Diane Sledge

Diane Sledge

Diane “Dot” Sledge, 62, formerly of Whitefish, died peacefully at her home in Grandview, Mo., due to complications as a result of a motor vehicle accident.

Dot was born June 29, 1946, in Kansas City, Mo., to Jack and Martha Vaught.

She attended Ruskin High School, where she met her high school sweetheart, Bill Sledge. They were married July 25, 1964.

Dot was always a very giving person and would give or help a perfect stranger. She had many friends in Whitefish, whom she was hoping to see again very soon. She was planning to return to Whitefish shortly.

She loved the Flathead Valley. She worked as a cook at the Buffalo Café for 12 years and enjoyed all of her co-workers and even her bosses. She loved gardening, rafting, reading and spending time with her friends.

She will be greatly missed as she was her daughters’ inspiration, and she was a ray of sunshine to her snowy hometown.

She was preceded in death by her husband Bill Sledge in 1999, her brother Jimmie Vaught, and her parents Martha and Jack Vaught.

Dot is survived by her daughters Kari Sledge and husband Sonny Johnson, of Whitefish, Lisa Sledge, of Sandpoint, Idaho; two sisters and three brothers, all of Kansas City, Mo.; grandchildren Brandon Oberdorfer, of Whitefish, Taylor Johnson, of Whitefish, Jeremy Dean, of Redding, Calif., and Devin and Lacey Sledge, of Sandpoint; and great grandchildren Leila Skye Oberdorfer, of Worcester, Mass., and Kaden James Springsteel, of Sandpoint.

Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will take place at a later date in the summer.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to help with expenses. Donations can be made at Glacier Bank in the name of Kari Sledge for the benefit of Diane Sledge. Checks must be written to Kari Sledge so she can deposit them into her mother’s memorial fund.