luke’s memory.
Jean (Reithmeier) Paul
Jean (Reithmeier) Paul, age 78, passed away July 31st, 2009 in Kalispell, MT.
Jean was born in Kansas City, KS on January 9th, 1931.
Jean is survived by her husband Robert (Rip) Paul, her daughters Janice (Dwight) Glenn & Kathy Wood, her stepsons Robert (Linda) Paul, Edward Paul, Fredrick Paul & Joseph Paul, her grandchildren Brian & Eric Glenn, Jamie & David Wood, and great-grandchildren Dakota, Kilty, Tucker & Kaylise and many other family members who cared about her deeply.
Cremation has taken place and her memorial service will be at Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home in Kalispell on Saturday, August 8th, 2009 at 1:00pm.
Marvin Lee Hayes: A Life Story
Marvin Lee Hayes, 87, went to be with our Lord and Savior on May 18, 2009 at Foxwood Springs Living Center in Raymore, Missouri.
Marvin was born on March 28, 1922 in Murrayville, Illinois and he grew up on a farm near Whitehall, Illinois. He was the second of six children born to Charles and Charlotte Blackford Hayes.
After several attempts to join the Navy when he was under age, Marvin enlisted in the Navy on April 19, 1941. Marvin served in the Pacific campaign during World War II, first as a fireman and then as a radioman on various ships, including the USS Enterprise. His favorite post during the war was Bora Bora, near Tahiti in the south Pacific.
After the war, while stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Station north of Chicago, Marvin met the love of his life, Betty Ellison. They went on a blind date to the circus. After a relatively short courtship, Marvin and Betty were married on May 20, 1950 in Waukegan, Illinois.
During the twenty years that Marvin was in the Navy, he spent a lot of time away from home serving our country. While Marvin was at sea, Betty returned home to central Wisconsin for the births of their first two sons. David Lee was born on March 24, 1951 and Mark Leslie was born on Marvin’s birthday in 1953.
In 1954, Marvin was transferred to the Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where his only daughter, Lisa Lynn, was born on May 18, 1956.
In the fall of 1956, Marvin was transferred to Bainbridge, Maryland and his youngest son, Christopher Charles, was born on April 30, 1959.
Marvin rose to the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer in the Navy, and later was offered the chance to become a commissioned officer. Believing that the Lord was leading him to spend more time with his family and also go to college, Marvin chose to retire from the Navy on June 1, 1961, with 20 years of full-time service. However, Marvin continued to serve in the Naval Reserve for another 10 years after the family relocated to Normal, Illinois.
After retiring from the Navy, Marvin attended Illinois State University on the GI bill. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1964 and a Master’s degree in psychology in 1965.
Upon his graduation, Marvin accepted a job with the Waukegan, Illinois Public School District as a school psychologist. In his new job, Marvin truly believed in giving back as much as he could to make a difference in the lives of the students he advised and counseled.
Marvin received several rewards for his outstanding work, but in June 1983, he decided to retire after 18 years of service. Marvin and Betty started a new adventure–moving to a brand new mountain home in Seeley Lake, Montana, just two hours south of Glacier National Park.
One of Marvin’s life missions was to serve the Lord as faithfully as possible. After leaving Cuba, he was an active member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Bainbridge, Maryland and Vale Street Baptist Church in Bloomington, Illinois. Marvin also served the Lord for many years at Lewis Ave. Baptist Church in Waukegan, Illinois, and First Baptist Church in Missoula, Montana. Later, Marvin and Betty were charter members of a new church, Missoula Southern Baptist Church.
In all the years that he faithfully attended church, Marvin was always willing to give his time and use his talents to help the church by serving as a deacon, Sunday School teacher, and church treasurer. While in Missoula, he spent literally thousands of hours helping build a new sanctuary for his church. It was typical for the Hayes family to be the first to arrive and the last to depart at church each Sunday as Marvin had accepted the responsibility of unlocking and locking the church each week.
When Betty’s health required relocation to a larger city, Marvin and Betty moved to Foxwood Springs in February 2003 to be closer to family and health facilities. Like all the places he had lived before, Marvin quickly adapted to his new life and he began looking for ways to help others. He never met a stranger and enjoyed greeting people with a smile and a hello. He was given the nickname, “The Candy Man”, for his generous handing out of lots of candy and gum to the staff at Foxwood Springs.
Throughout his entire life, Marvin devoted himself to serving God, country, family, and people. Every day, he strived to live a life that exemplified his faith in Jesus Christ as a witness to others.
He will be missed by his family, including his devoted wife of 59 years, his four children, his six grandchildren: Chris, Alex, Christina, Sarah, Ben, and Hannah, and his lone surviving sibling, Earl Hayes, of Ledyard, Connecticut. However, the family knows that his spirit will live forever in the hearts of those who will always love him, and that our Lord welcomed him to heaven with “Well done, good and faithful servant”.
