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Jane Nelson
Former Libby resident Jane Oberg Nelson, 91, died on May 27, 2004, at the Big Sky Care Center in Helena.
She was born on Dec. 18, 1912, at Minneapolis to Agnes Staps and Clarence Oberg.
Jane married
Woodrow Nelson on May 25, 1935.
An accomplished organist and pianist and a lifelong Episcopalian, Jane served as choir director, organist and vestry member in the various communities in which she lived.
Jane is survived by sons Robert, James and Thomas, daughter Mary Jane Pederson, sister Helena Hillstrom, 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Woodrow Nelson and their son William.
A funeral Mass was conducted at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Helena and burial services will be held at a later date at the Church of the Incarnation in Great Falls.
Retz Funeral Home of Helena is handling arrangements and Jane’s family has suggested that memorials be made to St. Peters, 511 North Park Avenue, Helena.
Eleanor Richey
Longtime Libby resident Eleanor I. Richey, 90, died on Sunday, May 30, 2004 at the Libby Care Center where she had lived for the past few years.
She was born on March 13, 1914, to Albert and Martha Bissell of Seattle.
She married
Cecil Y. Richey in 1934 at Arlington, Wash., where they operated a small dairy farm, raised three children and provided a home to several foster children.
The family moved to Libby in 1952 where Cecil was employed by the J. Neils Lumber Company.
Eleanor was active as a Sunday school teacher and church pianist for many years. Prayer and Bible study were an important part of her day. Most recently she attended the Church of the Nazarene.
Family was her first priority and children and grandchildren have fond memories of holiday and Sunday dinners at Grandma Richey’s house.
Eleanor loved to entertain and was always prepared to feed whoever might show up around dinnertime.
She will be especially remembered for her fresh breads, desserts and molasses cookies.
Eleanor loved to garden and can fresh fruits and vegetables.
A kind and loving woman, Eleanor cared for friends, family and stray cats that came her way.
She was preceded in death by her husband Cecil, daughter Maribeth Faris and brother Howard Bissell.
Survivors include son Elmore Richey, Elko, Nev., daughter-in-law Dorothy Richey of Troy, and daughter Carolyn Sue Noble, Nampa, Idaho; six grandsons, two granddaughters, seven great-grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren.
A graveside service will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 5, at Milnor Lake cemetery.
Viewing is from 1-8 p.m. on Friday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Barbara McMillan
Former Libby resident Barbara Lynne McMillan, 51, of North Bend, Ore., died on May 20, 2004.
She was born on Jan. 17, 1953, at Everett, Wash., to Pete and Leona Siefke Borup.
Raised and educated at Libby, Barbara lived in Libby until moving to Oregon late last year.
A devoted and loving mother and homemaker, she enjoyed the outdoors, camping and picking huckleberries with her sons.
Barbara loved animals and once had a well-trained pet raccoon named Chitters.
Survivors include sons Alan McMillan, Libby, Jim and his wife Paula McMillan, North Bend, and Jesse McMillan and Jerry Thorsrud, both of Libby; brothers Dennis Borup, Marysville, Wash., and David Borup, Hermiston, Ore.; sisters Gloria Cornwell, Irrigon, Ore., and Betty Croucher, Libby, and eight grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by infant son Shawn McMillan.
Arrangements are under the direction of Nelson’s Bay Area Mortuary where cremation has taken place.
Edith Napier
Edith C. Napier, 84, a 54-year Libby resident, died at Libby on May 24, 2004,
She was born on July 4, 1919, in Wisconsin, to Benjamin and Lovina Schultz.
Edith married
Bert Napier in 1945 and they came to Libby in 1950.
Edith worked for many years at the Libby Hotel and for local restaurants including the Libby Café and the Ten Pin Café. She also had been companion and caretaker for many children and adults.
Her husband Bert preceded her in death in 1985.
Edith was a longtime member of the United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her children Barbara Napier and Richard Napier, both of Libby, Regina (Jean) Hovland and her husband Larry, Port Orchard, Wash., and Roger Napier and his wife Robin, Great Falls, sister-in-law Edna Postlethwaite, Libby, eight grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Services were conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Robert Foote officiating.
Interment followed at the City of Libby cemetery.
Viewing took place from 5-8 p.m. on Monday at the funeral home.
Zella Wagner
Zella M. Wagner, 86, of Libby, died at Libby on May 28, 2004.
She was born on Dec. 30, 1917, to Urie and Hester Cowan at Basano, Alberta, Canada. The family lived in Canada for five years before returning to the United States to settle in the Mission Valley.
Zella was raised and educated at Ronan.
She married
Clare (Hap) Wagner on Jan. 15, 1935.
They farmed in the Mission Valley until coming to Libby in September 1955.
Hap Wagner preceded his wife in death in 1986.
Zella enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles and playing cards and was known for her handiwork, crocheting beautiful afghans for family members and friends.
Survivors include sons Bill Wagner and his wife Ruth and Jerry Wagner, all of Libby; brother Jack Cowan, Lake Havasu, Ariz.; sisters Frances Norton, Pendleton, Ore., and Faye Rieken, Portland, Ore; granddaughter Lisa and great-granddaughter Clarissa, both of Libby.
Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the City of Libby cemetery.
Friends may call at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home from 5-8 p.m. on Tuesday.
Betty Njirich
Betty J. Njirich, 83, of Libby, died on Friday, March 26, 2004, at St. John Lutheran Hospital.
She was born on Aug. 7, 1920, at Martinas, Calif., to Frank and Naomi Rogers Yauncy.
A longtime resident of the Sonora area in California, Betty worked for many years as a licensed vocational nurse at Columbia Way Hospital and Sonora Community Hospital.
After the death of her husband John in October 1996, Betty moved to Libby.
Survivors include sons Gary Njirich and his wife Paulette, Libby, and Earl Eubanks, Saratoga, Calif.; sister Beverly Ives, Sonora; grandchildren Lisa Robertson, Terry Ruiz and David Montgomery and four great-grandchildren.
Interment will take place at St. Patrick’s cemetery in Sonora.
Local arrangements are by Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.
Jamie Vickers Turner
Jamie Vickers Turner, 54, died on Thursday, March 25, 2004, at St. Peter’s Hospital in Helena, due to complications of cancer.
She was born on Aug. 13, 1949, at Sheridan, to John Robert Vickers and Vivian Helen Vanderbeck Vickers.
A fifth generation native of Madison County, Jamie spent the first six years of her life at Virginia City. Later, the family lived briefly in Berkeley, Calif., then moved to Libby in 1959 when her father was assigned as vicar of the Episcopal churches in Lincoln County.
Jamie attended Libby schools, graduating from Libby High School with the Class of 1967.
In late fall 1968 she traveled to Europe with friend Marilyn Kane and brother John and spent a year working, traveling and living in Amsterdam, Brussels and Switzerland.
Returning home, Jamie attended Western Montana College at Dillon and later transferred to Carroll College where she earned a degree in elementary education in 1975.
Jamie taught at Salmon Prairie School near Condon and at Sussex School in Missoula until she moved back to Helena in 1977 to join her mother in the day-to-day operation of His Place, and to help care for her father.
Jamie married
Stephen Turner on Aug. 26, 1982, at Lindisfarne, Camp Marshall, on Flathead Lake.
They opened The Ark Christian Bookstore in Helena in 1983 and operated it until 1988, while Jamie continued her teaching career at Toston School.
After the birth of her children, Jamie “retired” from teaching to stay home until returning in 1994 to teach at Winne Street Preschool.
In 2002, Jamie started a “new” career as a swim team coach, highlighted by a training trip to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Jamie loved swim meets, canoeing, birding, hot springs, and most of all her family.
She is survived by her husband Stephen Turner and children Hilary and Michael Turner; and her mother Helen Vickers, all of Helena; brothers John Vickers, Portland, Ore., and Murray Vickers, Polson; and sister Mary-Jo Guinn, Radersburg.
She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents James H. and Marguerite (Honey) Vanderbeck; her father John Vickers, and daughter Cherith Brook Turner.
A celebration of Jamie’s life was held Monday morning at Plymouth Congregational Church in Helena.
Family committal will take place in Virginia City.
Retz Funeral Home of Helena is handling arrangements.
Memorials may be sent to Helena Lions Swim Team, Box 936, Helena MT 59624 or Last Chance Audubon, Box 924, Helena.
Ola Weinmann
Longtime Troy resident Ola Winter Hayden Weimann, 75, died Nov. 8, 2003, at Coupeville, Wash.
She was born on Jan. 20, 1928, at New York City to June and Joseph Hayden.
Ola was the great-granddaughter of Dr. Winter Henry English, one of Troy’s first doctors and one-time mayor. He and his wife built the house at 616 N. 3rd St. in Troy where Ola and her husband Butch lived and raised their children. Ola took great pride in her family home and history. Her grandmother Ola Hayden was a famous female baritone in the early 1900’s and her grandfather Frank Martin Ireland was a well-known artist.
Ola Hayden’s father was Joe Hayden, a musician who co-wrote “There’ll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight.”
Ola was raised in the San Francisco area and graduated from San Rafael High School in 1946. She attended college in Great Falls.
Ola married
C.E. (Butch) Weimann in 1952.
An intelligent and compassionate woman, Ola had a keen interest in writing, literature, antiques, nature, local and state history and politics at all levels.
She served as mayor of Troy in the 1970’s and wrote news and local interest stories for The Western News for many years.
As mayor she undertook the purchase and renovation of the current city hall.
Ola was particularly proud of her work with the Salvation Army and for the state through Montana State University.
Survivors are her son Steven and his wife Maria and their children Stefanie and Christian, Redondo Beach, Calif., and daughter Nicki Hall and her daughter Katherine, Coupeville, Wash.
Ola was preceded in death by her husband Butch and her daughter Nance Janel Weimann-Mercado.
Burial services were conducted on Nov. 15, 2003, at the Troy cemetery.
Patricia Kirby
Patricia Louise Kirby, 77, a former Libby resident, died on Sunday, March 21, 2004, at her home at Woods Bay on Flathead Lake.
She was born on Oct. 18, 1926, at Everett, Wash., to James and Ramona Moody Lee.
She graduated from Snohomish High School and Everett Community College and worked as a bookkeeper, librarian, motel owner and salmon fisherwoman. Active in the Catholic Church, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Patricia also held a ham radio operator’s license.
She lived in Alaska, Port Angeles, Wash.; Libby and Trout Creek before moving to Woods Bay a year ago. Patricia was preceded in death by her first husband, Milton Hausserman, in 1994, and by her second husband, John Kirby, in 1998; her mother and father, and sisters Peggy Morley and Donna Bray. She is survived by her 11 children, Shirley Hansen Dufner, Margaret Danley, Bob Hausserman, Diane Schrefields, Barbara Laney, David Hausserman, Marianne Karr, Theresa Mason, Joseph Hausserman, Susan Western and Angela Gott; 30 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and step-children Teri Dowell, and Gary, John and Kurt Kirby.
Memorial services will be conducted on Saturday, March 27, at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Bigfork. Memorials may be made to Hospice, 175 Commons Loop, Suite 100, Kalispell, MT 59901 Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.
