Lincoln County

Obituaries

Obituaries https://web.archive.org/web/20000816194613/http://www.libby.org/WesternNews/obits/newobit.htm

Obituary archive (July) 2000
 
HAS PHOTOS

Aug. 16: Bertha Branem Lozeau; Dora May Shotzberger
Aug. 11: Papa Garrison; Barry Hanley 
Aug. 9: Larry Afseth, Elsie Louella Blanchard, Nola June Young-Loveless 
Aug. 4: Carol Colleen Countryman, Jim Hamblen, John Harpley, June Neuman, 
Julia Ann Van Deventer Pfadt 
Aug. 2: Herman Fehrs, Mayna Pattie, Mary Swennes, John Valcore

Bertha Branem Lozeau

Bertha Branem Lozeau, 76, of Libby, died at Brendan House in Kalispell in January, following a long illness.
She was born on Aug. 12, 1923, in Missouri, the second child of John and Mary Hayes Seaborn. She spent her early years in Texas and Arizona, growing up with three brothers and four sisters.
She began to travel on her own in the early 1940s, arriving in Montana in the late 1970s. She had lived in Libby since the early 1980s. Her fierce independent spirit kept most people from knowing Bertha well, and she liked it that way. Her life was not always easy and her story is not generally known.
Friends know that Bertha loved music and played guitar and harmonica. She had a placer claim on Cherry Creek and enjoyed panning for gold. She liked crafts and animals and  enjoyed tinkering and collecting. Bertha took her responsibilities as an American citizen seriously and was unashamedly patriotic.
Preceded in death by her parents, two brothers and two sisters, Bertha is survived by sisters Ethel Elizabeth, Dora and Virginia Ruth, and brother  Vernon.
A family memorial service was held on Cherry Creek on Aug. 12, which would have been her 77th birthday. Personal condolences from Bertha’s friends can be sent to her sister Ruth Dickerson, 14005 Orchard Knob Road, Dallas, OR 97338.

Dora May Shotzberger

Dora May Shotzberger, 75, of Lancaster, Pa., died Aug. 11, 2000, at Brethern Village.
She was born in Wellsboro, Pa., to William E. and Ruth A. VanHorn Hammond.
She and her husband Russell W. Shotzberger celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary in December.
Mrs. Shotzberger was a graduate of the former Mansfield State Teacher’s College.
She was a member of the Lancaster Church of the Brethren, serving as a deaconess for a combination of 26 years in Lancaster and Wilmington and was a member of the church choir in Wilmington.
She served as textile conservator with the Winterthur Museum in Deleware for 14 years, retiring in 1990.
She had lived in Lancaster since 1993, and previously lived in Winterthur, Del.
Survivors, in addition to her husband, include seven sons, David and his wife Marcia, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Daniel and his wife Sheila, Wilmington, Del.; John and his wife Deena, Libby; James and his wife Rose, New Castle, Del.; Samuel  and his wife Elizabeth, Cazenovia, N.Y., Mark of Middletown, Del., and Peter and his wife Donna, Yorklin, Del.; two daughters, Ruth and her husband Barry Fenn, Libby, and Martha and her husband Randall Ploener, Hockessin, Del.; two brothers and 12 grandchildren.

Papa Garrison

Daniel “Papa” Garrison, 69, died Monday, Aug. 7, 2000, at his home in Troy. 
He was born on Aug. 6, 1931, at Bonners Ferry, Idaho, to Roscoe (Snap) and Selma Aldrich Garrison. 
He started school in Troy in 1937 and attended school in Bonners Ferry 1938-1940, when his family moved to Libby. He went to school in Libby until moving to Bull Lake in 1944. 
Dan married Charline Laffoon on July 21, 1951, and they lived at Troy, where they raised their family. 
Dan worked for the Zonolite Company, the J. Neils Lumber Company and the Kootenai Valley Garage. He worked as a welder on the Libby Dam Project and from 1966-1968 he was employed with the Lincoln County road crew. 
He worked as a logger until 1984, when he purchased a long-haul semi-truck and trailer. He was self-employed until forced to take early medical retirement in 1987. 
He enjoyed hunting, fishing and being with family, especially grandchildren. 
Dan was preceded in death by his son Terry in 1993, and by his parents, three brothers and a sister. 
He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Charline; and sons Randall Garrison and Dan (Duggy) Garrison Jr., and his wife Lana, all of Troy; sisters Ida Templin, Troy; Gladys Haines, Post Falls, Idaho, and Leora Limoges, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; grandchildren Susan Garrison-Heyne, Spike Garrison, Tim Garrison, Clinton Garrison, Desiree Garrison, Dustin Irwin, Amy Irwin, Brenna and Delaney Garrison, and six great-grandchildren, Kurtis (K.C.), Nicole and Kari Jo Heyne, Serena Garrison, Colby Garrison and Naomi Holcomb-Garrison and many nieces, nephews and others who knew him as “Papa.” 
Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Friday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home. 
Graveside services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at Milnor Lake Cemetery with the Rev. Gene Bushnell officiating. 

Barry Hanley

Barrett Roy Hanley, 34, of Kalispell, died on Monday, Aug. 7, 2000, in a highway accident on U.S. Highway 2, east of Happy’s Inn. 
He was born on June 22, 1966, at Libby, the youngest son of William and Rita Osborn Hanley. 
Barry attended school in Libby, where he played the trumpet and French horn. 
After graduating in 1984, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, training at Camp LeJeune, and serving in North Carolina, Wisconsin, Norway and the Mediterranean until he was honorably discharged in October 1988. 
He spent two years in college in California before again enlisting in the Marine Corps Reserves in 1990. He became a combat veteran, fighting in the Persian Gulf during the Gulf War. He was again discharged in June 1991. 
Later that year, while living in California, Barry suffered a gunshot wound to his chest and heart. When he woke up in the hospital hours later, his first words were to ask how his beloved Oakland Raiders were doing. 
Barry’s recovery was swift, his scars impressive and he resolved to return to Montana, where he worked for older brother Pat as a logger. 
In 1994, Barry met Erika Claus, the love of his life, and they were married on Sept. 13, 1997. 
Barry enjoyed rafting, skin diving, water skiing, fishing, trap shooting, hunting and swimming. He was built like a Viking, had a relentless sense of humor and walked gently through this world bringing laughter and joy to all those he knew. 
He loved stuffed as well as live animals and was proud to be a logger. He counted among his life achievements serving as a platoon sergeant in the Second Light Armored Infantry Forward Division, breaking a 100-yer-old record as Sniper Trainee, captaining an LAV into Iraq and streaking the entire length of the Libby Gut astride a motorcycle strapped into the bed of a friend’s pickup truck. 
Preceded in death by his father William Hanley, Barry is survived by his wife Erika, Kalispell; his mother Rita, Jerome, Idaho, and Ericka’s parents Will and Dorothea Claus; brothers Bill Hanley and Helga Wagenleitter, Tok, Alaska; Brian Hanley and Tami Kline, Libby, and Pat and Nancy Hanley, Kalispell; sisters Kitty Spencer and Jamie Martin and Kelly and Rod Rantala, all of Jerome; 10 nieces, Trisha and her husband Chris English, Tamara and her husband Mark Shores, Kerensa Hanley, Savenna Hanley, Breena Hanley, Libby Hanley, Sara Hanley, Emily Spencer, Rae Ann Hanley and Hannah Wagenleitter; three nephews, Nick Spencer, Tom Hanley and Sean Rantala, and his four cherished fuzzy four-legged children, Chloe, Tika, Smedley and Bailey. 
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday at the Johnson Mortuary in Kalispell with a reception to follow at the Kalispell home of Pat and Nancy Hanley. 
Arrangements are under direction of Johnson Mortuary and Crematory. 

Larry Afseth

Larry A. Afseth, 57, of Libby, died Sunday, Aug. 6, 2000, at his home. 
He was born on Feb. 21, 1943, at Powers Lake, N.D., to Bennie and Doris Jensen Afseth. 
Larry graduated from Fullerton High School in Fullerton, Calif., and worked for Delco and Remy Battery of General Motors for 30 years. 
He married Patty Machute in 1979 at Las Vegas and they moved to Montana in 1995. 
Larry enjoyed carpentry, painting houses and making beef jerky. 
Survivors include his wife Patty, Libby; sons Jim Afseth and his wife Julie, Riverside, Calif., and Duane DeLong, Mira Loma, Calif.; daughter Sheri Baca, Riverside; mother Doris Afseth, Fullerton, sister Barbara Afseth, Anaheim, Calif., and five grandchildren Raychelle, Jim Jr., Andrew, Dillon and Tyler. 
Services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Libby Christian Church. 
Visitation will be from 1-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home. 

Elsie Louella Blanchard

Longtime Libby resident Elsie Louella Blanchard, 83, died Saturday, Aug. 5, 2000, at her home. 
She was born on Aug. 12, 1916, at Forsyth, to Jay Herbert and Olive E. Trow Fowler. 
Louella grew up in Libby, where she attended school and graduated from Libby High School with the Class of 1934. 
She attended Rocky Mountain Bible College for a year and married Howard Blanchard in 1938. 
Louella was a member of the Rebekahs, the Senior Citizens and the Eagles. She loved the outdoors and enjoyed a variety of arts and crafts, especially oil painting. 
She was preceded in death by her husband Howard in 1981 and by a step-son, Harold Blanchard. 
Survivors include step-daughter Mary Ann Osborn and brother Robert Fowler, both of Libby, and sister Lura Jordan, Andover, N.Y. 
Services will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 11, at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home with the Rev. Wallace Smith officiating. 

Nola June Young-Loveless

Nola June Young-Loveless, 76, of Libby, died at her home on Monday, Aug. 7, 2000. 
She was born on May 3, 1924, at Morrilton, Ark., to Joseph and Nola Southerland. 
June was raised and educated at Shawnee, Okla., and married Francis Young on Sept. 19, 1943, at Los Angeles. 
They lived at Oxnard, Calif.; Conway, Ark., and Portland, Ore., before coming to Libby in 1969. 
June and Francis lived in Libby until moving briefly to Wenatchee, Wash., in 1976. 
Francis died in April 1977. 
June lived in western Washington, where she worked in the planning department for the City of Kirkland, Wash., for 11 years. 
The mayor of Kirkland declared Nov. 10 June Young-Loveless Day in honor of her dedication and service. 
June married Larry Loveless at Libby on Nov. 10, 1990 and they lived at Cathedral City, Calif., until Larry’s death in 1994. 
June had been back in Libby since 1995. She enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid fisherman. 
She was also preceded in death by her parents, sister Sharron Burnett and brother Billy Southerland. 
Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Robin Swimley, Libby; step-mother Ellen Southerland and brothers Joseph and Sam Southerland, all of Conway, Ark. 
Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home Chapel 
Interment will follow in the City of Libby Cemetery. 
Memorials may be made to St. John’s Hospice in Libby. 
 

Carol Colleen Countryman

Carol Colleen Countryman, 46, of 500 Taylor Road in Libby, died Sunday, July 30, 2000, at Hershey Medical Center in Derry Township, Pa., after becoming ill while driving. 
She was taken to the Pottstown Hospital and airlifted to Hershey. 
Carol was in the process of moving cross country from her home in Libby and was staying at the home of her daughter Shannon Nagle. 
Carol was born in Kalispell to Barbara Shultz, Great Falls, and the late Francis John Schultz. She had worked as a bartender in Troy and Libby. 
Carol enjoyed fishing, camping and gardening and was an accomplished cook. 
Survivors include daughter Shannon Marie and her husband Joseph Nagle, Denver, Pa., and sons Luke and Jesse Countryman, both of Troy; grandchildren Austin and Ryan Nagle; brothers Duane and Dennis Schultz, both of Shelby; Roger Schultz, Lewiston, Idaho; Bruce Schultz, Coram, and sisters Sandra Cook, Sweetgrass, Arlene Elletson, Libby, and Jeanann Chilcott, Marysville, Wash., and a number of nieces and nephews. 
She was preceded in death by her father and a brother, Darrell Schultz. 
Burial arrangements are pending and memorials may be sent to Carol’s family. 

Jim Hamblen

Jim L. Hamblen, 61, of Libby, died Monday, July 31, 2000, at his home. 
He was born June 10, 1939, at Cortez, Colo., to Floyd and Neil Smith Hamblen. 
Raised and educated in Colorado, Jim enlisted in the U.S. Navy when he was 17 years old, serving for 20 years. 
He retired in 1977 and moved to Montana where he enjoyed traveling in his motor home, fishing, hunting and gunsmithing. 
Survivors include son Jim Hamblen, San Antonio, Texas; daughters Lonna Rogers and her husband Don and Kimmy Ward and her husband Randy, both of Libby; brothers Duane Ward, Denver, and Curt Hamblen, Grand Coulee, Wash., sister Norma Brown, Albuquerque, N.M., and six grandchildren. 
Graveside services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 7, at the City of Libby Cemetery. 
Visitation will be from 1-4 p.m. Sunday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home. 

John Harpley

John M. Harpley, 71, of Libby, died at his home on July 22, 2000. 
He was preceded in death by his wife Audrey and daughter Lynn. 
John  is survived by granddaughter Jill, grandson Derek and companion Alice Perez. 
He was much loved and will be greatly missed. 
Services with military honors were conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2, at the City of Libby Cemetery under direction of Nelson & Vial Funeral Home. 

June Neuman

Former Libby resident June A. Neuman, 80, who has lived in Colville, Wash., for the past five years, died in Colville on July 28, 2000. 
She was born on July 3, 1920, at Conrad, and married Leonard A. Neuman there in 1937. 
They moved to Ketchikan, Alaska, during World War II and June worked in the USO clubs and as a volunteer. 
Moving back to Montana in 1950, the Neumans owned and managed an apartment house and later a trailer court in Libby. 
June was one of the organizers of a diabetes group in Libby. 
In 1982 the Neumans moved to Wenatchee, Wash., where June was active with Hospice. 
Survivors include daughter Billie Rae Beardslee and her husband Mark, Colville; five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. 
Rosary services were conducted at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Danekas Funeral Chapel in Colville and burial was at 1 p.m. Thursday at Milnor Lake Cemetery near Troy. 
Memorials in her name may be made to the American Diabetes Foundation. 

Julia Ann Van Deventer Pfadt

Julia Ann Van Deventer Pfadt, 78, died July 29, 2000, at the Libby Care Center. 
She was born on June 4, 1922, in Wellington, Kan., to Dr. and Mrs. Roy Van Deventer. 
Julia moved to Laramie, Wyo., in 1947, after receiving her bachelor of arts degree in English education and music from the University of Kansas, she received a master of arts degree in music from the University of Wyoming. She taught reading, English and music for the Laramie Public School System. In addition, she gave private piano, voice and flute lessons. 
Between 1966 and 1968 she taught music at the elementary and secondary level at the American International School of Kabul, Afghanistan. In 1998 she received the teacher of the half-century award from Laramie High School. 
Julia married Robert Pfadt on May 27, 1948, and they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in May 1998. 
Her life was defined by dedication to family, civic duty and her faith. She was a member and past president of ECW, the Episcopal women’s group; directed the adult and children’s choirs at St. Matthews and sang at the care center for the Sunday church services. Julia also volunteered at Interfaith, a Christian outreach organization. 
Julia was a member of the Laramie Civic League and the University of Wyoming Cultural Arts committee. She volunteered on a weekly basis at the Ivinson Hospital gift shop and served as a tour guide at the University of Wyoming art museum. She was an active member of the AX Chapter of PEO and served as alum advisor to the Gamma Phi Beta sorority and was involved with her daughters in Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, writing the musical parts for the Homecoming Sing. 
Survivors include her husband Robert, Laramie; daughters Kathryn Kifer and her husband Dan, Libby; Margaret Krier and her husband Jim, Rocklin, Calif.; and Elizabeth Fabrizio and her husband John, Cody, Wyo.; sister Sue Raymond, Wichita, Kan., and 10 grandchildren. 
Julia was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Betty Crary and her son Robert David Pfadt. 
Cremation and arrangements are under the direction of Nelson & Vial Funeral Home and Montgomery Stryker Funeral Home of Laramie. 
Memorial services will be conducted at St. Matthew’s cathedral in Laramie. 

Herman Fehrs

Former Libby resident Herman Fehrs, 99, died July 19, 2000, in Florida. 
He was born on April 18, 1901, in South Dakota and moved to Tekoa, Wash., in 1937, where he worked as a farmer. 
In 1939 Herman moved to Tensed, Idaho, where he hauled grain through World War II. Beginning in 1952 he logged and moved houses until he retired in 1970. 
Following retirement, Herman moved to Libby to live with his son Leland until 1994, when he moved to New Hampshire to live with his daughter Mavis. 
In 1999 Mavis and her husband Jim, accompanied by Herman, moved to Florida. 
Survivors include four sons, Leland, John, Lewis and Bernie and three daughters, Donna, Dorothy and Mavis. 

Mayna Pattie

Mayna Belle Pattie, 85, Troy, died Friday, July 28, 2000, at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital. 
She was born on Oct. 1, 1914, at Foster, Ore., to John Frank and Mamie Tolbert Hufford. Raised and educated in Oregon, Mayna earned a teaching degree at Monmouth, Ore., and the University of Washington. 
She taught school in Seattle and at Scio, Ore., retiring in 1974. After retirement she lived at LaComb, Ore., until moving to Troy in 1974. 
Mayna was an artist who enjoyed painting in various mediums. She was a vocalist and pianist and enjoyed music composition. 
Her husband preceded her in death in 1994. 
Survivors include daughter Gay Pattie, Troy; son Grant Foster III, Salem, Ore.; brother Tom Hufford, Sweet Home, Ore.; sisters Hazel Reynolds, Coos Bay, Ore., Helen Morris, Venita, Ore., and Dolores Roberts, Christmas Valley, Ore., and five grandchildren. 
Services were conducted at 11 a.m. Monday at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Troy. 
Interment will follow in the Troy Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Nelson & Vial Funeral Home. 

Mary Swennes

Mary L. Swennes, 72, of  Troy, died on Sunday, July 30, 2000. 
She was born on Feb. 16, 1928, at Kalispell, to Elmer and Clara Bruyer. 
Mary was raised and educated in Kalispell and moved to Libby with her husband Richard Swennes in 1951. 
Mary was active in her church, in the community and with her loving family. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her. 
She and Richard had been married for 53 years. 
Survivors include her husband Richard; son Jay Swennes and daughter and son-in-law Linda and Rick Erickson; grandchildren Jenelle and Arlona Swennes, Laura, Kevin and Michael Johnson, Nicky Willis, and great-granddaughter Ashley. 
Services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Friday at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Troy. 

John Valcore

John R. Valcore, 68, died July 26, 2000, at Fort Harrison. 
He was born on Dec. 22, 1931, at Warland, to John and Mary Bainfield Valcore. 
John served his country in the U.S. Army in 1952. 
He was married to Mardela Bailey and later to Marie Adkins. Both marriages ended in divorce. 
Survivors include an adopted daughter Linda Horn, Soda Springs, Idaho; step-children Tom Sutherland, Livingston; Naomi Rohan, Libby; Sherry Cox, Eureka; sister-in-law Joyce Valcore, Bozeman; nephews Tom and Richard Valcore, Eureka; nieces Barbara Pluid, Eureka and Kelly Deal, White Sulphur Springs, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews. 
He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Nels Valcore and stepson Thurman Sutherland. 
Committal of cremated remains will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, at the City of Libby Cemetery.