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Gary Peterson
Gary Edwin Peterson, 48, of Frenchtown, died March 3, 2004, from injuries sustained in a snowmobile accident near Lolo Pass.
He was born on April 21, 1955, at Superior, Wis., to Curtis and Amy Peterson.
The family moved to Whitefish where he attended school, graduating in 1974.
Gary enlisted in the U.S. Army, served in Germany from 1975-1978 and returned to Whitefish to work for Safeway in Whitefish, Hamilton and Missoula where he was assistant store manager of the Broadway Safeway.
Gary met Dea in Missoula and they were married
on Aug. 9, 2003, at Flathead Lake. Their short time together was the happiest time of their lives.
Gary will be remembered as a devoted dad who enjoyed spending time with his family, finding new adventures for them to experience. His strong work ethics endeared him to his Safeway family.
Survivors include his wife Dea and step-children Tayler, Megan, Morgan and Mathew Betts at their family home in Frenchtown; son Curtis Peterson and daughter Courtnie Peterson, Kalispell; his parents Curtis and Amy Peterson, Kalispell; his sister Rose, San Diego, Calif.; brother Lt. Col. Steven Peterson and his wife Karen, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; brother-in-law Staff Sgt. Charles Thomson and his wife Amy, Little Rock, Ark.; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Collin and Connie Thomson of Libby, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Gary’s favorite Bible verse was “God is my strength; through Him all things are possible.”
Services will be conducted at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at the Sunset Memorial Funeral Home in Missoula. Interment with military honors will take place at 3 p.m. on Wednesday at Glacier Memorial Gardens in Kalispell, followed by a celebration of life and dinner at the First Presbyterian Church.
Memorials may be made to the Shrine Hospital in Spokane.
Harold Riggles Sr.
Harold E. (Hody) Riggles Sr., 82, died on Thursday, March 4, 2004, at his home in Libby.
He was born on March 2, 1922. at Cass Lake, Minn., to William and Clara Riggles.
Raised and educated at Cass Lake, Harold served in the U.S. Navy during World War II in both the European and Pacific theaters.
Harold and his family moved in 1953 to Libby where he was employed as a sawyer for J. Neils Lumber Company and St. Regis.
He went back to Minnesota in 1965 to operate Harold’s Country Club at Longville until returning to Libby in 1971.
Harold then worked as a gypo logger until retiring in 1975.
An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed fishing and hunting.
Survivors include his wife Liz and son Dale Riggles and his wife Suzanne, all of Libby; grandsons Michael Riggles and his wife Kate and Bradley Riggles and his wife Kim, and great-grandchildren Taylor, Savannah, Aspen and Bridger.
He was preceded in death by son Harold E. Riggles Jr. in 1966, his parents, brothers Clifford, Marvin and Cecil, and sister Francis Graham.
Services were conducted at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home Chapel.
Interment will take place at a later date at Pine Grove cemetery in Cass Lake, Minn. Local arrangements are under care of Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Frank Croucher
Francis Edward Croucher, 82, of Libby, died on Feb. 26, 2004, at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital ending a battle with chronic lung complications.
He was born on Aug. 27, 1921, at Libby, to Francis and LaDessa Croucher.
Frank attended Libby schools and those in the surrounding area.
As a teenager and young adult, Frank moved around, working on farms and ranches throughout southern Idaho and eastern Montana.
He developed a love for rolling farmland and for tending to business from horseback. Memories of those simpler days and wide open spaces were among his fondest.
Frank served his country from 1942-1945 in the U.S. Navy as a member of the crew of the USS Rutledge that was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea in the North African theatre.
Following the war he returned to Libby and married
Joan Applegate in May 1946.
They lived in several places in the county, as well as Idaho and Indiana, while Frank pursued a career in logging, milling and farming, until he and Joan settled permanently in Lincoln County in 1957.
With their growing family they spent 10 memorable years living on the Kootenai River on the old Highway 37, between Rexford and Libby, making it a favorite stopping place for friends traveling between the two towns.
On many weekends there would be a sizeable crowd with plenty of room for the kids to play and lots of coffee and home-cooked food. After being displaced by Libby Dam, the family moved downriver to Troy, where Frank worked in the logging industry for the next 15 years, retiring in 1983.
A lifetime member of Post 1548 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Frank also belonged to the Libby Christian Church.
Frank numbered his friends like the stars and will be well remembered by his family and friends for his kindness, sense of humor and his humility.
Frank and Joan had seven children.
He was preceded in death by their son Steve Croucher in 1991 and his sister Gladys Adams in 1994.
Survivors include devoted wife Joan, Libby; brother Robert and his wife Dorothy, Kalispell; son Ed and his wife Chris of nomadic lifestyle; son Charlie and his wife Lois, Libby; son Bob and his wife Cheri, Troy; son Bret (Buster) and his wife Becky, Libby; daughter Lana and her husband Gary Managhan, Troy, and daughter Brenda Croucher, Missoula.
He is also survived by 22 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Services were conducted at 2 p.m. on Monday at the Libby Christian Church.
Arrangements are under care of the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Vicki Lelm
Former Lincoln County resident Vicki Lelm, 54, of Great Falls, died on Feb. 20, 2004, at her home.
She was born on Jan. 9, 1950, at Great Falls, to Gene and Louise Kittleson.
Raised at Dodson, Vicki moved to Libby in 1965, and then to Troy, where she graduated from Troy High School with the Class of 1968.
She married
David Lelm at Libby in 1969.
Vicki helped her husband with his work at the K&M Body Shop and Dave’s Body Shop and also helped the Kittleson family run Kittleson Trucking Company for several years.
Vicki began her career in tax services with a local accountant and later opened her own service, Big Sky Tax Service, that she operated in Cascade as an enrolled agent.
Prior to her lung transplant in 1999, Vicki helped manage Creveling Autobody in Cascade and Silverbow Auto Glass in Butte.
Vicki was very proud of her grandson Colin, a source of happiness in her last few years, and she looked forward to the birth of another grandson in May.
All who visited Vicki heard stories about her grandson Colin and her faithful dog Turbo. Vicki had a gift of love and laughter.
Her marriage to David Lelm ended in divorce, and she was preceded in death by her parents.
Survivors include daughter Dawn Lelm, Great Falls; son Aaron Lelm, Libby; sisters Jeannie McGary and her husband Richard, Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and Debbie Gilley and her husband Forrest, Clarkston, Wash.; nieces Crystal and Sonya and nephew Reese, and grandson Colin.
She is also survived by loving members of the Lelm family in Libby.
A memorial service will be conducted at the O’Connor Memorial Chapel at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Cremation has taken place under direction of the O’Connor Funeral Home of Great Falls.
Clara Myrhaug
Longtime Libby resident Clara Emma Matilda Kessel Myrhaug, 97, died on Feb. 28, 2004, at the Libby Care Center surrounded by her family.
The second of eight children, Clara was born on Oct. 9, 1906, at Elbow Lake, Minn., to William and Anna Esslinger Kessel.
The family lived at Dotson and Warland in Montana, and at Elk, Wash., before settling in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho in 1922.
There Clara met Oddmar (Ed) Myrhaug, and they were married
in 1926.
They lived at Coeur d’Alene and Spokane until moving to Libby in 1946.
Their sons William and Robert were born in Coeur d’Alene and their daughter Kay was born at Libby.
Clara was preceded in death by her husband Ed, son Bob, brothers Walter, Marvin and Herbert, and sister Frances Bickerstaff.
Survivors include son Bill and his wife Teree Myrhang, Spokane; daughter Kay and her husband Allan Olson, Libby; daughter-in-law Gay Myrhang, Libby; sister-in-law Elsie Kessel, Libby, brother Ted Kessel, Spokane, sisters Irene Evans, Coeur d’Alene and Ethel Frederic, Puyallup, Wash., four grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews and special friend Myrtle Andres of Libby.
Graveside services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday at the City of Libby cemetery with Pastor Les Nelson officiating.
A reception will follow in the fellowship hall at Christ Lutheran Church. Honorary pallbearers will be William K. Myrhang, Kevin Olson, Hal Bourke, Bill Frederic, Keith Walsh and Bob Wolz.
Memorials may be made to Christ Lutheran Church or the Libby Senior Citizens’ meals on wheels program.
Arrangements are under care of Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Elizabeth Pullman
Elizabeth Goodrum Pullman, 79, a Southern belle in the best tradition, died at Libby on Feb. 23, 2004.
She was born on Aug. 11, 1924, at Bowling Green, Ky., to Porter L. and Laura Eva Cole Goodrum.
Elizabeth moved as young girl to Nashville, Tenn., where she attended schools, graduating from West End High School. She was courted by Lt. Billie Fralick Pullman of Dallas, Texas, who was stationed at Fort Campbell upon his return from service in World War II. They were married
at the West End Methodist Church’s Scales Chapel in Nashville on April 10, 1946. As an Army wife, Elizabeth traveled to many places around the world as Billie served as an Army officer. They lived in Japan, Germany, France, Austria, Italy, Netherlands, Hawaii and Washington, D.C., before ending up back in Nashville when Billie retired. Elizabeth was active in the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities and in the Endowment Trust.
After her husband died in June 1999, Elizabeth moved to Libby to be with her daughter and son-in-law, Billie Diane Foote and the Rev. Robert Foote.
She is also survived by a brother, a sister-in-law, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
A memorial service was conducted at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Libby United Methodist Church, followed by lunch. Interment will take place on March 16 at the Middle Tennessee State Veteran’s cemetery in Nashville. Arrangements are under direction of Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Gladys Ferch
Gladys Ferch, 84, of Libby died on Monday, Feb. 9, 2004, at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital.
She was born on July 22, 1919, at Circle, to Aadney and Marie Idland, who homesteaded near Circle.
Gladys attended elementary school and high school at Circle.
After graduating from high school, Gladys trained as a beautician and operated a salon at Circle for several years.
She married
Warren (Bud) G. Ferch in 1947 and in 1957 they moved with their children to Libby.
She will be remembered as a wonderful mother who regularly had warm bread and cinnamon rolls waiting for her children and their friends after school. She also enjoyed watching the birds and squirrels that frequented her yard.
Gladys was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and all but one of her 11 siblings.
Survivors include four daughters, Randi Graves and her husband Kent, Great Falls; Lana Johanson and her husband John, Marie Harmon and her husband Russ, and Gloria Harris and her husband Greg, all of Libby, and son Dean Ferch, also of Libby; 10 grandchildren, Christie, Janell, Rachelle, Jason, Shane, Ryan, Trevor, Jimmy, Megan and Jenn, and three great-grandchildren, Sydney, Morgan and Madison and one sister, Selma Garpestad.
Private family services were conducted on Wednesday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Skip Thompson
Skip Thompson, 57, of Libby, died here on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2004.
He was born on March 4, 1946, at Priest River, Idaho, to Gene and Irene Thompson.
Skip was raised and educated at Priest River.
He married
Patty Wise on Sept. 13, 1969.
He had lived at Libby since 1965, working as a millwright for St. Regis Paper Company and Champion International for 28 years.
He later worked for Louisiana-Pacific and Crown-Pacific at Bonners Ferry and Colburn, Idaho.
An outdoorsman, Skip enjoyed fishing and hunting and spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. He was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Survivors include his wife Patty, Libby; daughters Michelle Nixon and her husband Kip and Marcy Roby and her husband Jason, all of Libby, son Josh Thompson and his wife Tara, also of Libby; his parents Gene and Irene Thompson and brother Fred Thompson, all of Libby; sister Sheri Raynor, Sandpoint, Idaho; grandchildren Kiri, Jazlyn, Kynedy and Laney, and several nieces and nephews.
Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday at Kingdom Hall.
Arrangements are by the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Lyman Hall
Lyman D. Hall, 79, of Troy, died Saturday, Feb. 7, 2004, at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital.
He was born on Oct. 29, 1924, at Ekalaka, to Carlos and Laura Smith Hall.
Lyman grew up at Ekalaka, attending school and graduating from Ekalaka High School.
He entered the U.S. Army in May 1943, serving as a tank driver in the European Theater and receiving a Purple Heart.
Honorably discharged in December 1945, Lyman married
Rose Lensing on May 31, 1946, at Baker.
They moved to Troy in September 1950. Lyman worked for the J. Neils Lumber Company until retiring in 1978.
He was also part owner of L&L Construction, in operation from 1956-1990.
Lyman enjoyed hunting, fishing, making things and barbecuing with his family.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and three sisters.
Survivors include Rose, his wife of 57 years, Troy; sons Dennis Hall, Troy, and Bert Hall and his wife Lucille, Eureka; daughters Sharon Pesicka and her husband Walt, Troy, and Lola Williams and her husband Dan, Troy; nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Church of God in Troy.
Visitation will be from 1-8 p.m. on Wednesday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home Chapel, which is in charge of arrangements.
