Search Archived Marriage Records
Paul Gibbs
Paul T. Gibbs, 92, of Kalispell, died at his home on Dec. 21, 2000.
He was born Sept. 22, 1908, in Memphis, Tenn. His parents were Jessie Margaret Hillyard and Alzier Gibbs. The family moved to Taft, Calif., in 1910, and he attended public schools there, graduating from Taft Union High School in 1926.
He was married to Rose C. Berry in 1931, in Reno, Nev. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service in the Lake Tahoe area, then later operated a petroleum distributorship in Taft.
He and Rose moved to the Spokane area in 1939 where he farmed for several years before purchasing a cattle ranch on Little Wolf Creek in Lincoln County.
The family then moved to a farm north of Kalispell in 1953. He always enjoyed ranching and farming most but he also owned several businesses over the years including a black powder reloading shop and two service stations.
He was involved with wildlife conservation all of his life and was an expert outdoorsman with an intimate knowledge of the wilderness areas of both Southern California and northwestern Montana. He enjoyed hunting and packing with horses and mules and won many prizes for his marksmanship with both modern and antique firearms. He was a member of the NRA; the Black Powder Association; and the Masons.
His interests also included the history and archaeology of the western United States. He enjoyed observing wildlife. He held a life-long respect for and interest in Native American culture and crafts. He enjoyed collecting and trading firearms and antique cars.
He is survived by sons, Theodore Gibbs of Graham, Wash., Dennis Gibbs and Clay Gibbs, both of Las Vegas; daughter Judith Lyons of Kalispell; as well as several grandchildren, including Tom Lyons of Libby, and great-grandchildren.
His wife Rose died in 1987 just after their 66th wedding anniversary.
He and his wife liked remodeling their homes together and they particularly enjoyed building their retirement home near Pleasant Valley, using timber from their property and doing much of the work themselves. They enjoyed their retirement years, spending time traveling and visiting relatives and friends out-of-state, always happy to return to Montana.
The family will schedule memorial services for both Paul and Rose during the coming summer.
Memorials to Hospice Home Options, 175 Commons Loop, Suite 100, Kalispell, MT 59901.
Arrangements were under the direction of Johnson Mortuary and Crematory in Kalispell.
Hope Smith
Hope L. Smith, 83, if Libby died on Monday, Jan. 1, 2001 at the Libby Care Center from natural causes.
She was born Feb. 26, 1917 in Mountain Park, Okla., to Carl and Pearl Bandy Self. She spent the first five years of her life living in Oklahoma, then the family moved to Washington State. She lived in the Columbian River basin area for most of her life.
In 1938 she married Lester Davis in Binging, Wash.
During World War II, Hope worked in the shipyards building ships.
She enjoyed traveling, camping and the outdoors.
Survivors include her son, Gerald Davis of Troy; her daughter, Beverly Haskins of Enterprise, Ore.; a brother, Sterling Montague of Arizona and a sister, Colleen Alison of Eugene, Ore.
Private family services will be held. Local arrangements are by the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home in Libby.
David Backen
David George Backen, 64, of Kula, Hawaii, died March 26, 2001, at Kahului, Hawaii.
He was born July 29, 1936, in Great Falls.
He had retired from Kiewit Pacific Construction as a heavy equipment operator and worked part-time for Decoite Trucking. At one time he had operated a logging business in Montana.
Backen attended Holy Cross Catholic Church.
He is survived by his wife Louise Miguel Backen, Kula; sons David Backen in Montana; Raymond and his wife Tina in Colorado; and George Backen in New York; daughter Charlotta Ost in Oregon; step-daughter Debbie and her husband Raymond Shirai, Hilo, Hawaii, and step-son Guy and his wife Serena Freitas, Kula; brothers Rodney Backen in Colorado; Gerald Backen in Idaho; Dan Backen and Joe Backen in Montana and Jack Backen in Arizona; sister Teddy Hyde in Idaho; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be conducted at 11:30 a.m. Friday at Holy Ghost Catholic Church.
Interment will follow at a later date in Montana.
Donald Leach
Former Libby businessman Donald Dean Leach, 89, died March 16, 2001, at the Utah State Veteran’s Home in Salt Lake City.
He was born on April 27, 1911, at Kalispell, to Glen Dean and Nellie Josephine Leach.
As a young man he worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a fire lookout and on lookout tower construction. He also spent time in the Civilian Conservation Corps, building roads through the mountains of western Montana.
He married Margaret Claypool of Kalispell in 1937 and moved to Libby where he was a partner in the Kootenai Mercantile until he and Margaret were divorced.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served on an Attack Cargo Ship during World War II. He was discharged in 1945.
They lived at Kalispell and at Sidney, where they operated an A&W Root Beer Drive-In until 1962, when Don went to work for the Holly Sugar Corporation, retiring as stationary boiler engineer.
In 1994 they moved to West Valley City, Utah, to live with their son.
Don was preceded in death by his wife Edna.
He is survived by his daughter Joan, son Bill; sisters Neva and Mildred, and many nieces and nephews.
Services were conducted on March 23, at the Community Presbyterian Church in Terry and interment followed in the family plot in the Prairie County Cemetery.
Candy Lindsey
Candy S. Lindsey, 44, died March 24, 2001, in Las Vegas.
She was born Jan. 24, 1957, in Bountiful, Utah. Candy had lived in Las Vegas since 1999, and was employed as a draftsman.
Survivors include her husband Vincent, Las Vegas; father Dale Terry in Oregon; brothers Dale is Idaho and Chris in Utah; and sisters Chaleh Read, Saudi Arabia; Dilaun Terry in Virginia, and Lois Hanson in Washington.
Private services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Davis Paradise Valley Funeral Home in Las Vegas and a second service will be conducted at a later date in Libby where the family has property.
Memorials may be made to the Arthritis Foundation or a charity of the donor’s choice.
Beaver Mason
Malcolm A. (Beaver) Mason, 78, of Libby, died on Sunday, March 25, 2001, at the Veterans’ Hospital in Spokane.
He was born on Aug. 4, 1922, at Fresno, Calif., to Patrick and Charlotte Herman Mason.
Beaver grew up in Palo Alto, Calif., where he attended school.
He served with the U.S. Army.
After receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to Palo Alto where he worked with his father in the painting business.
He moved to Libby in 1952.
In 1961, Beaver returned to California where he lived until his retirement in 1988, when he returned to Libby.
Beaver enjoyed remodeling jobs, gardening and fishing.
He was an active member of the Elks Lodge.
Preceded in death by his wife Frances in 1996, Beaver is survived by son Mike Mason and his wife Jule, Libby; and a brother Alvin Mason and his wife Dorothy in Minnesota.
Services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Paul Wheeler
The Rev. W. Paul Wheeler, 58, of Libby, died Monday, March 26, 2001, at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital following a long illness.
He was born on Oct. 27, 1942, at Winthrop, Wash., to the Rev. Walter and Genevieve Wheeler.
Paul attended grade school in Twisp, Wash., and graduated from high school at Grand Coulee, Wash. During his years in high school he was active in sports, especially football and in music — singing and playing trumpet..
Following high school he was employed as a smokejumper for the U.S. Forest Service.
Paul earned a bachelor’s degree from Northwest College in Kirkland, Wash., and during his college years he was student body president and president of the missionary society. He worked with the college public relations team and served a missionary internship in Guyana.
While in college he met Anita Green and they were married on June 19, 1965. They ministered together for 36 years. Paul also continued his education at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary at Springfield, Mo.
He pastored Assembly of God churches in Pine Bluffs, Wyo., Stoneham, Colo.; Superior and Cut Bank in Montana, Gunnison, Colo., and Baker, before coming to Libby in 1995.
He also spent some years in ministry at American Somoa.
A devoted husband and father, Paul spent time with his sons on the football field, hunting and fishing and supporting school events.
Survivors include his wife Anita, Libby; sons Michael Wheeler and his wife Candice, Kirkland; Steven Wheeler and Scott Wheeler, both of Libby; his parents, the Rev. Walter and Genevieve Wheeler of Libby; siblings Arlene Brewer, Kirkland; Genevieve Benintendi, Kirkland; Eunice Bloomer, Seattle; Steven Wheeler, Gilroy, Calif., and Deedi Lloyd, Wilmington, N.C., and numerous nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Libby Assembly of God Church with the Revs. Paul Goodman, Kevin Lindgren and Raymond Bache officiating.
Interment services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Woodlawn Cemetery in Snohomish, Wash.
Friends may call from 1-9 p.m. Thursday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home and until noon Friday at the church.
Memorials may be made to the Paul Wheeler Memorial Scholarship Fund, 1108 Utah Avenue, Libby.
