Margaret Dickey Greiner, 94
Margaret Dickey Greiner "snuffed out" (in her own words) on Dec. 3, 2004.
Margaret was born Jan. 18, 1910, to Ellis Smith Dickey and Gertrude Case Dickey in Kalispell. She attended schools in Kalispell and graduated from Flathead County High School in 1927. She then graduated with a degree in economics from the University of Washington.
In 1936, while living in Helena and working as the secretary for the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese, she met Harold Louis Greiner. They married Sept. 4, 1939.
Margaret was a member of chapter AA, P.E.O. Sisterhood and St. Peter's Episcopal Cathedral.
She was preceded in death by her parents; brother Frank; and husband Harold.
She is survived by: John and Karen Greiner of Bellevue, Wash., and their children, Shelby and Susan, Ellis and Mary Greiner of Gainesville, Fla., and children, Lori, Fred, and Quinn, Sarah and Everett Cox of Prescott, Ariz., and children, Hilary and Aaron, Laura and Jim Brown of Helena, and children, Heather and Brad. Margaret is also survived by six great-grandchildren; one niece and several nephews including William Greiner of Helena.
Memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, at St. Peter's Episcopal Cathedral in Helena. Interment at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, bequests for Hospice of St. Peter's, 2475 Broadway St., Helena, MT 59601, and Habitat for Humanity, 201 So. Last Chance Gulch, Suite 19, Helena, MT 59624.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Hagler-Anderson Funeral Home.
Helen Baldwin, 89
Helen Baldwin, 89, formerly of Lakeside, and a longtime resident of Newport, Ore., died Monday, Dec., 6, 2004, at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport, Ore.
She was born Jan. 11, 1915, at her parent's homestead at Lakeside. At age 7, the homestead was sold and her parents moved to Kalispell to further their daughter's education. Helen graduated from Flathead County High School in 1933.
She married married Melvin Baldwin in 1936. They lived in Kalispell, until 1941, when they moved to Mullan, Idaho. They moved to Newport, in 1952. He preceded her in death in 1966.
She worked in Newport area fish plants until her retirement.
She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Newport, Yaquina Head Grange and Newport's Rebekah Lodge.
Helen was an active volunteer in many local area organizations, including Newport Meal Site, Contact Information and Referral Service, Newport Senior Activity Center, Lincoln Council on Aging, Lincoln County Food Share, Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce, Hospice of Central Oregon Coast, and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).
Helen was chosen Newport's "Woman of the Year" for 1990 by the Newport Business and Profession Women. In 1992, Helen was recognized as a "Super Senior" by the Bank of Newport and the Lincoln County Fair for "outstanding contributions to the betterment of the community."
Her extensive hobbies and interests included reading, crafts, art work, sewing, gardening, and collecting elephants. She served on many boards and committees in the church and community.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Edmond and Scherry Baldwin, of Columbia Falls; a daughter and son-in-law, Nina and Smith Trammell, of Newport; a daughter, Ellen Dages, of Salem, Ore.; six grandsons, four granddaughters, 13 great-grandsons, and six great-granddaughters.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 11, at the Newport First Baptist Church, 208 NW Sixth St.
Memorial contributions may be made to Newport First Baptist Church, Newport Senior Center, the Newport Library, or Lincoln County Food Share in care of Bateman Funeral Home, 915 N.E., Yaquina Heights Dr., Newport, OR 97365.
Mary H. Bertino, 95
Mary H. Bertino, 95, of Columbia Falls, passed away of cancer, Thursday, Dec. 2, 2004, at the Brendan House in Kalispell.
She was born Oct. 16, 1909, in Dagget Brook, Minn., to John and Barbara (Campbell) Ellman.
Mary was married to Louis "Boots" Schoenberg on Sept. 2, 1932, in Whitefish. They operated the Boots Cafe for a number of years in Columbia Falls. Later he was a butcher at the Parc Merc. The couple donated land to the City of Columbia Falls for Schoeberg Park. It is used for a skating rink, sliding hill and baseball field.
Mary supervised the home demonstration booth at the country fair for many years. She was a member of St. Richard's Catholic Church and the Altar Society for more than 75 years. She was active in the Columbia Annas Home Demonstration Club, enjoyed ice skating, fishing and hunting. Mary and Boots "tripped the light fantastic" as members of the square dance club.
Boots passed away on Sept. 22, 1968.
Mary Schoenberg and Louis Bertino were married on Nov. 4, 1972. They lived in Sumner, Wash., where he was an iron worker. The Bertinos returned to Columbia Falls, in 1982, when he retired.
She was preceded in death by two sisters, Donna Nadeau and Lorene Sallee; four brothers, John Jr., Ray, Pat, and Jim Ellman; and one stepson, Clarence Bertino.
Mary is survived by three sisters, Frances and husband, Dale Gardner, of Peachtree, Calif., Margie and husband, Stan Sklodo, of Aberdeen, Wash., and Kate Lundstrom of Columbia Falls; two brothers, Frank "Bud" and wife, Mary Lou Ellman, and Sam and wife, Frankie Ellman, of Columbia Falls; her son, John Schoenberg of Apple Valley, Calif.; her husband, Louis Bertino, of Polson; four stepchildren, Louise Allen of Spokane, William and wife, Marilyn Bertino, of Colorado Springs, Colo., Thomas and wife, Ellen Bertino, in Virginia, and Phillip Bertino of Kalispell; three grandchildren, Tanya, Kim and Mark Schoenberg; and many nieces and nephews.
A funeral mass will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, at St. Richard's Catholic Church. A reception will follow the service. Interment is in St. Richard's Catholic Cemetery under the direction of Columbia Mortuary.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Wings, the Columbia Falls Food Pantry, or the charity of the donor's choice.
Rosemary Laing Erickson
Rosemary Laing Erickson passed away peacefully on Dec. 6, 2004.
She was born June 29, 1932, to Robert and Ruth Laing. Rosemary was raised in Missoula and graduated from Hellgate High School.
While attending college at the University of Montana and skiing at Big Mountain, she met the love of her life, William D. Erickson. Rosemary graduated from the University of Montana with a home economics major.
Rosemary had a passion for snow skiing and taught her children and grandchildren how to ski. Her other inspirations were ice skating, water skiing, swimming, floating the rivers and golf. Rosemary loved being outdoors with nature and her yard work.
Rosemary was preceded in death by her father, Robert George Laing; mother, Ruth Edna Hammitt Laing; and husband, William Dale Erickson.
Rosemary is loved and survived by her four children, Ronald Laing Erickson of Rollins, William Douglas Erickson of Helena, Rosemary Ruth Erickson of Helena, and Patricia Anne Little and husband, Ryan Little of Kalispell; she also is survived by her five loving grandchildren, Melissa Rae Connell and husband, Shane O. Connell of Missoula, Marcus Laing Erickson of Helena, Suzanna Joy Simmons of Helena, Lane Cutter Little of Kalispell, and August Rio Little of Kalispell.
Rosie was loved by many and will be deeply missed.
Burial will be 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, at the Forestvale Cemetery on Forestvale Road in Helena. A reception following at Jorgenson's Restaurant, 1720 11th Avenue, Helena.
Memorials in Rosemary's honor are suggested to go to Cancer Society of Helena and Humane Society of Helena.
Laura F. Deck, 89
Laura F. Deck, 89, passed away on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2004, at Health Center Northwest in Kalispell, as the result of a brain hemorrhage.
Laura was born on April 13, 1915, in Havre, to William and Edith Lawson. She attended Northern Montana College at Havre and graduated from the University of Minnesota, becoming a registered nurse. Two years later, she was married to Dan Deck in Havre.
Her nursing career included private duty, hospital staff nurse, public health nurse in Lewistown, and licensed practical nurse instructor in Great Falls.
She retired in 1976, and moved to Kalispell, where she spent many years entertaining their friends and family at their place in Polebridge. Laura and Dan hosted an annual Presbyterian church Fourth of July gathering.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and two brothers, Hazen Lawson, and Dr. Chester Lawson.
Laura is survived by her husband of 65 years, Dan, of Kalispell; a son, Denis Deck, and his wife, Sandy, of Salt Lake City; son, Doug Deck, and his wife, Christie, of Great Falls; daughter, Danette, and her husband, Ray Johnson, of Anaconda; six grandchildren, Stuart Deck of Dallas, Stephanie Sandell and her husband, Sam, of Priest River, Idaho, Wade Johnson and his wife, Jamie, of Anaconda, Russ Johnson and his wife, Bobbi, of Missoula, Stan Johnson and his wife, Kim, of Olympia, Wash., and Leslie Deck of Bozeman; twin great-grandsons, Layne and Logan Johnson of Anaconda; and sister, Edith Grace Quam of Bloomington, Minn.
Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, at the First Presbyterian Church of Kalispell, with the Rev. Glenn Burfeind officiating. Cremation has already taken place.
The family request memorials be made in Laura's name to the First Presbyterian Church of Kalispell.
Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.
Lucy (Echanis) Conder, 76
Lucy (Echanis) Conder, 76, of Polson, a longtime Pendleton, Ore., resident and businesswoman, passed away at her home in Polson, on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2004, after a lengthy illness.
Lucy was born Lucille Jane McKnight on July 21, 1928, in Caldwell, Idaho, the seventh of 11 children of Virgil and Lola (Shriner) McKnight. She was raised and educated in Ontario, Ore., and worked there for Ginzle Jewelry nine years prior to her first marriage.
In January 1953, she married Andres Echanis in Vancouver, Wash. The couple settled in Yakima, Wash., where their two children were born. In 1956 they moved to Pendleton after purchasing Umatilla Distributing Co., a beer and wine wholesale business that thrived and expanded over the years. Although the couple divorced in 1975, Lucy remained a working partner in the business until its sale in 1984.
While in Pendleton, Lucy was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and did volunteer work for St. Anthony's Hospital and St. Mary's Outreach. She was renowned for her capacity for hard work and excelled in her cooking, decorating and hostess skills.
After 1984, Lucy lived in both Walla Walla, Wash., and Portland, before moving back to Pendleton in 1990. In 1996, she moved to Flathead Lake in Montana to marry Dr. John Conder, formerly of Walla Walla. The couple enjoyed sharing their life in northwest Montana until Dr. Conder's death in 1999.
Lucy is survived by her son, Carlos Echanis, of East Hampton, N.Y.; her daughter, Paula Rosenberg, of Pendleton; and two grandchildren, Sarajane and Andrew Rosenberg, also of Pendleton. At the time of her death, she had two surviving sisters.
Besides her husband, John, she was preceded in death by both her parents; two brothers; and six sisters.
At her request there is no funeral or memorial services planned.
Donations in Lucy Conder's name may be made to: The Scleroderma Foundation, 12 Kent Way, Suite 101, Byfield, MA 01922, 800-722-HOPE, or the Neuropathy Association, 60 East 42nd Street No. 942, New York, NY 10165, 212-692-0662.
Arrangements and cremation under the direction of Grogan Funeral Home and Crematory, Polson.
James Andrew "Jim" Connelly, 87
James Andrew "Jim" Connelly, 87, of Quartzsite, Ariz., former longtime Kalispell resident, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2004, due to complications of congestive heart failure.
He was born June 14, 1917, in Bagnell, Mo., to Andrew and Alice (Keown) Connelly, the youngest of three sons. He moved to Brady, Neb., as a youngster and lived there until he moved to Electric City, Wash., in 1951, then to Kalispell, in 1954.
James served his country honorably in the U.S. Army during World War II, with duty in France and Germany.
He worked many years in the automotive industry, and retired as a body and fender man after being employed for many years by Rygg Ford Body Shop in Kalispell. Following that, he and his wife, Opal, became "snowbirds," spending their winters in Arizona, and summering in California, Oregon and Montana.
Jim loved boating, hunting and fishing, flying the model airplanes he built, and panning and dredging for gold. His greatest "strike" was in being a wonderful family man who had many friends who enjoyed just being in his presence. Jim loved to "tinker" and was always busy at one task or another. His friends often joked that when he bought something new he was planning on remodeling it even before getting it out of the box.
His greatest gift to his family was his good name. Few men have the integrity he passed on to those who followed him. His patience and generosity sprinkled with his quiet sense of humor touched us all.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Noble and John, and his son, Maurice.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Opal, in Quartzsite, Ariz.; and his daughter, Sharon, and her husband, Ron Albiston, of Lolo. He is also survived by nine grandchildren, Patrick and Cathy Connelly of Kalispell, Joe and Kim Harness of Kila, Doug and Tana Carey of Bigfork, Stephen and Ginger Kauffman of Kalispell, Holly Presnell of Milwaukie, Ore., Lloyd and Penny Benetti of Milwaukie, David and Shawnee Adams of Oregon City, Ore., Wade and Brenda Albiston of Colville, Wash., and Rand and Gina Albiston of Kettle Falls, Wash. He also has 17 great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren, and one great-great-great-grandchild. He also leaves numerous nieces and nephews across the states, and countless friends.
A private prayer service following cremation was held for "Poppa." "Next summer when the skies are blue, the sun is shining, and the fish are biting, a celebration of the life he shared with us will be held in the Flathead Valley by his family and friends."
