Carol Newbury

Born June 11, 1933, in a little house by City Beach, Carol Louise Hedman Newbury ascended into Heaven Good Friday, April 10, 2020.

She was the second eldest of seven children born to Vern and Edena Hedman. Her first summer was spent in a tent at West Glacier, where Vern was a smokechaser for Glacier National Park. Other early years were spent along the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, where mother Edena took turns bathing her children, alternating with a black bear sow and her cubs. When grizzly bears frequented their porch once too often, father Vern dispatched them with a pistol.

Carol attended grades one-12 at Whitefish schools from 1939-1951. She and elder brother Cleave began school together and graduated together in 1951. Carol married Frank J. Newbury Dec. 28, 1952 in Whitefish. Into this union were born daughter Jeanne Briette (Lou); son F. Ron; son Russ (Loralee); and daughter Gail Franks (Mark). The family was often found camping, from Glacier National Park to the provinces of Canada, with an occasional foray to Alaska. Music filled the air in their home and pervades the family’s lives to this day. Carol’s reunion with family in Heaven surely led to a musical celebration rarely seen.

Central to Carol’s existence was her life-long membership in the Whitefish United Methodist Church. Hundreds of children, including her own, received their tutelage in Christianity from Carol over 25 years. She held many offices in the Church. Carol began playing piano for church services in 1949 and continued until 2001, with brief respites to raise her children.

Carol was active in many community service organizations. For more than 40 years she enjoyed playing piano and accordion for nursing homes, Soroptimists and Whitefish Golden Agers.

Carol worked for Torbert’s for three years following graduation, and later the Downtowner Motel, the Whitefish Pilot as a typesetter, and Coast To Coast hardware; Carol was a fixture at Haines Drug for 13 years. Carol was a teacher’s aide at Muldown Elementary School for seven years, and also the site manager for Whitefish Golden Agers for four years.

She is survived by her four children, 13 grandchildren, 10 great grands, two brothers D. Eugene Hedman and Allan L. Hedman and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents Vern and Edena Hedman, and siblings Barbara Koppy, Cleave Hedman, Wayne Hedman and Joyce Emmert.

In lieu of flowers please send memorials to the United Methodist Church of Whitefish, Methodist Women, PO Box 4248, Whitefish, MT 59937.

Services will be at a later date.