Bill Brinegar 
William E. (Bill) Brinegar, 75, of Libby, died Jan. 27, 2001, at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital.  
He was born on Nov. 28, 1925, at Strawberry, Ark., to Elijah Doyle and Stella Mae Moore Brinegar.   
Bill was raised and educated in Missouri and served with the U.S. Merchant Marines and later in the U.S. Army during World War II.  
He came to the Libby area in 1953, and married Ruth Pondelick of Libby on July 13, 1954.  
Bill worked for the U.S. Forest Service, the J. Neils Lumber Company, Bache Brothers Logging and as maintenance engineer at the Lincoln County Courthouse.  
He was a 34-year member of the American Legion, a life member of the National Rifle Association and belonged to Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2581.  
He was preceded in death by his wife Ruth in 1984 and by a brother.  
Survivors include son Scott and his wife Tammy, Winnemucca, Nev.; brother Presley Brinegar and his wife Peggy, Ashland, Mo.; sister Phoebe Wallace, Hartsburg, Mo., and grandchildren Timothy and Casey.  
Friends may call from 1-8 p.m. Tuesday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.  
Services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday at the City of Libby Cemetery with military honors by the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.  

Mildred Siefke Stevens 
Former Libby resident Mildred Siefke Stevens, 80, of Kalispell, died on Jan. 27, 2001.  
She was born on Feb. 12, 1920, in Streeter, N.D., to Leslie and Margaret Hays.  
The family moved to the Seattle area in 1933.  
While working in the shipyards in Seattle she met Paul Siefke of Libby and they were married in 1942.  
They raised their family in Libby.  
In 1967 Mildred married George Stevens and after his death in 1971 she moved to Kalispell.  
She worked in the high school laundry room at Libby and at the Kalispell Regional Hospital in Kalispell.  
Mildred was creative and handy with her hands. She loved to sing, yodel and play the guitar. Other hobbies were quilting, sewing, drawing and collecting things. Her dog Widgett was a special friend and companion for more than 17 years.  
To her many nieces and nephews Mildred was their favorite Auntie Midge.  
Her great sense of humor and quick smile will be missed by all who knew her.  
Survivors include her children, Tom Siefke, Missoula; Joy Galloway, Stanwood, Wash.; Gayle Parker, Dayle Mercier and Steve Siefke, all of Kalispell; Patricia Graham, Heron, and Alan Siefke, Rapid City, Mich.; and three sisters, Nellie, Ida and twin sister Margaret.  
Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home with the Rev. Tim Bartholomew officiating.  
Cremation will follow services.  
Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.  

Nevin Welch
Longtime area logger Nevin V. Welch, 74, of Troy, died Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2001, at the Kalispell Regional Medical Center.  
He was born on April 16, 1926, at Libby, to Vernice (Duke) Welch and Ellen Mae Dailey Welch.  
Nevin was raised and educated at Troy.  
He married Harriet Vinson on Jan. 7, 1946.  
A longtime employee of J. Neils Lumber Company and St. Regis, Nevin worked in the company’s logging department as a sawyer, truck driver and heavy equipment operator until his retirement following more than 30 years’ service.  
At various times Nevin also worked independently in the timber industry, operating a sawmill with his brother.  
He was a member of the Troy Church of God.  
Preceded in death by sons Rick in 1971 and Butch in 1994, Nevin is survived by his wife Harriet, Troy; son Bob Welch and his wife Joyce, Troy; brothers Jim Welch and Dennis Welch, both of Troy; seven grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.  
Services will be conducted at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Troy Church of God with the Rev. Gene Bushnell officiating.  
Interment will follow at the Troy Cemetery.  
Arrangements are under the care of Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.  

Peggy Orr
Marguerite (Peggy) Orr, 90, of Troy, died Jan. 19, 2001, at the Libby Care Center.  
She was born on Oct. 6, 1910, at Yampa in Routt County, Colo., to John Roy and Susie Mabel Fields Webb.  
The family’s only daughter, Peggy had an older brother, Henry, and younger brothers Laurence and Marion. All three siblings preceded her in death.  
Their father’s work took them from Colorado to Oregon, Idaho, and finally to Pleasant Valley.  
Peggy married William Merrill Orr at Libby on July 6, 1929.  
Peggy and William had four children and except for World War II years 1942-1944, they have lived in northwestern Montana. They moved to Libby in 1955 and to Troy in the late 1960’s.  
Peggy was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has engaged in compassionate and neighborly service for more than 50 years.  
Survivors include her husband William, Troy; children Mrs. Walter (Mabel) Heder, Troy; William R. Orr, Troy; Mrs. Farron (Alene) Harrison, LaVerne, Calif., and David Orr, Troy; 25 grandchildren and 64 great-grandchildren. They will all remember her as a remarkable woman and a kind and loving mother and grandmother.  
Services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at the LDS Church in Libby and interment will follow at the Troy Cemetery.  
Local arrangements are by the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.  

Lyle Stephens
Former Libby resident Lyle Lloyd Stephens, 78, died Jan. 4, 2001 in Colorado Springs, Colo., of pulmonary asbestosis, after a long illness.  
He was born on March 28, 1922, at Woodrow to Amos and Ruth Heath Stephens.  
He and his wife Laura Spencer Stephens moved to Libby in 1958, living in the Rawlings Tracts area.  
Lyle worked for Zonolite and W.R. Grace.  
He previously served in the U.S. Army for seven years.  
Survivors include his wife Laura, Colorado Springs; daughters Takona Scauflaire, Ellie Crighton and Marie Wilson; sisters Izetta Jensen, Estella Scott and Bonnie Brookshire; brother Eldon Stephens; special friends Mick and Carol Jones in Libby, 10 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.  
At Lyle’s request, his body was donated to medical science and a memorial service was conducted on Jan. 10 in Colorado Springs.  
In lieu of flowers, his family asks that friends adopt a pet, plant a tree or perform any act of kindness they consider appropriate.  
Cards can be sent to Laura at Winslow Court No. 338, 3920 San Miguel, Colorado Springs CO 80909.  

Betty Baenen
Elizabeth M. (Betty) Baenen, 90, of Libby, died Monday, Jan. 15, 2001, in the Libby Care Center.  
She was born on Jan. 1, 1911, at Joplin, Mo.,  to Otto and Georgia Rotsch and was raised and educated in Missouri.  
She came to the Missoula area where she lived for many years at Milltown and Turah before moving to Libby in 1966.  
Betty was an avid bingo and card player and particularly enjoyed being a grandmother.  
She was preceded in death by twins, a son and a daughter, and by husbands Orphie Sagen and Ben Baenen.  
Survivors include son Bud Norvell and his wife Rhea, Libby; Ron Norvell, Spokane; step-son Dick Barrett and his wife Phyllis, Fresno, Calif.; brother Richard Rotsch, Kansas City, Mo; five grandchildren, Annamarie Norvell, Karia Norvell, Marillee Brown, Melvin Norvell and Karl Norvell, and three great-grandchildren.  
Services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday at the City of Libby Cemetery. Visitation was from 1-8 p.m. Thursday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.  

John Lyle
John B. Lyle, 60, of Troy, died of cancer on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2001, at his home.  
He was born on March 13, 1940, at Blackwell, Okla., to Jim and Elisabeth Norman Lyle.  
When he was four years old the Lyle family moved to Troy where John attended school.  
After graduating he was employed with the railroad and later moved to Oklahoma, where he worked for four years in construction.  
He married Glenda Straight on Aug. 20, 1960, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.  
They moved to Troy, where John worked for J. Neils Lumber Company before working for 22 years for Zonolite and W.R. Grace, retiring in 1994.  
John enjoyed fishing, hunting, playing horseshoes and working on and restoring old cars.  
He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Gene and Kenneth and a nephew, Ronnie Osborne.  
Survivors include his wife Glenda, Troy; sons Jim Taigaafi and his wife Rhonda, Hermiston, Ore., and Mike Taigaafi, Seattle; brothers Jim Lyle and his wife Shirley, Miami, Okla.; Daryl Lyle and his wife Karen, Spokane; Lee Lyle and his wife Sheila, Picher, Okla; sisters Lyndeen Osborne and her husband Ron, Spokane; Mona Jellesed and her husband Terry, Battle Mountain, Nev., and Debbie Randolph and her husband Sam, Miami, Okla.; uncle Chuck Norman and his wife Joanne, Troy; aunt Rose Anne Jones, Picher; six grandchildren, Jennifer Witt, Michele Glascock, Michael Taigaafi Jr., Glenda Taigaafi, Daniel Taigaafi and Sarah Taigaafi and numerous nieces and nephews.  
Services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Church of God in Troy.  
Visitation will be from 1-8 p.m. on. Friday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home Chapel.  
Local arrangements are by the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home in Libby.  

Harry Tubbs
Harry L. Tubbs, 60, who grew up and went to school in Troy, died Jan. 16, 2001, in Vancouver, Wash.  
He was born on Dec. 18, 1930, in Bolville, Idaho.  
Harry served with the Armed Forces in Korea, receiving the Soldier’s Medal for Heroism, the Bronze Star Medal with five battle stars, combat medical badge and the Korean Service Medal.  
Harry worked as a truck driver and was a member of the Teamsters’ Union and the Veterans of Foreigm Wars.  
Survivors include his daughter Shelly Neis, Vancouver; brother CSM (retired) J.L. Tubbs, Colorado Springs, Colo., sister Betty Norton, Spokane, and several grandchildren great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.  
Private memorial services will be conducted Friday in Vancouver.  
Vancouver Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.  

Sally Cripe
Former Troy resident Sarah (Sally) E. Cripe, 84, died Dec. 28, 2000, in the Rose Arbor assisted living facility at Hermiston, Ore.  
She was born on June 6, 1916, at Athol, Idaho, to Jesse and Catherine Grigg.  
She married Edwin W. Cripe of Troy on April 13, 1935.  
In 1958 they moved to Oregon where Sally worked as supervisor of the sewing department at Eastern Oregon State Hospital. In 1958 they moved to Hermiston, where Sally was an escort driver for wide load trucks for 12 years.  
Sally was a great cook whose homemade cinnamon rolls and apple pie were a hit with everyone who tasted them. She loved to sew, read, knit and travel and could be ready to go anywhere on 15 minutes notice.  
The Cripes celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in April.  
Survivors include her husband David in Hermiston; sons Jerry, Kennewick, Wash., and David, Hermiston; daughter Pat Rebman, Hermiston; brother Burl Grigg, Ellensburg, Wash.; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.  
She was preceded in death by her parents, son David W. Cripe, sisters Adwilda Weger and Pearl Ayers, and by great-granddaughters NaMi Rebman and Patricia Cripe.  
Services were conducted in the chapel at Burns Mortuary in Hermiston and private burial services were conducted at the Hermiston Cemetery.  

Wilbur Drake
Longtime Libby resident Wilbur Drake, 65, died Thursday, Jan. 11, 2001, at the family’s Pipe Creek cabin.  
He was born on Nov. 2, 1935, at Pawnee, Okla., to Orpha and Lavinnia Gibson Drake.  
The family left Oklahoma in 1939 and lived at Hardin and Charlo until coming to Libby in 1952.  
Wilbur married Ramona (Mona) Pival on Dec. 31. 1953.  
They lived in Washington for five years, returning to Libby in 1963. A heavy equipment operator, Wilbur worked for private companies and for the county and was employed for more than 17 years with the State Highway Department. During several years of his time with the highway department Wilbur and Mona lived in the Happy’s Inn area.  
He attended the Church of the Nazarene and belonged to the Cabinet View Country Club and the Spinning Squares. He was also a fireman with the Libby Volunteer Fire Department.  
Wilbur enjoyed carpentry and woodworking, spending the last couple of years building their cabin in the meadow on Pipe Creek. He was an avid golfer and snowmobiler.  
Survivors include his wife Mona; Libby; three children, Bob Drake and his fiancee Tara; Malia Bennett and her husband Jerry and Ken Drake and his wife Joan, all of Libby; sister Marybell Doubek, Libby, and brothers Leroy Drake, Browning, Texas; Robert Drake, Isillton, Calif., and Perry Drake, Burnett, Texas; grandchildren Jessica, Bobbie, Lindsey, Anthony, Jessica, Coby, Amy, Eric and Stacy; four great-grandchildren, with a fifth expected soon, and numerous nieces and nephews.  
Services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Church of the Nazarene with the Rev. Gerald Bell officiating.  
Memorials may be made to the Libby Volunteer Ambulance, Box 777, Libby, or to the Pregnancy Care Center, 113 W. Tenth, P.O. Box 1138, Libby.  
Arrangements are under the care of Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.  

Florence Tisher
Longtime Libby resident and businesswoman Florence Bundrock Tisher, 90, died Jan. 11, 2001, at Lacey, Wash., after a long illness.  
She was born on Sept. 27, 1910, at Wishek, N.D., to William and Sarah Hall Bundrock, the first of seven children.  
Florence married Fay Tisher on Oct. 20, 1928, at Aberdeen, S.D., and the couple moved to Lansing, Mich., so Fay could attend one of the first gas-powered machinery schools.  
They never forgot the great time they had in that big, busy city.  
They returned to South Dakota to farm but the Great Depression and drought made it impossible to make a living.  
The Tishers, with their two daughters and other family members, moved to Kalispell and learned new ways to make a living, including picking huckleberries.  
They had a great adventure when Florence and Fay worked at Kelly’s Camp on Lake McDonald in Glacier.  
A few years later they bought the old Norris homestead on Warland Creek and the mountain home became a happy gathering place for family and friends.  
During World War II Florence and Fay worked at the Army Ammunition Depot near Hermiston, Ore., returning to Warland after the war.  
When their daughters were in high school the family moved to Libby and bought a trailer court close to town.  
Florence ran a successful real estate agency in Libby for many years. She loved to camp, fish and garden.  
An active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Florence enjoyed working in genealogy and helping others trace their ancestors.  
Florence’s home was a gathering place and family and friends knew she would always be ready to feed and shelter them. Ill health made it necessary for Florence and Fay to move to Washington to be close to their children, but they always considered Libby their home.  
Florence was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brothers William, Art, Don and Bobby, sister Naomi Bundrock Savage and an infant great-granddaughter.  
Survivors include daughters Fayetta Johnson and her husband Daren, Rochester, Wash., and Fern Dermond and her husband Richard, Libby; sister Iris Hindman in Arizona; 11 grandchildren and many foster grandchildren; 49 great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law Vera Tisher Moeller and Helen Denton Bundrock, brothers-in-law Lyle Tisher and his wife Wilma and Lou Tisher, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.  
Visitation will be from 1-8 p.m. Thursday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.  
Services will be conducted at 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, at the Libby Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with Bishop David Baker officiating.  
Florence will be buried beside her beloved husband Fay in the City of Libby Cemetery.  
Arrangements are under direction of Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.  

James Manley
James Elbert Manley, 80, of Libby, died Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2000, at his home.  
He was born on Jan. 26, 1920, at Burden, Kan., to George and Ethel Burket Manley.  
James grew up on a farm east of Fort Benton and attended a country school through the eighth grade. He graduated from Fort Benton High School with the Class of 1937.  
He attended Billings Polytechnic before joining the CCC in 1938 and the National Guard after it was mobilized in 1941.  
James served with the U.S. Army in the South Pacific, receiving an honorable discharge in 1946.  
He married Beatrice Fairbanks of Glendive on May 10, 1947, at Fort Benton.  
He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served through 1966, when he retired.  
After working for the Cut Bank Police department for a year James moved to Libby in 1968 to work with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department.  
He also worked for J. Neils Lumber Company and St. Regis, retiring from Champion International in 1982.  
He enjoyed hunting, fishing and was active with the Good Sams.  
Preceded in death by his parents and sister Dorothy, James is survived by his wife Beatrice, Queen Creek, Ariz.; sons Doug Manley and his wife Cynthia Maxwell, Oakland, Calif.; Milo Manley and his wife Linda in China; Daryl Manley, Casper, Wyo., and daughter Linda Lathrom and her husband Stan, Tangent, Ore.; brother Frank Manley and his wife Fay, Cut Bank; brother-in-law Lewis Neyland, Colorado Springs, Colo.; sister Marjorie Henderson and her husband John. Louisville, Ky., and three grandchildren, Michael, James and Lance.  
Private family services will be conducted under arrangements by the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.  

Beth Riddle
Former Libby resident Beth Riddle, 93, died Jan. 6, 2001, in Spokane.  
She was born July 16, 1907, on a ranch near Ovando to Orville G. and Virginia Turrell Muchmore.  
The family moved to Missoula where Beth graduated from Missoula County High School and attended the University of Montana.  
She married Tad Riddle in 1934 and together they operated the Lake Mary Ronan Lodge from 1941-1955. They also managed the Parkway Motel in Missoula before moving to Libby to open a real estate office in 1958.  
Beth was active in a sewing club at Libby when the members decided to take up golf.  
After 13 years in Libby the Riddles retired and moved to Polson, where Beth continued to enjoy golfing, setting a record at the Polson Country Club in 1994, when at age 87 she scored a hole-in-one.  
She was preceded in death by her husband Tad in 1982, her parents and by eight brothers and sisters.  
She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.  
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 15, at the Grogan Funeral Home in Polson.  
Memorial contributions may be made to the R. Richard Riddle Memorial Scholarship Endowment, in care of the University of Montana Foundation, Box 7159, Missoula MT 59807-7159.  

C. Louise Doxtater
Retired Libby schoolteacher C. Louise Doxtater, 92, of Whitefish, died Jan. 6, 2001, at North Valley Extended Care Center after a long illness.  
She was born on Aug. 18, 1908, at Havre, to Barbara and Charles Luding. Louise and her twin brother Louis were the first twins born in Havre.  
At an early age she moved with her family to Great Falls, attending school there through the sixth grade.  
In 1920 her father, who worked for the Great Northern Railroad, was transferred to Whitefish and in 1921 Louise joined her family in Whitefish, graduating from Whitefish High School with the Class of 1926.  
She enrolled at Western Montana College in Dillon, graduating in 1928 with an elementary teaching certificate.  
Her first teaching position was at Prospect Park, near present day West Valley. She also taught at Stryker.  
On Aug. 20, 1933, Louise married Leonard Doxtater in Spokane. They lived at Whitefish, Columbia Falls and East Glacer before moving to Libby in 1939.  
Louise taught in the Libby school system for 25 years, retiring in 1972. In 1978 she moved to Whitefish.  
She had belonged to Delta Kappa Gamma since 1958, was a member of Flathead Retired Teachers and a long-time member of the First Presbyterian Church at Libby and Whitefish. The church played a large part in her life.  
Louise was preceded in death by her parents, husband Leonard, brothers Louis and Ross Luding and sister Elizabeth Wood.  
Survivors include sons Ken and his wife Betty Anne, Whitefish; Jim and his wife Donna, Black Eagle; brother Calvin and his wife Ruth, Federal Way, Wash.; grandsons Randy in California; Tim and his wife Jeni, Whitefish; Jeremy in Oregon; Jed in Kalispell and great-grandsons Casey of Whitefish and Alex of Bigfork; nieces Sandra Luding, Seattle, Karen Stevens, Whitefish, Barbara Warrington in Colorado, and nephew Lanny Luding, West Glacier.  
A memorial service was conducted at the First Presbyterian Church of Whitefish at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, with the Rev. Andy Kennaly officiating. Burial will follow at the City of Libby Cemetery on Wednesday, Jan. 10.  
Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Whitefish or to the Stump Town Historical Society of Whitefish.  
Austin Funeral Home in Whitefish is in charge of arrangements.  

Warren Harner
Long-time Troy resident Warren V. Harner, 50, died Jan. 4, 2001, at his home in Spokane.  
He was born Nov. 27, 1950 in Kalispell to Bill and Tana Harner of Libby.  
Raised in Libby, he graduated from Libby High School in 1968 and attended Montana State University at Bozeman and Northern Montana College at Havre.  
Warren worked in the grocery business and in mining at Asarco’s Troy mine for more than 10 years where he was a mine shift boss for 6 years. After the Troy mine closed, he attended the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service and worked as a funeral director for Hazen and Jaeger and Thornhill Valley Funeral Homes in the Spokane area, where he had lived for the past 6 years.  
He served on the Troy City Council and later became mayor of Troy in the late 1970s. He was also a volunteer fireman and EMT in Troy.  
He is survived by his special friend/fiancé Cynthia Scher and her daughters Deanna Christie and Kimberly of Spokane; his son Lt. Archibald Harner of the U.S. Air Force of Yokota Air Base in Japan; his daughter Emily Dorigo and her husband Sean of Moscow, Idaho, his parents, Bill and Tana Harner of Libby; his brother W. Dustin Harner and his wife Renee of Missoula; his sister Sandra Whitlock and her husband Jim of San Diego, Calif., and several nieces and nephews.  
Memorial services were conducted at 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 8, 2001, at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home with Pastor Ray Ruef officiating.  

Blanche Taft
Blanche McManus Taft, 95, who taught elementary students at the J. Neils Lumber Company camp school in the Bobtail Creek area in the 1930’s, died on Jan. 1, 2001, at North Valley Hospital in Whitefish.  
She was born on March 30, 1905, at Eureka, to Jack and Mae Murray McManus.  
She was preceded in death by her husband Duane Taft and brother Frank Graves.  
Survivors include her sister Leona Lenarz; stepsons Davie and Bruce Taft; nephew Jack Graves, nieces Carol Workman, Chris Lucero and Jan Corneiluson; sister in law Clara Graves and numerous great- and great-great-nieces and nephews.  
Services were conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Eureka.  
Arrangements were under direction of Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.  

R. David Huey
Former Lincoln County resident R. David Huey, 48, died Friday, Dec. 22, 2000, of leukemia at Stanford University Medical Center in California.  
A native of Seattle, he was born March 26, 1952. He lived in the Yaak area in the late 1970s and early 1980s and lived in Reno, Nev., since 1989.  
He was a self-employed band instrument repair technician and piano tuner.  
Surviving are wife Brixie Huey, mother Lois Huey, sister Dianne, a niece, a nephew, a great-niece and several cousins.  
A celebration of life is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, in Rancho San Rafael, Calif.  

Vela Kelley
Vela V. Kelley, 70, died Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2001 at her home in Libby.  
She was born at Battle Ground, Wash. On July 24, 1930 to Martin and Gladys Adams and was raised and educated in Washington state.  
Vela married Arnold Kelley in 1948 at Toledo, Ore., and they came to Libby in 1958 where they had raised their family. She was employed by the Libby Care Center for many years in the food and laundry departments until her retirement. In 1998, she and her husband celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary.  
She had enjoyed the outdoors and had participated in league bowling for many years; her greatest joy in life was found in her family as a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister.  
Survivors include her husband Arnold; a daughter, Arnelda “Nettie” Cook and her husband Donald of Elko, Nev.; 2 sons, Darald Kelley and his wife Peggy, and Douglas Kelley and his wife Marilyn, all of Libby; 7 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.  
Services will be Monday, Jan 8, at 2 p.m. at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be from 1-8 p.m. on Sunday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Libby Volunteer Ambulance, Box 777, Libby, MT 59923.  

Marjorie Pomeroy
Marjorie Jane Pomeroy, 80, died Dec. 28, 2000 at her home near Troy.  
She was born Jan. 4, 1920 at Hudson, Wyo., to Robert Pomeroy and Barbara Geiger Pomeroy. She was raised and educated in the Toledo, Ohio, area .  
During world War II she was one of 20,000 women serving with the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. She was stationed in the San Diego area and worked as a cook on base.  
Following her honorable discharge, she returned to Ohio, attending The Ohio State University where she received degrees in library science and education.  
Marjorie taught for two years in Ohio and had been a public librarian in Ohio, Kansas, Minnesota and Oregon. She had traveled extensively in those states starting libraries in rural areas.  
She came to Montana in 1974 where she had resided in the Troy area. For 25 years, she had been a well-known news columnist and feature writer for The Western News until the time of her death.  
In the early 1980’s, Marjorie had written and compiled a series of booklets on the history of Troy called “Troy, Montana Yesterdays.”  
She had participated in community organizations and projects including the Troy Visitor’s Center, the Troy 4th of July Committee, Kootenai Senior Citizens and had been a member of the Montana Institute of the Arts Writers Group and had been a contributing writer in the group’s literary publications.  
Survivors include her sister, Dorothy Mann of Libby; and various nieces and nephews including Becky Toczek of Libby; Bill Mann of Victorville, Calif. (formerly of Libby); Melissa Steinbaugh of Warner-Robbins, Ga. and Amy Contrada of Acton, Mass. (both formerly of Troy).  
Services will be Monday, Jan. 8, at 1 p.m. at Milnor Lake Cemetery with military honors. Friends may call at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home from 1-8 p.m. Sunday.  

Louis Auge
Louis H. Auge, 87, long-time Libby-area logger, died Friday evening, Dec. 29, at this home in Libby.  
He was born in Sidney on Aug. 19, 1913 to Eugene Auge and Rachel Blanchard Auge.  
Louis move to the Kalispell area with his family in 1920 and had resided and worked in the Pleasant Valley area from 1931 to 1941. He married Nora Mae Robbe on May 10, 1941.  
Louis was hired by the J. Neils Lumber Co. in 1945 and transferred to the company’s woods department in 1946 where he worked as a sawyer. In 1968, he became chief cable rigger for the company, a job he held until his retirement in July 1976.  
He became a Christian in 1954 and had been a founding member of Faith Bible Church in Libby, serving as an elder, deacon and in many other capacities in the church throughout the years. He enjoyed working in his garden, camping and fishing and traveling during his retirement years.  
He is survived by his wife Nora Mae; two sons, Gene Auge and his wife Darlene, and Ronald Auge and his wife Lynn, all of Libby; three daughters, Sherry Gring and her husband Don of Libby, Merry Lynn Grubb and her husband Russ of Wenatchee, Wash., and Alene Byrnes and her husband Mik of Shiner, Tex.; brothers Alvin Auge of Maryville, Tenn., LeeRoy Coleman of Mountain Home, Ark.; sisters Lorraine Law of Pocatello, Idaho; Beverly Page of Port Orchard, Wash., and LeeVoy Hohn of Spirit Lake, Idaho; 13 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.  
Services will be Thursday, at 1 p.m. at Faith Bible Church with Pastor David Nelson officiating. Services will be a Milnor Lake Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3-8 p.m. on Wednesday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.  
Memorials may be made to Libby Volunteer Ambulance, P.O. Box 777, Libby, MT 59923.  

Paul Gibbs
Paul T. Gibbs, 92, of Kalispell, died at his home on Dec. 21, 2000.  
He was born Sept. 22, 1908, in Memphis, Tenn. His parents were Jessie Margaret Hillyard and Alzier Gibbs. The family moved to Taft, Calif., in 1910, and he attended public schools there, graduating from Taft Union High School in 1926.  
He was married to Rose C. Berry in 1931, in Reno, Nev. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service in the Lake Tahoe area, then later operated a petroleum distributorship in Taft.  
He and Rose moved to the Spokane area in 1939 where he farmed for several years before purchasing a cattle ranch on Little Wolf Creek in Lincoln County.  
The family then moved to a farm north of Kalispell in 1953. He always enjoyed ranching and farming most but he also owned several businesses over the years including a black powder reloading shop and two service stations.  
He was involved with wildlife conservation all of his life and was an expert outdoorsman with an intimate knowledge of the wilderness areas of both Southern California and northwestern Montana. He enjoyed hunting and packing with horses and mules and won many prizes for his marksmanship with both modern and antique firearms. He was a member of the NRA; the Black Powder Association; and the Masons.  
His interests also included the history and archaeology of the western United States. He enjoyed observing wildlife. He held a life-long respect for and interest in Native American culture and crafts. He enjoyed collecting and trading firearms and antique cars.  
He is survived by sons, Theodore Gibbs of Graham, Wash., Dennis Gibbs and Clay Gibbs, both of Las Vegas; daughter Judith Lyons of Kalispell; as well as several grandchildren, including Tom Lyons of Libby, and great-grandchildren.  
His wife Rose died in 1987 just after their 66th wedding anniversary.  
He and his wife liked remodeling their homes together and they particularly enjoyed building their retirement home near Pleasant Valley, using timber from their property and doing much of the work themselves. They enjoyed their retirement years, spending time traveling and visiting relatives and friends out-of-state, always happy to return to Montana.  
The family will schedule memorial services for both Paul and Rose during the coming summer.  
Memorials to Hospice Home Options, 175 Commons Loop, Suite 100, Kalispell, MT 59901.  
Arrangements were under the direction of Johnson Mortuary and Crematory in Kalispell.  

Hope Smith
Hope L. Smith, 83, if Libby died on Monday, Jan. 1, 2001 at the Libby Care Center from natural causes.  
She was born Feb. 26, 1917 in Mountain Park, Okla., to Carl and Pearl Bandy Self. She spent the first five years of her life living in Oklahoma, then the family moved to Washington State. She lived in the Columbian River basin area for most of her life.  
In 1938 she married Lester Davis in Binging, Wash.  
During World War II, Hope worked in the shipyards building ships.  
She enjoyed traveling, camping and the outdoors.  
Survivors include her son, Gerald Davis of Troy; her daughter, Beverly Haskins of Enterprise, Ore.; a brother, Sterling Montague of Arizona and a sister, Colleen Alison of Eugene, Ore.  
Private family services will be held. Local arrangements are by the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home in Libby.