Freda Dale Roberts

Freda Dale Roberts, 85, of Columbia Falls, was called home to her Lord and Savior Friday, Sept. 21, 2007, in Kalispell, after a brief stay at Brendan House while battling cancer. She was born Sept. 2, 1922 near Hulett, Wyo. to Lyle and Iva (Butts) Brimmer.

Freda was the third of five children and was also the only daughter of Lyle and Iva. She married Arthur William Roberts on Sept. 23, 1939 in Sundance, Wyo. They lived in various places in Wyoming until moving to Whitefish in 1954. In 1956 they moved to White Sulphur Springs, where Freda was a cook at the hospital until she became a cook for the ranch hands at Doggett’s Ranch. They settled in Pablo in 1969, where Freda worked as a nurse’s aide at St. Joseph’s for 22 years. After her husband passed away, she moved to Columbia Falls to be closer to her daughters. She was affectionately called “Great” by her loving family which included eight children, 21 grandchildren, 51 great grand children and 14 great-great grandchildren. She has been an inspiration to all for her strength in all situations.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, Wiley, Lorraine, Thad and KC; her husband; two infant children, Carolyn and Dwight, and one adult son, Lance Roberts; two granddaughters, Sally Ann Moler and Nancy Lee Foote; and an infant great grandson, Michael Andrew Bowers.

She is survived by her five daughters; Vonda Nobles and husband Jay of Kalispell; Charolette Moler and husband, Leroy, of Long Branch, Wash.; Alane Rohletter and husband, Bob, of White Sulpher Springs; Mary Etta Roberts of Columbia Falls; and Nancy Mallery and husband, Ron, of Kalispell; and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

A memorial service was be held for Freda on Saturday, Sept. 29 at North Valley Baptist Church in Columbia Falls.

Johnson Mortuary and Crematory is caring for Freda’s family. You are invited to go to www.johnsonmortuary.com to offer condolences and sign Freda’s guest book.

Betty Ann Remsik

Betty Ann (Brown) Remsik, 58, a wife, mother and homemaker, died Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007, in Spokane’s Holy Family Hospital.

Born March 12, 1949 in Havre, Betty moved with her family in 1951 to the Canyon area of Flathead Valley, where she grew up and attended Columbia Falls School District 6.

She married Francis “Frank” Remsik on Dec. 14, 1968, in Seattle, Wash. They lived in Montana, Washington, Illinois, Colorado and Oregon, following Frank’s work with the U.S. Postal Service. Upon his retirement in 2004, they moved to Spokane.

Betty’s love for her family and friends made her the special person she was. She loved art, music and animals. Betty found beauty in almost everything and loved the simple things in life. She was happy wherever she lived, with whatever she did, and loved being a mother to her three boys. We will all miss her greatly.

Betty was preceded in death by her mother, Nettie Ellen Youso Brown, who died April 26, 1997, in Kalispell.

She is survived by her husband, Francis, and their three sons: Frank and wife, Terri, of Missouri; Terry and wife, Rose, of Germany; and John and wife, Jackie, of Minnesota, and five grandchildren. She is also survived by her father, Byron Brown Sr. of Coram; one sister, Charlotte E. and husband, Tom McClain, of Coram; brothers Byron C. Brown Jr. of Wellington, Utah, and Harry W. and wife, Vicki Brown, of Coram; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Betty’s wishes were to be cremated. There was a small gathering for family and friends at the Remsik home in Spokane on Wednesday, Oct. 3 in remembrance of Betty.

Beatrice Marais

Beatrice “Bea” Marais, 87, passed away on Friday, Sept. 28, 2007 at the Immanuel Lutheran Home in Kalispell. She was born on Jan. 5, 1920 in Manchester, England to William and Mary Ann (Waring) Roberts.

Bea lost both of her parents when she was very young. She spent some time in a Catholic orphanage affiliated with a convent, then lived with her older sister. Bea met and married Gordon Marais in Great Britain while he was stationed there in the U.S. Army. They had two children and moved to the United States in 1947. They later divorced.

Bea lived in New York, California and finally in the Flathead Valley. She was in retail management and worked at Bullock’s Wilshire on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. It is a historical landmark that was destroyed during the Rodney King riots.

Bea was known for her creative baskets, which were spotlighted in the L.A Times newspaper. She enjoyed sewing and reading until her eyesight began to fail. She was also very social and liked being with people. She will be deeply missed by all who know and loved her.

Bea is survived by a daughter, Susan Trust and husband, Ken, of Bigfork; a son, Philip Marais of Palos Verdes, Calif.; three grandchildren; and one great grandson.

No services are planned at this time.

Johnson Mortuary and Crematory is caring for Bea’s family. You are invited to go to www.johnsonmortuary.com to offer condolences and sign Bea’s guest book.

Laura Riene`

Laura Riene`, 69, beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend passed away peacefully at her family’s Columbia Falls home on Monday, Sept. 24, 2007 after a long battle against cancer. She was born July 13, 1938 in Bakersfield, Calif. to Lowell and Dorothy (Mimi) Ball.

She graduated high school in Bakersfield and went on to advanced education at Stevens College, the University of Missouri at Columbia and UCLA. She also pursued lifelong education in art, natural healing and counseling.

Laura was an innately gifted artist with talent in many disciplines and a keen eye for natural beauty. She found joy in her ability to listen to others and provide them advice, counsel and comfort. She greatly enjoyed nature and took delight in any time spent outdoors. Observing the antics of wildlife always brought a smile to her face.

Laura was preceded in death by her parents.

She is survived by her children, Monique, Robyn, Rhonda and Roger; her four grandchildren; and sister, Brenda.

Cremation has taken place and, at Laura’s request, no formal services are being held. Her family will hold a remembrance and celebration of her life at her daughter’s home in Columbia Falls on Saturday, Oct. 6 from 3 to 5 p.m. Friends are invited to attend and can call 257-1176 for directions. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests any memorial contributions be made to the charity of the donor’s choice. Laura touched many lives and will be greatly missed.

Johnson Mortuary & Crematory is caring for Laura’s family. You are invited to go to www.johnsonmortuary.com to offer condolences and sign Laura’s guest book.

Eunice ‘Roxy’ Welch

Eunice Maxine “Roxy” Welch, 81, died from natural causes on Friday, Sept. 28, 2007 at her home in Columbia Falls.

She was born June 1, 1927 to Karl and Agnes Larson in Fargo, N.D. She moved to Shelby after graduating from high school, where she met and married Wilford Welch on June 13, 1946. They lived in the Oilmont-Sunburst area until moving to Columbia Falls in 1991.

Roxy was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers and two sisters.

Survivors include her husband, Wilford, of Columbia Falls; daughters Linda Hammer (Larry) of Spokane, Wash., and Dixie Lawrence (Howie) of Kalispell; son Frank (Sheri) Welch of Kentwood, Mich.; sisters Luella McClure of Bismarck, N.D., Beverly Holmes of Fargo, N.D. and Donna Mitzel of Indianapolis, Ind.; eight grandchildren, Mike (Shana), Marci (Tracy), Matt, Brent, Brenda (Mike), Ben (Julie) and Robyn (Justin) and Kayla; and numerous great-grandchildren.

Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4 at the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls.

Services are at 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5 at the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls. Rev. Ray Davis and Rev. David Merkel are officiating. Interment will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Columbia Falls.

Lynn M. Chilcote

Lynn M. Chilcote, 47, went home to be with the Lord on Monday, Sept. 24, 2007 following a courageous battle with cancer.

She graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1978, then went on to Pillsbury Bible College, graduating in 1986. Following her graduation, she worked as the secretary at Camp Ironwood in Newberry Springs, Calif., for 21 years. She loved the Lord and served him faithfully.

Lynn is survived by her parents, Roger and Margaret Chilcote of Columbia Falls; her sisters, Marcy Chilcote of Blaine, Minn., and Susan Chilcote Brill and her husband, Ed, of Sterling, Ill.; and nieces, Hannah Joy Brill and Beth Elise Brill of Sterling, Ill.

Lynn was loved by many and will be greatly missed.

A memorial service was held Thursday, Sept. 27, at the Barstow Baptist Temple in Barstow, Calif.

A funeral service will be held Thursday, October 4, at 2 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Columbia Falls. Pastor Jerry Buchanan will officiate. Burial will follow in Woodlawn Cemetery. The casket will not be open for viewing.

The family has suggested that memorials be made to Camp Ironwood, 49191 Cherokee Road, Newberry Springs, CA 92365.

Dr. Bruce A. Allison

Dr. Bruce A. Allison, 86, passed away peacefully in the presence of family and loved ones at Kalispell Regional Medical Center on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2007, following a brief illness. He was born on July 1, 1921, in Columbia Falls to Dr. William Carmine Allison and Valentine (Martin) Allison.

He was a third-generation Flathead County native, grew up in Kalispell, Columbia Falls, Coram and Whitefish and graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1939. He attended college at the University of Montana and graduated with a degree in pre-med in 1943, then went on to medical school at Cornell University in New York where he received his MD in 1946. He wanted to be a doctor from an early age, wishing to follow in the footsteps of his father, Dr. William Carmine Allison, who died unexpectedly in 1932 when Bruce was just 11 years of age.

It was a tortuous path as he was blinded in one eye as the result of a chemistry lab explosion during his undergraduate college years, rendering him unable to perform detailed surgery, but he persevered and got through medical school and was able to conduct a very satisfying and successful family practice over the course of more than 50 years.

Bruce was in the U.S. Army throughout medical school and served as a doctor following his graduation both in Germany and at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. He also worked at Bellevue Hospital in New York and met with and assisted in the treatment of Babe Ruth during the Babe’s final illness.

Bruce married Arretta Dobrovolny, a Missoula native, in June of 1943 in New York City. In the fall of 1949 the couple returned to the Flathead and opened a medical office in Hungry Horse, which was booming at the time because of the construction of the dam. In the summer of 1950 they decided to move to Kalispell and open a medical office there.

Dr. Allison worked tirelessly as a general/family practitioner in Kalispell for half a century, finally retiring in January of 2000. During his career he delivered nearly 3,000 babies in Flathead County, in addition to treating all forms of medical illness, injuries and conditions. For two decades he charged $75 for full prenatal care up through and including the actual delivery itself, recently commenting that a flu-shot costs about that much now. He made house calls, often in the middle of the night or on the weekends, in the years prior to the existence of an ER at local hospitals. This small part of the world was a different place then, and a better place for his efforts.

Bruce and Arretta had three children, Robert Allison of Kalispell, Stuart Allison of Atlanta, Ga., and Rose Marie Bennahmias of Ladera Ranch, Calif., and four grandchildren, Ian Allison, Paige Allison, Alycia Clore and Adam Bennahmias. His beloved wife Arretta predeceased him in 1998 following nearly 55 years of marriage. In the last five years of his life he lived with his devoted companion and long-time friend, Mary Sibley, whom he had known since his high school days in Columbia Falls in the late 1930s. His brother, Dr. William Allison, a well-known local dentist for many years, predeceased him in 1999. His sister, Evelyn Grinde, lives in Ohio. He also leaves behind his brother’s widow, Ebby (Beebe) Allison of Columbia Falls, to whom he was very close, and numerous nieces and nephews.

In his rare free time, Bruce was an avid outdoorsman, canoeist, fisherman and hunter, and also enjoyed searching for arrowheads and artifacts of earlier times, much of which he contributed to museums and to the Montana Historical Society, of which he was an active member for many years. He loved spending time at his cabin on Flathead Lake, where he served for years as an informal ER, removing fish hooks from the limbs and appendages of unfortunate anglers, and planting trees on his primitive, undeveloped property on the Swan River.

He was a staunch environmentalist and social liberal, but fiscally conservative. Bruce served as a hospice volunteer for years. He was on the staff of Kalispell Regional Hospital for many years and served a term as chief-of-staff of that facility when it was still located on 5th Avenue East.

A memorial service was held at Johnson Mortuary, 525 Main Street, Kalispell, on Saturday, Sept. 29, with Rev. Tom Best officiating. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to the Home Options Hospice, 175 Commons Loop, Suite 100, Kalispell, MT 59901.

Johnson Mortuary and Crematory is caring for Bruce’s family. You are invited to go to www.johnsonmortuary.com to offer condolences and sign Bruce’s guest book.