Lowell Alden Dukleth

Lowell Alden Dukleth, beloved husband and father, passed away peacefully in Oceanside, Calif., on March 10, 2009.

Lowell was born to John and Mildred Dukleth on July 27, 1927, in Whitefish, where he was an avid skier. He attended all Whitefish schools and graduated from Whitefish High School.

He served in the Army for a short time and then attended the University of Washington, in Seattle, where he got his bachelor’s in civil engineering.

Lowell met and married Margot Meisterfeld in Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1956, and together they had four children.

Lowell will be remembered by his friends and familhy for his sense of humor as well as the support and encouragement he gave to his wife and children. He will be missed by all.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Margot Dukleth, daughter Deanne Johnson and husband Keith, son Eric Dukleth and wife Beatriz, daughter Heidi Woolsey and husband Rick, and son Matthew Dukleth and wife Kriste, all of San Diego County; and 10 grandchildren who loved their “Poppi” dearly, Garrett, Taylor, Andrea, Erica, Jacob, Chad, Jared, Cameron, Reegan and Colton.

A Celebration of Life will take place in California on April 18, 2009. Family members will come to Whitefish this summer with Lowell’s ashes and scatter them over the ski run since he loved skiing so much.

Phyllis Carpenter

Phyllis Haake Carpenter died of pneumonia on March 14, 2009, at Mercy Hospital in San Diego, Calif., surrounded by her family. She was 78 years old.

She was born May 3, 1930, in Whitefish to Raymond Ronald Haake and Aileen Bowdish Haake.

Phyllis grew up in Whitefish, where her maternal family were homesteaders, and her father worked for 40 years as a brakeman and conductor for the Great Northern Railroad. She went to college in Havre and earned a degree in medical transcription.

Subsequently, she moved to Camp Zama, Yokahama, Japan, to work in the medical field for the Army. While there, she met and married her husband, Grant Carpenter, and moved to Grand Rapids, Mich.

About 15 years later, she moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where she worked first for a construction company, then the Honolulu Symphony, and finally as a hospital medical transcriber. Eventually, she moved to San Diego where she worked many years as secretary to the Chief of Harbor Police, from which she retired about 15 years ago.

Phyllis was predeceded in death by her parents and her brother Ronald Bruce Haake.

She is survived by her sister Lorna Haake Pohl, of San Diego; daughters Shan Carpenter and Tammy Carpenter Post and husband Kevin, all of Grand Rapids; nieces Marcia Pohl Alexander and husband Daniel, and Darcy Pohl Alvey and husband Ken, all of San Diego, and Sherrie Haake, of Phoenix, Ariz.; eight grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren.

Phyllis was buried at sea as she wished on March 19, 2009, in a private ceremony with her family.

Anyone wishing to make a charitable donation in her memory might choose stem cell and spinal cord injury research.