Ole Lee Jr, 90
Ole Lee Jr, 90, of Somers passed away Friday, Nov. 21.
He was born in Oslo, Norway on July 24, 1913, to Olaf and Gunhild Lee. They returned to Montana in 1914 and resided on the family homestead in the Swan Valley and later moved to Somers where his father was employed at Somers Lumber Company. He attended elementary and high school in Somers and Kalispell. He was a member of the 1932 graduating class of Flathead County High.
He was employed by Somers Lumber Company and also sold Evinrude outboard motors in his spare time.
On June 21, 1936 he married Patricia Flynn of Kalispell. Ole and Pat began the enterprise Lee Craft Boats on Flathead Lake in 1938 and operated it for 33 years. He and his loyal crew designed and built wood and fiberglass boats. He was known throughout the Northwest as "the builder of fine boats." He raced hydroplane boats during the '40s and '50s and was an avid hunter and fisherman his entire life. Ole enjoyed reminiscing about the early days in Somers and the Flathead Valley and loved sharing his photos.
A 90th birthday celebration for him was held in July 2003 and was attended by his many friends here in the Flathead and all of his family.
He was a member of the Elks Lodge and Sons of Norway in Kalispell, and Eidsvold Lutheran Church in Somers.
Ole is remembered by his family as a loving and caring father and grandfather who cherished his entire family.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia; his parents Olaf and Gunhild; and granddaughter, Pam Michels.
He is survived by his four children, Nancy and Don Lockmall of Anchorage, Alaska, Virginia Michels and Larry and Ilene Lee of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., and Tom and Barb Lee of Kalispell; 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren; sister, Hilda Hatlen of Libby; and several nieces and nephews.
Services will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, at Eidsvold Lutheran Church in Somers.
In lieu of flowers the family request donations to Eidsvold Lutheran Church, 5935 Hwy 93 South, Somers, MT 59932 or charity of your choice.
Arrangements are under the direction of Johnson Mortuary and Crematory.
Elsie Margaret Bruyer, 81
Elsie Margaret Bruyer, 81, "was welcomed into the Lord's arms" Thursday, Nov. 20, 2003.
Elsie was born Dec. 18, 1921, in Kalispell, to Waltermar and Amelia (Brickel) Rufenach. She lived with her family in the Flathead Valley and graduated from Flathead County High School in 1939.
She married Gregory Bruyer on May 8, 1941, in Kalispell, and they lived in the Pine Grove Community. They farmed that area until moving to Troy, Idaho, in 1946. In 1951, they moved to the Creston area where they farmed until Greg's death in 1979. Elsie then moved to Evergreen, where she lived until her passing.
Elsie was a long-time avid member of Calvary Lutheran Church. She loved to paint pictures of places in the Flathead Valley and enjoyed tending her beautifully-kept yard and flower beds, making scrapbooks from all her travel adventures and photos of her family.
Elsie was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Gregory Bruyer; son, Jerry Bruyer; brother, Richard Rufenach; and a sister Lydia Shaw.
She is survived by her daughter, Patsy Gaschet de I'Isle and her husband, Vaughn, of Kalispell; two brothers, Alfred Rufenach and his wife, Alice, of Kalispell, and Walter Rufenach of Columbia Falls; a sister, Lillian Case, of Weaverville, Calif.; a daughter-in-law, Sharon Bruyer, of Kalispell; there are three grandchildren, JoAnn Reed Strohschein, of Bigfork, Travis Bruyer of Kalispell, and Jonathan Reed and his wife, Linda, of Bozeman; there are two great-grandchildren, Brandi and Levi Strohschein of Bigfork; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services for Elsie Bruyer will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25, at the Calvary Lutheran Church. The Rev. Kurt Rau will officiate. Burial will follow at the C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday at Johnson Mortuary.
The family suggests memorials be given to the Calvary Lutheran Church, 2200 Hwy. 2 East, Kalispell, 59901, or the Flathead County Animal Shelter, 225 Cemetery Road, Kalispell, 59901.
Arrangements are under the direction of Johnson Mortuary and Crematory.
Lillian (Riley) Miller, 83
Lillian (Riley) Miller, 83, passed away on Friday, Nov. 14, 2003, in Santa Rosa, Calif.
She was born on March 21, 1920, to James and Sina Riley of Oilmont and Kalispell.
She married Steve Rowlan, then later divorced and moved to California in 1966. She married Robert Miller of Santa Rosa in 1968.
She worked for the juvenile probation office here and later for the state of California.
At one time, she was a member here of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church and the Eagles drill team. She also was a member of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Santa Rosa.
She lived at the Silvercrest Apartment in Santa Rosa with her precious cat, Rainbow, and enjoyed her friends there. Her special friends were Yvonne Hall of Kalispell, Dan Halsey and Kathy Minor of Santa Rosa and friends in Wisconsin.
She was preceded in death by her parents and both husbands.
She is survived by her close family of cousins and their families, Leonard Dunham of Yakima, Wash., Neil Dunham and Lucille Nelson of Kalispell, and Celia Schroeder of Helena.
She excelled in handiwork and leaves many beautiful knit, crochet and embroidery articles with friends and family.
She will be remembered and missed. "We love you Lillian — rest in peace."
Graveside services will be held at a later date.
Thomas G. Mattingly, 51
Thomas G. Mattingly, 51, died Thursday, Nov. 20, 2003, near Libby.
He was born Dec. 29, 1951, at Great Falls, to Thomas O. and Mary Dussault Mattingly and came to the Flathead Valley as a small child with his family. He was raised and educated in the Flathead Valley and graduated from Flathead County High School in 1970.
He worked in the tie yard at Somers and also as a truck driver; Tom resided in Alaska for two years where he drove a truck in the Prudhoe Bay area. He returned to the Flathead Valley where he lived in Bigfork and drove logging truck until retiring due to disability. He and his wife moved to the Pleasant Valley area between Libby and Kalispell where he had resided until the time of his death.
Tom enjoyed the outdoors, being an avid hunter and fisherman and in recent years had enjoyed being a loving grandfather to his six grandchildren Christopher, Jackson, Koby, Dylan, Haile and Courtney.
Survivors include his wife, Jacqueline; four daughters, Wendie Lindner and husband, Doug, of Whitefish, Amy Boese and husband, Jason, and Cindy Norred and husband, Steven, and Megan Mattingly, all of Bigfork; his mother, Mary Irion of Orofino, Idaho; his father, Thomas O. Mattingly of Choteau; a brother, Matt of North Pole, Alaska; sisters, Diane and Linda, residing in Washington state; and Susan of Orofino.
Services will be 2 p.m. Monday at the Smith Valley Grange.
Memorials may be made to the Mattingly family Memorial Fund at any branch of Glacier Bank.
Wilma Grace (Spohnhauer) Burton, 94
Wilma Grace (Spohnhauer) Burton, 94, passed away Thursday, Nov. 20, 2003, at Immanuel Lutheran Home in Kalispell.
She was born Oct. 28, 1909, in Independence, Kan., to Ralph and Grace Spohnhauer. In her teenage years, she moved to Whittier, Calif.
She graduated from Whittier High School, worked as a bookkeeper, met and married Dennis G. Burton in 1945 and they raised their sons. They were members of the First Christian Church.
After her husband's death in 1975, she moved to Montana to be near her sons and their families. She was loved and will be missed by all who knew her. "Her family knows she is with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."
She is survived by two sons, Bill Burton and wife, Debi, of Bigofork; and Don Burton and wife, Vickie, of Kalispell; five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren; two nieces, Caren Kastner and Linda Adams, both of Bigfork; and other close family members.
A private family burial will take place at the Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier. Memorial services locally will be held at a later date.
Arrangements are under the direction of Johnson Mortuary and Crematory.
Earl F. Dennison, 89
Earl F. Dennison, 89, formerly of Kalispell, passed away on Nov. 19, 2003, at the Riverside Nursing Home in Missoula, following a lengthy bout with cancer.
Earl was born on July 30, 1914, in Elkhart, Ill., the eldest of 10 children of parents, Virgil and Glenna Mae Dennison.
Earl married Irene Gladys McWhorter in Illinois. Following their marriage, Earl, Irene and family moved from Illinois to western Montana, where Earl worked in the logging industry and the mining industry. He then went to work for the Equity Supply Co-op grain elevator where he finished out his work career as the manager of the grain elevators.
Earl and Irene moved to Missoula, in 1998, so they could be closer to their four sons and their families, and where both Earl and Irene both became residents of a nursing home.
"We, Earl's family, would like to thank the staff at the Riverside Nursing Home and the Hospice staff for their loving care of Earl during his residency at the facility."
Earl was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Irene; and two of his six children, Andy and Wayne. He was also preceded in death by three of his brothers and sisters, who all lived in Illinois.
Earl is survived by four sons, George Dennison and wife, Jane, Richard Dennison and wife, Linda, Jim Dennison and wife, Bea, and Tim Dennison and wife, Darlene, all of Missoula; a daughter-in-law, Virginia Dennison, of Kila; three brothers, Wilbur Dennison of Cantrall, Ill., Leonard Dennison and wife, Lucille, of Williamsville, Ill., and
Norman Dennison and wife, Eileen, of Springfield, Ill.; three sisters, Lydia T. Dambacher, Evelyn Freeman, and Janet Antonacci, all of Springfield; and numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Johnson Mortuary chapel, 525 Main Street, Kalispell, with burial following at the Glacier Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at Johnson Mortuary Chapel.
A memorial has been established in Earl's name; those wishing to contribute may send it to the Neurodegenerative Disease Research Fund at the University of Montana, c/o University of Montana Foundation, Brantley Hall, Missoula, MT 59912.
Arrangements are under the direction of Johnson Mortuary and Crematory.
Lavenia G. Barney Spencer, 92
Lavenia G. Barney Spencer, age 92 of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho died Saturday, October 16, 2004 of congestive heart failure. She was born May 13, 1912 in McAdam, New Brunswick, Canada to Gordon and Bertha (Mott) Lister. Lavenia immigrated to the U.S. in 1930 and later became a U.S. citizen.
Gina Marie Chisman McKinnon, 40
Gina Marie Chisman McKinnon of Marion died Wednesday morning, Dec. 1, 2004. She was 40.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4, at Bethel Baptist Church located at 936 Fourth Avenue West in Kalispell. Phone: 406-755-5062.
Gina McKinnon was born on Jan. 6, 1964, in Portland, to Bill and Virginia Chisman. She was married to Shannon McKinnon for 19 years and they were married in Polson.
Gina was a loving and devoted mother and full-time homemaker. Her children were the loves of her life.
Survivors include her two children, Brennon (age 15) and Brenaly (age 13); her father, Bill, of Longview, Wash.; her mother, Virginia; her two brothers, Bill and Glen; and her sister, Amy, all living in the state of Oregon.
Donations are being accepted on behalf of Gina's children at the Marion Fire Department. Please contact John at 406-854-2290.
