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Derrel Lee
Derrel Martin Lee Sr., 69, a former resident of Libby, died of heart failure on March 14, 2006, at his home in Yachats, Ore.
Derrel was born in Salmon, Idaho, on Nov. 12, 1936, to Lynnette and Rawson Lee.
He married
Charlene Schell on Aug 3, 1956. They are the parents of five loving children.
He served in the Navy in his younger years. He was a worker of many trades including trucking, dairy farming, mink ranching and law enforcement.
He moved to the Oregon coast more than 20 years ago. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, beadwork, painting, arts and crafts, cooking, beachcombing and most of all collecting.
Derrel is survived by his mother, Lynette Bellmore of Libby; sisters Rosslyn Waychoff of Libby and Lola Dalton of Bigfork; his devoted wife Charlene Lee of Yachats; daughters Jeannette Bond and Jacqueline Beckstead of Waldport, Ore.; sons Derrel Lee Jr. of Siletz, Ore., Jeffrey Lee of Yachats and Michael Lee of Waldport. He is the grandfather of 15 and great-grandfather of three.
Graveside services were held for immediate family on March 17 at the Alsea cemetery in Oregon.
Ruth Hawk
Ruth Hawk, 85, died Saturday, June 3, 2006, at Missoula Community Hospital.
Ruth was born Sept. 28, 1920, in Carter, Wis., to Gene and Mable Brooks. She was raised on her grandfather's homestead north of Wibaux and in 1926 moved to Ronan. Being the second oldest, she helped raise her nine brothers and sisters.
Ruth married
Leonard Hawk on Dec. 3, 1937. They raised sons Larry and Denny.
Ruth and her family lived in Libby from 1951 to 1982. While living in Libby, Ruth was a homemaker, waitress and salesperson at J.C. Penney for 22 years. She and her son, Denny also managed the Riverside Cafe and Lounge.
Ruth returned to Ronan in 1982 to be closer to her family. She loved the auction, garage sales, bingo and time spent with friends at the Dixon Senior Citizen Center. Ruth could often be found at the local cafe having coffee and telling stories and jokes. Her quick humor and twinkling smile were treasured and loved by everyone that knew her.
Ruth is preceded in death by her parents; husband; three brothers, Loyal, Jack and Bob Brooks; and a sister, Dorothy Griffey.
She is survived by her sons, Larry and wife, Barbara, of Spokane and Denny of Ronan; sisters Della Bauer and Patty Krahn, both of Ronan, and Glen Grotjohn-Kelley of Libby; brothers John and Joe Brooks, both of Ronan; grandchildren Melody, Cindy, Mary and Richard; six great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; and many nieces and nephews.
A service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 17, at the Pablo Baptist Church. There will also be a graveside service at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 8, at the City of Libby cemetery.
Bruce Ninneman
Bruce Alan Ninneman, 49, of Libby, died Thursday, June 8, 2006, at Libby.
Born May 14, 1957, at Klamath Falls, Ore., he lived most of his life in Troy where he had attended school. He served in the U.S. Army and later returned to the area where he had been a woodsworker. He married
Darrylyn Stockrahm in 1990.
He was preceded in death by his father, Jack H. Ninneman, and a sister, Tawnia.
He is survived by his wife Darrylyn of Libby; his mother Arlene Ninneman of Klamath Falls, Ore.; a brother David and his wife Peggy of Riverside, Calif.; and daughters Veronica and Darrylynn of Eureka. Also surviving are stepchildren Cyndi Miller, Paula Hutchison and Lynda Buff; and numerous grandchildren.
Private family services will be held.
Alice Preston Hill
Alice M. Preston Hill, 88, died Friday, Aug. 25, 2006, at St. John's Lutheran Hospital in Libby.
She was born March 1, 1918, in Hingam to Herman and Helen Geiger Peterson. The family later moved to Berthold, N.D., where she attended school. They returned in the mid-1930s to Montana where Alice graduated from Troy High School in 1937.
Alice married
Derward Preston Aug. 13, 1938. They made their home in Libby where they raised their family.
Throughout the years, Alice had various jobs including cooking for Libby Public Schools and as a clerk at Gambles and Mac's Market.
Her first husband Derward died in 1986. Alice married
Dayton Hill June 25, 1989, and she and Dayton lived in Libby, and shared and enjoyed the past 17 years together.
A person of numerous gifts and talents, Alice had been an artist and enjoyed painting and ceramics as well as cooking, gardening and sewing. She had been active in bowling and league golfing for many years and, in recent years, had been a Red Hat Lady. Alice had been a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church and church circle and also a member of the Women of the Moose.
Surviving her are her husband Dayton; a son, Ken Preston and wife Marsha and a daughter, Gloria Morrill and husband Larry, all of Libby; sisters Toddy Mossey and husband Len of Troy, and Doris Spalinger and husband Al of Castro Valley, Calif.; and brother Bob Peterson and wife Glenda of Missoula. Also surviving are Dayton's children, Jim Hill and wife Sheila of Helena, Don Hill and wife Brenda of Libby, Gary Hill of Marion, Wayne Hill of Kalispell and Jo Thompson of Helena; 14 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; one great-great-grandchild; and special friend Hazel Halsey.
Services will be held 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 1, at First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Wallace Smith officiating; interment services will follow at the City of Libby cemetery.
Friends may call at Nelson & Vial Funeral Home from 1 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31.
Memorials may be made to Cabinet View Country Club or St. John's Lutheran Hospital Foundation.
Kathyrn Thatcher
Kathryn "Kat" Ann Thatcher, 47, of Hungry Horse and formerly of Libby, died Saturday, Aug. 19, 2006, from natural causes.
Kathryn was born July 19, 1959, in McMinnville, Ore., to Elva and Ben Lane of Libby.
She attended Libby High School.
Kathryn was a cook at Elkhorn Grill in Hungry Horse.
She love life and lived her life sharing that love. Kathryn touched the lives of many and will be missed by all.
She is survived by her parents; a daughter, Shantae Boyd of Libby; a son, Baltimore Carper of Kyla; and a grandson, Kaleb Boyd of Libby. Another grandchild is due. Kathyrn also had a plethora of adopted family in Libby, Kalispell and elsewhere.
A celebration of her life is planned.
Sonya A. Neisess
Sonya Anne Neisess, 45, died Saturday, Dec. 29 at her home in Libby. She was born in Valparaiso, Ind., the fifth child of Rush Dean and Carolyn Elaine (Fant) Colley on Sept. 27, 1962.
Sonya attended grade school in Chesterton, Ind. and later came to Troy during her freshman year in high school, graduating as salutatorian from Troy High School in 1981.
She married
Joseph Neisess, Jr. on June 21, 1980 in Kemmerer, Wyo. They returned to Montana, first to Troy and later to Libby in 1983.
Sonya first worked as an employee for Cabinet Books and Music for 14 years and later purchased the business which she operated for six years. She remained active in that area, serving on the Montana Book Award Committee.
Always active in community affairs, Sonya had served on the board of the Libby Area Chamber of Commerce and the Libby Revitalization Committee.
A noted local musician, she had been a band member of Young Country for several years and had been a member of The Treasure Tones. She also had been a member of a local troupe of actors in several productions of the Kootenai Heritage Council.
Sonya was a member of St. John Lutheran Church as well as a member of the Alter Guild.
Her largest passion in life was that of being a loving wife and partner and a very involved mother to her children Ashley and Adam.
Sonya was preceded in death by her mother and father.
Survivors include her husband Joe at the family home in Libby; her children, Ashley Renee and Adam Christian; her sisters and brothers, Nancy and her husband Michael Vrska of McKinney, Texas, Mark and his wife Rebecca Colley of Sandy, Utah, Renee and her husband Steve Tornello of Jacksonville, Fla., Karl and his wife Carol Colley of Chesterton, Ind., Denise Lange of Grand Rapids, Mich., Dean and his wife Julie Lange of Lake Jackson, Texas, Joseph and his wife Margaret Colley of Durango, Colo., and David and his wife Dawn Colley of Brownsburg, Ind.; her step-mother, Arline Colley of Grand Rapids, Mich.; 28 nieces and nephews and 19 great-nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. on Thursday at St. John Lutheran Church with Pastor Eric Christiansen officiating. Interment services will follow in the City of Libby cemetery. Friends may call at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home from 3-8 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the church.
Memorials may be made to St. John Home Health/ Hospice, 350 Louisiana Ave., Libby, MT 59923.
Donald Sleizer
Donald L. Sleizer, 84, a lifetime resident of the Kootenai Valley, died Friday, Feb. 9, 2007, at Libby Care Center.
Don was born on Feb. 15, 1922, in Libby to Lee and Augusta Sleizer.
He graduated from Libby High School in 1940. Don served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
He was a longtime employee of J. Neils Lumber Co. and subsequently St. Regis Paper Co. until his retirement in 1987. Don worked at several places and in several capacities at the company's Libby plant.
He married
the former Aloha Adams on April 23, 1954, at Libby. She died in 1992.
Don was a member of St. John Lutheran Church for many years. He also belonged to American Legion Austin Reedy Post No. 97 and Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2581.
Survivors include stepson, Warren Ben Adams of Hays; grandsons Bruce Adams of Polson and Ben Adams of San Antonio, Texas; great-grandson Craig; sister Harriet Wainz of St. Louis; brothers Arthur Sleizer of Norman, Okla., and Herman Sleizer of Spokane, Wash.; and six nieces and three nephews including Ruth Norris and Jim Sprecher, both of Libby.
Services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, at St. John Lutheran Church in Libby.
David Malcheski
David Malcheski, 61, of Troy, died Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006, at St. John's Lutheran Hospital.
He was born March 21, 1945, in Philadelphia, Pa.
David in 1963 graduated from Mound High School in Mound, Minn., and earned his bachelor's from Moorhead State College in Moorhead, Minn. in 1967, his master's in economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1968, and his master's of business administration from University of Nevada at Las Vegas in 1974.
David served in the U.S. Army from September 1969 to September 1971. He retired as budget manager with the Department of Energy in 1999.
Survivors include wife, Lee Malcheski, of Troy; daughter, Lisa Malcheski, of Boulder, Colo.; son, Brian Malcheski, of Santa Barbara, Calif.; parents Bernard and Mary Malcheski of Mound, Minn.; brother James Malcheski of St. Paul, Minn.; and sister Rita Stellburg of Anoka, Minn.
Private arrangements are by Nelson & Vial Funeral Home in Libby.
Eddie Eggers
Eddie E. Eggers, 57, of Superior, died Saturday, Aug. 26, 2006, at his home of pancreatic cancer.
He was born Feb. 20, 1949, in Riverside, Calif., where he grew up and went to school.
On Dec. 8, 1973, he married
Carol McNulty, and they lived in Superior.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Amy Eggers of Superior; three sons, Dennis Fairbanks of Manhattan, and Chad and Jay Eggers of Superior; and 14 grandchildren.
Visitation will be noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, at the Methodist Church in Superior, followed by funeral services with Sharon Patterson officiating. Burial will be at the Superior cemetery. Potluck will follow at Carol and Ed's home. Pallbearers will be Dennis Fairbanks, Chad Eggers, Jay Eggers, Chris Wollgast, Ron Schoolcraft and Dan Woodson.
Cremation and Burial and Society of the Rockies assisted the family with arrangements.
James Daniel 'Jed' Kifer
James Daniel “Jed” Kifer, 21, died in his sleep on Jan. 7, 2010, in Caldwell, Idaho.
He was born July 29, 1988, in Bozeman, the fourth of five boys born to Daniel and Kathryn (Pfadt) Kifer.
Family said they would remember him as an outgoing child always looking for an adventure. He lived in Bozeman and Laramie until he was 6.
“During that time, he developed a special relationship with his Grandpa Pfadt that continued later in Jed’s life when Grandpa came to live with his family in Powell (Wyo.),” family said. “When Jed was 6, his family moved to Libby, Mont., where he spent some of the happiest years of his life.”
While living in Libby, he enjoyed adventures in the Kootenai Forest and surrounding area, where he developed a love for fishing, hunting and camping. He also enjoyed playing sports.
His family moved to Powell in 2001, when he was 13. In Powell, he met many new friends, and he continued to play sports and spend time hunting and fishing.
In 2007, he graduated from Powell High School and entered the Northwest College welding program.
“He was proud of being a Northwest College Rod Burner,” family said.
In 2009, he moved to Boise, Idaho, to be near his paternal grandmother and other family members. He found a job and worked while he made plans to continue his education.
He was preceded in death by an infant brother, Jordan; his maternal grandparents Robert and Julia Pfadt; his paternal grandfather, Robert Kifer; and his uncle, Robert David Pfadt.
He is survived by his parents, Dan and Kathy Kifer of Powell; his brothers, Ben (Meghan) of Omaha, Neb., Tom of Kona, Hawaii; and Matt of Powell and Laramie, Wyo.; grandmother, Barbara Hoff of Boise, Idaho; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
A memorial service will be Saturday, Jan. 30 at 2 p.m., at First Baptist Church in Powell, with Pastor David Pool presiding.
