Violet Carlson
Violet May Carlson, 89, of Columbia Falls, passed away April 15, 2010.
She was born April 14, 1921, in Ogema, Minn., to Raymond and Emma LaValley. On April 13, 1941, she married James Carlson in Pelican Rapids, Minn.
Violet was a lifetime member of Daughters of the Nile, Sapphira Temple No. 79, and Order of the Eastern Star, Vista Chapter No. 44.
She will be remembered for living life her way. She was an accomplished seamstress and worked many years as the costume designer for the Whitefish Theatre Company. She raised money for various organizations by sharing her collection of antique clothing and accessories, taking people back in time with vintage fashion shows. She was a gifted musician.
She was a notable antique collector, appraiser and dealer. In her lifetime, she worked as a dental hygienist, tax preparer, waitress, cashier, volunteer and homemaker.
She was preceded in death by her father and mother, husband, sister Betty Hillestad, son-in-law Frank McMaster and grandsons Carey and Ian McMaster.
She is survived by her brothers William LaValley and wife Theresa, and Thomas LaValley and wife Dixie, all of Columbia Falls; brother-in-law Paul Hillestad, of Newport, Wash.; son Thomas Carlson and wife Claudia, of Lake Oswego, Ore.; daughter Rae McMaster, of Kalispell; sonVernon Carlson, of Williston, N.D.; daughter Paula Robinson and husband Richard, of Columbia Falls; grandchildren Suzanne Carlson, Scott and Laurie Gordon, Kevin and Heather McMaster, Dave and Angela LeFebvre, Erin Carlson, Steven Robinson, Michael Robinson, Jeremy and Mary Kellogg; great grandchildren Tasja and Adrian McMaster, and William Blake; and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held in July when family and friends can gather in celebration of her life.
Frederick Krause
Frederick Herman Krause, 90, "broke camp" for one last time on April 12, 2010, at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls.
He was born near Polson to Edith (Rein) and Herman Krause on Jan. 20, 1920, and spent his early years there before moving with the family to the Bad Rock area near Columbia Falls.
He spent time in the Civilian Conservation Corps during the late 1930s before moving to the Seattle area. He was in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, as a civilian worker and was at sea when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He was in Dutch Harbor on the two occasions when it was bombed.
Returning to Seattle, he worked in ship building until he was inducted in the Navy in 1943. He served with the Navy Construction Battalion "Seabees' and saw action in the Gilbert and Marshall islands campaigns and on Iwo Jima, where he was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received on May 13, 1945.
Returning to the Flathead after the war, he met and married Minnie Hissong on Sept. 15, 1945, at her parents' home in Somers. They were blessed with five children and more than 64 years together.
Fred was a logger without equal and a road builder. He was always proud of having built the Peter's Ridge Road to the Jewel Basin area. Logging, wood cutting or hunting was his greatest passion. He also farmed for many years west of Whitefish in the Bissell community, and one of his special joys was to get the Christmas tree for Bissell School. He was a man who worked hard but cared deeply for others and will be missed.
Fred was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, one brother and one grandson.
He is survived by his wife, Minnie, at Colonial Manor in Whitefish; sister Colleen Schafer, of Bothell, Wash.; daughter Myrna Dull and husband James, of Columbia Falls; sons Fred Krause, of Columbia Falls, Harold Krause and wife Caroline, of Whitefish, Mark Krause, of Pablo, and Steven Krause, of Homer, Alaska; 13 grandchildren; 10 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held at Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls on Thursday, April 22, from 1-8 p.m. Funeral service will be held at Columbia Mortuary on Friday, April 23, at 11 a.m. with Pastor Darrell Newby officiating. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery with graveside military honors by the United Veterans of the Flathead and the Montana Army National Guard.
Jack Muir
Jack Wilson Muir, 93, of Butte, died April 10, 2010, at home with his wife at his side.
He was born in Great Falls on Feb. 8, 1917, to Scottish immigrants, John and Mary Muir. He was proud of his Scottish heritage. Jack was an avid supporter of the Boy Scouts, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. He attended local schools where he met his future wife, Irene Janetski. Both members of the Great Falls High School Band, they graduated in 1935.
He attended the University of Montana and the University of Oregon, where he graduated with a degree in accounting. After attending the Thomas J. Watson School in New York, where executives learned to use new computer systems, he went to work as an accountant for the Anaconda Company in Great Falls.
On Dec. 7, 1940, he married his sweetheart, Irene. ACM then transferred Jack to their mine in Chuquicamata, Chile, where he set up their accounting system. The couple returned to Great Falls after five years and then transferred to Butte. He retired from the company in 1979 after 40 years of service.
Jack was a lifetime golfer and won several tournaments over the years. He had many golfing friends and golfed into his late 80s.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Hugh.
Jack is survived by his wife; brother Bob Muir and wife Barbara, of Billings; daughter Linda Coolidge and husband Del, of Whitefish; son Jack Muir Jr., and wife Sydney, of Lakeside; son Daniel Muir and wife Coreena, of Kalispell; daughter Maryanne Muir, of New Jersey; grandchildren Brian Oelberg, Laura Wilson and family, Jennifer Braunstein, Jeremy Muir and family, Justin Muir and family, and Jason Muir; step grandchildren Cody Bras, Lea Gabriel, Evan Coolidge, and Melanie and Melissa Taylor; nine great grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Cremation has taken place in Butte. Liturgy of the Resurrection was celebrated at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Butte on April 16. Interment will take place in Great Falls at a later date.