Mary Helen Grachek, 85
Mary Helen Grachek, 85, died of natural causes on Oct. 15, 2000, at the Brendan House in Kalispell. She was a former resident of Missoula. She was born Dec. 11, 1914, in the township of Bennington, Ill., to Rena Warren Patton. On Oct. 21, 1933, she married Joseph E. Grachek in Grandville, Ill. They were married for 58 years until his death in March of 1992. Before moving to Missoula in 1960, they lived in North Platte, Neb., Oelwein, Iowa, and Peoria, Ill. The couple owned and operated Sunset Memorial Gardens in Missoula from 1960 until their retirement in 1974. While in Missoula, Mary and her husband were active members of Immanuel Chapter #54, Order of Eastern Star, as well as long-time members of the First United Methodist Church. In 1993, she moved to Kalispell, where she joined the Epworth United Methodist Church. She is survived by her three sons and their wives, Joseph Jr., and Dottie of North Platte, Neb., Wayne Sr. and Carolyn of Grand Island, Neb., and Michael Sr. and Connie of Kalispell; two daughters and their husbands, Phyllis and Jim Strosahl of Kalispell, and Dorothy and Jodie Yelton of Idaho Falls, Idaho; 19 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren. Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Malleta Funeral Homes, Squires Chapel in Missoula. Services will be Friday at the funeral home with the Rev. Robert Phelps officiating. Burial with OES Rights will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens. The family suggests memorials to the Brendan House in Kalispell or to the charity of donor's choice.
Nadia Mariena Allen, 87
Nadia Mariena Allen, 87, passed away peacefully at her home in Kuna, Idaho. She was born June 24, 1913, in Everett, Wash. Her childhood was spent around Jennings. On Sept. 30, 1940, she and Sam Allen were married. They followed the carpenter trade and touched many lives in various states. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband and two sons. "She was a wonderful lady and leaves us many happy memories as mom, grandma, great-grandma, aunt and friend." Graveside services will be at Conrad Memorial Cemetery on Friday at 10 a.m.
Monte Hubert Rowberry, 72
Monte Hubert Rowberry, 72, passed away on Oct. 17, 2000, at his home in Kalispell. He was born on Jan. 6, 1928, in Iona, Idaho, to Arthur Leroy and Violet Rowberry. He married Patricia Clark on Dec. 15, 1944, in Idaho Falls, Idaho. They have four children, Linda and her husband, Carl Dabel, of Kalispell, Bill and his wife, Clarise Rowberry, of Libby, Carol and her husband, Larry Gay, of Centralia, Wash., and Julie and her husband, Ron Adamson, of Kalispell; Jack Caldwell of Soda Springs, Idaho; four sisters, Norma Kennedy of Los Angeles, Lela Street of Shelly, Idaho, Fern Wilder of Jackson, Wyo., and Marie Johnson of Sacramento; 18 grandchildren, and 23 great-grandchildren. Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home. Memorials and cards may be sent to Pat Rowberry, 285 Sirucek Ln., Kalispell MT 59901. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements for the family.
Loraine Emerance Shew, 85
Loraine Emerance Shew, 85, passed away on Oct. 17, 2000, at the Village Health Care Center in Missoula, where she had been a resident for the past two years. She was born on June 1, 1915, in Lechter, S.D., to Emil and Marie Van Laecken. She was married to Keith O. Shew on May 6, 1937. They made their home in Kalispell for several years where they raised their two daughters. Subsequently, the couple moved to various locations throughout the West as her husband followed career opportunities with the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She was preceded in death by her husband Keith in 1978. She is survived by her daughters and their husbands, Connie and Donald Gilchrist of Billings, and Carol and Richard Walker of Missoula; as well as three grandchildren, Christopher Demmons and wife, Jennifer, of Missoula, Jennifer and husband, Robert, of Henderson, Nev., and Josh Gilchrist of Billings; stepgrandchildren, David and Sandra Walker of Sedalia, Mo., Deanne and Robert Kulakowski of Colorado Springs, Colo., Diane and Mike Babas of Honolulu, Hawaii, Dawn Walker and husband, Gregg Letourneau, of Kalispell, and nine stepgreat-grandchildren; brother Urbain Van Laecken and wife, Mary, of Foxfield, Colo.; brother Joseph Van Laecken and wife, Marion, of Orangevale, Calif., and sister Leota Sonne and husband, Sylvan, of Olympia, Wash. Arrangements and cremation are under the direction of the Malletta Family of Funeral Homes, Sunset Chapel. By request, no services are planned. Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor's choice.
James J. Ellman, 77
James J. Ellman, 77, reached the end of his journey, as the sun broke through the clouds at the Lakeview Care Center in Bigfork, Feb. 3, 2001.
He was born Nov. 30, 1923, to John And Barbara Ellman in Brainerd, Minn. One of 12 children, he grew up in a family rich in spirit and full of love. He attended school at Hinsdale and Charlo.
Anxious to become independent, he left school early to work as a welder on the construction of auxiliary aircraft carriers for the U.S. Army in the shipyards at Tacoma, Wash. Life as a welder was temporarily interrupted while he served the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946. He was assigned to the 269th Field Artillery Battalion in the European Theatre of Operations and earned three citations while participating in the Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe Campaigns. After the war, he returned to Montana and his family.
He was living in Columbia Falls, when he happened to notice the lovely Miss Balich, a teacher at the school. The handwriting was on the chalkboard as they say, and Jim and Margaret were married on Aug. 28, 1948, in St. Benedict's Catholic Church in Roundup. They resided in Columbia Falls where they raised their four children, Doug, Connie, Dennis and Greg.
He worked as an ironworker and was a proud member of Local #598 of Kalispell. His early accomplishments include working on the construction of Hungry Horse Dam and the construction of the Anaconda Aluminum Plant. He stayed on at the aluminum plant for 13 years before accepting the position of business agent for Ironworker Local #598. Three years later he returned to construction work during the building of Libby Dam. He later moved on north to Alaska to work on the construction of the Alaska Pipeline. There were many building and bridge jobs thrown in for good mix and he finally hung up his belt after the completion of the Kalispell Center Mall.
He was an avid sportsman who enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing and snow and water sports. He competed in bowling, O-Mok-See and golf. He became a national champion at the Billings O-Mok-See in the 1960s and won many ribbons and trophies throughout the years in various events.
He liked to believe he was a member of the Indian Nation and would take his grandchildren on the "Indian trails" by his home on the Flathead River. This also accounts for the fact that he was a diehard Atlanta Braves fan.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Barbara; two sisters, Donna Nadeau and Lorrine Sallee; three brothers, Ray, Pat and Jack Ellman. Also leading the way was his oldest son Doug "Dug" Ellman, journeyman ironworker, award winning journalist, and seminarian who also passed on this last July.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years Margaret; two sons Dennis of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Greg of Columbia Falls; and his daughter, or as Jim referred to her as his "favorite daughter" Connie and her husband Rocky, also of Columbia Falls.
Surviving also are his two brothers, Bud and wife, Mary Lou, and Sam and his wife, Frankie, all of Columbia Falls; his four sisters, Mary Bertino and husband, Louis, of Kalispell, Kate Lundstrom of Columbia Falls, Marge Sklodo and husband, Stan, of Washington state and Francis Gardner and husband, Dale, of California; two sister-in-laws, Mary Ellman of Washington state and Sara McMannus of Kalispell; numerous nieces and nephews, working friends, and golfing buddies. His blessings also were counted in his six grandchildren, Mandy, Jessica and Josh Ramey of Columbia Falls, and Matt, Amy and Ryan Ellman of Tulsa, Okla.; one great-granddaughter, Mandy's daughter Cassandra that was responsible for a certain sparkle in his eye.
He loved God, family, country and life. He slowed down but he never gave up. We will miss him dearly and remember him always as a man born with courage and love who made his mark in this journey of life.
Services will be held Friday at 1:00 at St. Richards Catholic Church.
The family asks memorials be given to St. Richard's Catholic Church Building Fund.
Mildred Christine Parker, 88
Mildred Christine Parker, 88, passed away on Feb. 6, 2001, at Brendan House in Kalispell.
She was born Jan. 27, 1913, in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., to John and Agnes Walters Steve.
She lived a varied and full life before the ravages of Alzheimer's disease took its final toll. She always had a quick and clever spirit that enabled her to make fast friends and lasting impressions. She wielded her Electrolux vacuum with an early morning song, sung at the top of her lungs to impress anyone who still might be asleep.
The same uncanny tenacity was wielded at card playing and she belonged to pinochle and canasta card clubs.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 43 years, Coyle Parker, and son, Don Parker.
She is survived by three daughters, Cheryl, Joanne, and Wanda.
Memorial services will be held at a later date this year.
Arrangements are under the direction of Johnson Mortuary and Crematory.
Leonard P. Lowitz, 88
Leonard P. Lowitz, 88, passed away on Feb. 5, 2001, at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls where he has resided for the past few years.
He was born in St. Paul, Minn., to John and Elfrieda Lowitz. He was raised in the Midwest and served in the Army during World War II. After his discharge, he joined his brother Delbert in Montana where he lived the rest of his life on his beloved farm on Conn Road.
He worked for the Whitefish Creamery for many years and then at Superior Lumber until his retirement. Since then he has lived at his farm where his greatest joy was raising his black Angus cattle and enjoying the peaceful view from his farmhouse windows.
Even though he never married and had no children of his own, he helped to raise his seven nieces and nephews with love and concern. He was so blessed to have good neighbors who looked out for him and to have the wonderful care provided by the Montana Veterans Home in his final years.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, four brothers and one nephew.
He is survived by his brothers, Carl of Phoenix, Ariz., and Lorenz of Tacoma, Wash.; a sister, Leona of Aberdeen, S.D.; nephews Richard Lowitz and wife, Marianne, Bud Lowitz and wife, Toni, Mark Lowitz and wife, Charlene, all of Kalispell; and nieces Frieda and husband, Hanlan Brown of Columbia Falls, Naomi Torgerson of St. Paul, Minn., and Gloria Miles of New Castle, Calif.
Funeral services will be held on Friday at 11 a.m. at Austin Funeral Home in Whitefish with the Rev. Forke of Our Redeemers Lutheran Church officiating. Burial will follow at Whitefish Cemetery. Visitation will be today from 1-3 p.m. at Austin Funeral Home in Whitefish.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be sent in his name to Montana Veterans Home.
Arrangements are under the direction of Austin Funeral Home.
Ken Dutter, 64
Ken Dutter, 64, of Kalispell, "went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ" on Jan. 29, 2005, at home from cardiac arrest.
Jeremy Blaine Erbelding, 33
Jeremy Blaine Erbelding, 33, of Missoula passed away on Jan. 31, 2005.
Vicki Jo Hylton
Our sweet and strong-willed angel, Vicki Jo Hylton, mother, grandmother, daughter, wife, lover, sister, teacher and friend, "spread her wings" Wednesday night, Feb. 2, 2005, "and is now shining her light on us from her place in the heavens."
Paul Lawrence, 78
Paul Lawrence, 78, died Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005, at his childhood home on Conrad Drive in Kalispell, surrounded by his family. He was born Dec. 5, 1926, in Mt. Vernon, S.D., to Jesse and Marie (Wagner) Lawrence.
