Obituaries

Linda Tamburelli

Linda Marie Tamburelli, 66, lost a very courageous battle with cancer on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008. We have lost a loving wife, a generous mother, a devoted grandmother, sister and the best friend anybody could possibly have.

Linda was born on Jan. 14, 1942, in Yuba City, Calif., to Nolan Audra Lewis and Hulda Marie Lewis. Linda spent her childhood in Yuba City with her sister, Susan, and her brother, Nolan (Butch). In 1959, Linda met the love of her life at the state fair. Mike and Linda started their nearly 50 years together and the adventure of a lifetime by marrying on July 2, 1960. In June of 1966, Mike and Linda started their family with a young boy named Joseph and later a beautiful girl, Christina.

Mike and Linda decided in 1976 to pack up their family and move to the rugged hills of Montana. They spent many days building a mobile home park in Columbia Falls. Linda managed the trailer park until she graciously left us. After 12 years of having a beautiful family of four, what a blessed surprise, a baby boy of their own, Michael, was born in January 1978.

Linda loved to go boating, fishing, water skiing and traveling between Montana and Arizona. Mike and Linda have had the best years of their lives traveling — seeing the world and meeting new friends on each journey. Linda battled cancer off and on for the past 20 years. Cancer slowed her down occasionally but it never got her spirits. Linda’s hardest struggle in life was watching her baby girl, Christina, pass away from cancer in 1995. Through all the trips to doctors, Linda still had a smile on her face and took time to spend with each of her grandchildren.

Linda was preceded in death by her daughter, Christina; mother, Marie; father, Nolen; mother-in-law, Angelina; and father-in-law, Mike.

Linda leaves behind her devoted husband, Mike; son, Joe, wife, Tammy and their children, Courtney, Angie and Joey; son, Michael, wife, Maria, and their children, Mickey and Kristina, Taylor, and Hunter; sister, Susan from Colorado; brother, Butch, wife Brenda, and their children, Aaron and Rebecca from California; and son-in-law, Rory Schwalk.

A visitation was scheduled Wednesday, Dec. 10 from 1 to 8 p.m. at the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls.

A funeral service will be held Thursday, Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. at the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls. Burial will follow in Woodlawn Cemetery.

The family would like to invite all friends and family to join them at the Columbia Falls Fire Department afterwards for a luncheon and to share wonderful memories of Linda. We rejoice in the time we were given with Linda but are saddened by her early departure. God bless you, Linda. You will be dearly missed!

Morris Neugebauer

“Damn it!” as Morrie would say. Way too soon, Morris David Neugebauer, 64, of Whitefish rode out of this life at “High Noon” on Thanksgiving Day 2008 surrounded by love.

Morrie was born in Parkston, S.D., on April 12, 1944 to Fred and Leona Neugebauer. He was born into a musical family so he came by it naturally when he made his lifetime career in country music with various musician friends and family through numerous years. His most lasting musical experience was with his wife of 30 years and soul mate Carla. Together they played music and warmed the hearts and souls of many a fan and friend from Wyoming and Montana, Idaho and Washington. In 1991 they produced a recording, “Eastside Bound” that has been heard the world over.

Morrie and Carla also spent the past 13 years together caring for the Whitefish Cemetery with great pride and were instrumental in their most recent accomplishment of the refurbishing of the Veterans Memorial there to honor, among many others, Morrie’s son Matthew who is serving in the Army in Afghanistan.

Morrie was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Leona Neugebauer; brother Wilmer Neugebauer; sister Esther Combs; and son Wade David Neugebauer.

He is survived by the love of his life, Carla; son, Army Capt. Matthew Neugebauer Swingholm and wife Lisa; stepson Curtis Ost and wife Staci; stepdaughter Monica Foster and husband Jeff; seven granddaughters, Brandi and Madison Swingholm, Kayla and Kendra Ost, Presley and Makenna Foster, and Wade’s daughter Kayley. Morrie is also survived by three brothers, Ron (Marion) Neugebauer, Bob (Vonnie) Neugebauer and Guy (Dianna) Neugebauer; sister Gloria (Al) Serr and sister-in-law Dorothy (Al) Neugebauer Ketterling; many treasured nieces, nephews, families, friends; and his dearest and most trusted lifetime fine friend, Lon P. Davis.

A celebration of Morrie’s life will be held at the Moose Lodge of Whitefish on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, anyone wishing to participate in a “Memory Deck” may bring an 8-foot 2x6 of redwood to be engraved with the giver’s name. The existing deck broke away from his home literally minutes after his passing. Hmmm.

Lucille Gibson

Lucille Marcia Gibson, 86, of Columbia Falls passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008, due to natural causes. Lucille was born on April 22, 1922 in Columbus, Neb., to Sutton and Martha Woods.

She graduated from Marshall Missouri High School, attended Missouri Teachers College at Warrensburg, Mo., and taught in a rural school. In 1943, she worked for the US Weather Bureau in Huron, S.D., and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy Waves in May 1944. She was then stationed at the Navy Weather Central in Seattle, Wash. While there, she met the love of her life, Albert O. Gibson, and they were married on Sept. 26, 1946, in Superior, and became parents of four children.

Lucille loved teaching school as a substitute teacher. She never drove, so she caught the bus to school with the kids. She was an avid reader and loved sharing her knowledge with children of all ages.

Lucille and Al started traveling after retirement and were fortunate to have visited 49 states. She loved Alaska — the land of the midnight sun — because she could read all night.

She was very proud of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, especially those who have served in the military.

Lucille was preceded in death by her mom and dad, Sutton and Martha Woods.

She is survived by her loving husband, Al Gibson; and her four children, Steven and Merry Ann Gibson of Newport, Wash., Jeanne and Pat Burk of Trout Creek, Marcia and Chad Trenkle of Columbia Falls, and Mike and Carolyn Gibson of Columbia Falls; 11 great-grandchildren; and 17 grandchildren. She is survived by a sister, Barbara and Howard Ranes of Missouri, and their wonderful traveling companions, Art and Ann Trenkle of Columbia Falls.

A celebration of life honoring Lucille was held on Saturday, Dec. 6 at the North Valley Community Center in Columbia Falls.