Montana Rae Ibsen

Montana "Tana" Rae Ibsen graciously passed away on Dec. 9, 2004 in Pleasanton, Calif., at a premature age 62. Tana was born on Feb. 21, 1942 in Spokane, Wash. At a very young age she moved to Whitefish where she graduated from high school in 1960. After graduation Tana was employed by the U.S. Forest Service, but extended her skills to retail services. Eventually she entered into a partnership and opened a wonderful children's clothing store called "Tyke Town" in Whitefish.

Life eventually pulled her away from Whitefish where she began working as an office manager for the family plumbing business. She was quite adaptive and soon became indispensable in the day to day business operations. Tana worked until such a time as she was unable to cope with her physical complications.

Tana loved her family and made each occasion a joy with her cooking skills, humor and a laugh that was certainly addictive. You could always count on her to answer that plaguing trivia question or shed a positive light on your problem. She was the family encyclopedia, historian, card shark and confidant that could calm any screaming child. In her later years she began spreading her joy by organizing ventures to England, Ireland and numerous European countries. The sky was the limit and her quest for traveling experiences was insatiable.

Tana is survived by her loving husband, Richard Ibsen; daughter, Lacey Ibsen; son, Mitchell (Erika) Ibsen; sister, Penny (Steve) Ulness; brother, Gerry (Leslie) Hunsinger; sister-in-law, Doreen (Ben) Cavin; and five loving granddaughters who adored her, Lehnora, Severena, Sonja, Katja and Anja. She will also be sorely missed by her nieces and nephews and numerous friends. Tana is preceded in death by her parents, Bob and Gert Hunsinger and in-laws, Ivan and Darlene Ibsen.

We will all miss her warm disposition and infectious smile that she easily gifted to those around her. She had a way of making you feel safe, secure and loved with her loving embrace, twinkling blue eyes and tender heart.

A memorial service in honor of her life will be held on July 13, 2005 at the Christ Lutheran Church in Whitefish at 2 p.m. Memorials in the honor of Montana Rae Ibsen should be sent to local foundations and hospitals as a gift to all which is the way she lived her own precious life.

William David "Dave" Brewer, Jr.

William David "Dave" Brewer Jr., of Lakeside and Glacier Park, Montana died peacefully of natural causes on Friday evening June 17, 2005 in his own home in Lakeside, at age 94. He was the son of the late William D. Brewer and Elizabeth G. Brewer of Pittsburgh, Pa., and husband to the late Jacqueline C. Brewer.

Dave Brewer was born Aug. 27, 1910 and was a graduate of Peabody High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., and graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1932 where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.

In 1940 he joined Transcontinental and Western Air (later to become TWA) in Kansas City, Mo. During World War II he was a member of the Air Transport Command, service in Brazil, Africa and Scotland to arrange supply routes for the Allies. He married Jac Creaser on Aug. 28, 1943 in Kansas City.

They moved to Falls Church and then McLean, Va., where he became interested in growing azaleas. He spent the rest of his career with TWA in their Washington, D.C offices working on route development. He retired as the Senior Director of Regulatory Proceedings after 35 years. He was particularly known as the architect of TWA's trans-Atlantic route system.

In 1975, he and his wife moved to Lakeside where they built a home. He was the treasurer of his homeowner's association for many years. They spent their summers at his wife's family cabin in Glacier Park on Lake McDonald. He was an amateur actor, woodworker and cabinet maker, bridge player, hiker, community volunteer, Audubon enthusiast and supporter and active member of many environmental organizations.

He is survived by a daughter, Beth (Jonathan) Spatz of Allison Park, Pa.; and one son, Bill (DeeAnn Hall) Brewer of Eugene, Ore.; six grandchildren; and a sister, Margaret B. Dowler of Oakmont, Pa.

Contributions can be made to the Glacier Fund at P. O. Box 14, West Glacier, MT 59936 or www.glacierfund.org. Cremation arrangements were handled by Johnson Mortuary and Crematory in Kalispell.

Erma Eckelberry Benner

Erma Eckelberry Benner, 85, passed away July 3, 2005, just 22 days before her 86th birthday.

Erma was born July 25, 1919 in Creston in Flathead County, the youngest child born of George Garfield Meade Eckelberry and Mina May (Kinch) Eckelberry, who homesteaded in the valley in l887.

Erma lived nearly all her life in the Flathead Valley. As a young girl she cooked for many a "thrashing crew" for her parents on their farm. She learned many adult tasks as a small child, as her parents busied about their farm.

She married Lawrence Edward Benner on June 3, 1940. Upon marriage they moved to Sunburst where Lawrence worked for Texaco for a number of years, and where Darleen Occhiogrosso McCauley was born. They later moved to Columbia Falls, to a small farm, where Lonne was born.

Lawrence and Erma raised cattle, pigs, chickens and the like, while Lawrence worked in the lumber industry as a licensed steamfitter. Erma was a homemaker. She was always eager to help her nephew in the potato fields and she hauled grain to town during harvest time, helping any relative that needed help. She and Lawrence would haul machinery for repairing, and they enjoyed smoking fish for people. They tried hard not to miss an auction sale.She loved to garden when she was able, and she worked side by side with Lawrence at every endeavor he undertook.

They celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary together on June 3, 1997.

Her passions were her two children, nine grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren, other relatives and her friends.

When visiting their daughter and son-in-law and family in Washington, they loved to salmon fish, and they enjoyed camping in their motor home. They camped often with family in the Flathead.

She enjoyed painting ceramics, playing pinochle and bingo, reading and she loved playing cribbage with Tom. He considered her a "shark" at playing cribbage and she loved to "crow" when she won, often teasing him of dealing off the bottom if and when he got ahead of her.

She loved baseball, and the Seattle Mariners were a favorite.

A kind and generous soul, she lived a life of simple pleasures, the love of family; the peace and joy her embroidery work gave her on the hundreds of pairs of pillow cases she created - how she enjoyed that. Often times she proudly showed drawers full of fresh sewn ones, and anyone excited at seeing the different colors and print, often left the bedroom with a pair in their hand. They were her trademark gift of love.

She greatly enjoyed the satisfaction of being with family and friends in the warmth of her home, before she endured the transition of moving from the farm to her present home at Prestige. She nurtured tenderly, gently and she was blessed in life and death, surrounded by the love of her family and the peaceful embrace of God's universe.

Erma had an abundance of love to give and was generous in sharing it. She loved her, family and her many friends. Her positive attitude, her unbreakable spirit, and her vibrant enthusiasm for life guided her through health struggles and heartache, and she inspired those who knew and loved her.

Erma leaves a legacy few can claim, but all should aspire to. She was much more than a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, sister-in-law and friend; she was a pillar of faith and selfless in everything she did. Her absence in our lives will leave a "hole" that will never be filled, and she will be deeply missed by those who were privileged to know her. She enabled us to see the possibilities in anything and everything, one day at a time. Her steadfastness and perseverance reflected her hope of eternal life and glory with her savior Jesus Christ. Her profound and unshakable commitment to her Lord carried her through many uncertain events and trials.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Lawrence E. Benner; her sisters, Margaret Logan, Ruth Olsen, Orisse Wendt, Mildred Eckelberry and Thelma Eckelberry; brothers, George Lee Eckelberry, Gerald and Kenneth Eckelberry; and grandson, Larry Benner.

She is survived by her beloved family, daughter, Darleen, and husband, Tom McCauley of Ferndale, Wash.; son, Lonne Benner, and wife, Susan, of Columbia Falls; granddaughters, Melody Sheehan and husband John of Bellingham, Wash., Diana McDonald and husband Scott, of Ferndale, Wash., Lanae Daffern and husband Shawn of Kalispell, and Laura Hunt and husband Doug of Columbia Falls; grandsons, Chuck Occhiogrosso and wife Jeanne of Ferndale, Wash., Lance Benner and wife Krissy of Columbia Falls; Scott McCauley and wife Sheila, and Ian McCauley, all of Ferndale, Wash.; and Ronald, Logan and Landn Benner of the Valley; great-grandchildren, Lyndee, Bradlee and Matthew Sheehan, Tyler, Ryan and Chasen Occhiogrosso, Ashlee and Preston McDonald, Britni and Sean McCauley, Lauren and Tyler Daffern, Tristen and Dillon Benner, and Ethan Hunt; more like sisters than sisters-in-law, Audrey Wigen and husband Byron of Devon; and Jane Bykonen of Shelby; nephew, Rod and wife Ilo of Columbia Falls who we are very grateful to for their constant love and support; numerous other nephews and nieces; and cousins, Eunice and husband Clyde Johnson, who lovingly supported Erma and kept her in supply of "goodies."

Our deep appreciation goes Dr. Palcheck, the staff at Heritage, Pastor Newby; and her niece, Adeline Logan, who gave graciously her help, friendship and support.

Memorials may be sent to the Bad Rock Fire Department, c/o Darleen McCauley, 2415 Pine Drive, Ferndale, WA 98248 and they will be forwarded.

A celebration of life for Erma Eckleberry Benner will be held at 2 p.m. July 8 at Johnson's Funeral Home in Kalispell.