Carl "Bud" Karnes

Carl E. "Bud" Karnes, 79, of Columbia Falls, died at the Montana Veterans Home on Jan. 17, 2005.

He was born Feb. 26, 1925, to Carl and Josephine Karnes in Milwaukee, Wis. He was raised in Menomonie, Wisc. and graduated from Dunn County Agricultural School in 1942. Shortly after his graduation, he enlisted in the Navy.

He was on the USS Amesbury at the invasion of Normandy, where his ship was sunk. They were forced to swim more than 200 yards to safety. At this time he was injured and merited an honorable discharge and earned a Purple Heart in 1945.

Carl married Evelyn Mary Baker in 1967.

He started working with the Flathead County Sheriff's Posse in 1980 and became a life member, which lasted 24 years. He worked at Plum Creek for 21 years and the Moonlighting Detective Agency from 1992-1997, and he was an English teacher.

His hobbies included reading, sightseeing, golfing, hunting, watching TV and playing bingo. He also loved the Green Bay Packers but was disgusted at their losing streak this last year.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Evelyn Karnes, on March 24, 2001.

He is survived by three stepsons, Charles, Bob and Michael Baker; one stepdaughter, Betty Baker; four grandchildren, Sheila and Shelly Baker, and Leah and Jennifer Hancock; two great grandchildren, Amy Schroth and Gregory Bancroft; one great great grandson, Riley James; his sister, Irene Shafer, and her husband, Vaughn, in Hungry Horse; his brother, Oliver Karnes, and wife, Maura, of Seattle; and Frank Karnes, of Wisconsin; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Services will be held for Bud and Evelyn Karnes at 1 p.m. at the Christian Center in Kalispell on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2005. Reception to follow at the VFW in Kalispell.

Donations can be made to the Montana Veterans Home or the Christian Center.

Darlene Morrison

Darlene Ruth Morrison, 54, died Jan. 1, 2005, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

She was born Sept. 9, 1950, in Whitefish to Jay "Shorty" and Alice Leona (St. Germain) Gould. She was raised in Warden, Wash., where she graduated in 1968. On May 9, 1978, she married Ken Morrison, Jr. in Columbia Falls.

She was an artist, mother, prankster, loving wife, sister, grandmother and a friend to many. She loved animals - cats, dogs and mustangs, and especially a green 1969 coupe.

She was preceded in death by her mother, her niece Lynnette Gould and her nephew Tommy Gould.

Survivors include her husband, Ken of Columbia Falls; father, Jay, of Kalispell; daughters Alice and Jeanette, of Columbia Falls; son Kenny, of Columbia Falls; sister Germaine Bennett, of Kalispell; brother Tom Gould, of Warden; sister Myrene Arneson, of Lynnwood, Wash.; granddaughters Rebecca Lynn Lanterman and Kassidi; grandson hunter Morrison; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held at the Buffalo Hill Funeral Home on Jan. 7, 2005.

Kenneth Freeman

Kenneth Kirk "Ken" Freeman, 72, died Jan. 20, 2005, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center in Kalispell.

Ken was born Aug. 2, 1932, in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, to Tevis and Alleen Kirk Freeman.

Ken served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. He started working in the mines in Butte and pursued a career as both a miner and an explosives expert throughout the Northwest. He was proud to say that after a long career, he still had all 10 of his fingers.

He is survived by his wife, Maxine, of Kalispell; one local daughter Reia Winn, of Kalispell; four daughters and their families, living in Idaho; four stepchildren, Judee and Hall Channell, of Sonora, Calif., Rance and Peggy Fish and family, of Columbia Falls; Eddy Fish and Colleen Jukich and family, of Kalispell; Kenny and "Snooks" Fish, of Portland; a sister, Pat Higginbotham, and her husband, Ray, of Shelton, Wash.; a very special family friend, Debra Raebel; and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Private family services will be held later in the summer.

Memorials in Ken's name may be made to the donor's charity of choice.

Edward Fuller

Edward Clarence Fuller, 84, died Jan. 17, 2005, at Health Center Northwest in Kalispell.

He was born April 7, 1920, in Winifred to Frank and Helen (McLaughlin) Fuller. People knew Edward as Ed, Eddie, Fergie and a few other expressions of endearment.

He joined the Civilian Conservation Corp to help with the family income and, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, volunteered for the Army Air Corps. He served with distinction as a turret gunner on a B-17 flying fortress. After several raids over Germany, his plane was shot down in June 1943. He broke his back when his plane was hit, and he was captured after bailing out. He spent 22 months as a prisoner of war.

As soon as Ed returned from the war, he and his high school sweetheart, Barbara Knox, married and settled in the Flathead Valley. Ed farmed, drove road equipment for the county, worked in a shipyard in Bremerton, Wash., and then came back to the Flathead as an electrician on the Hungry Horse Dam. He eventually bought Ferguson Electric and provided electrical contracting service until his retirement.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Helen, and four brothers, Harry, Fred, Floyd, and Mark.

He is survived by his wife, best friend, and loving caregiver of 59 years of marriage, Barbara Fuller, of Kalispell; three children, Jeff Fuller, of Fairfax, Va., Kathleen Sparr, of Miles City, and Nancy Brekke, of Kalispell; six grandchildren, Matt, Brian, Rob, Dan, Michelle and David; one brother, Lee Fuller; two sisters, Maizie and Thelma; and many nieces, nephews and friends who will mourn his passing and celebrate his life.

Funeral services for Edward Clarence Fuller were held Jan. 22, 2005, at the First Baptist Church of Whitefish, with Rev. Kent Morrison officiating. Burial followed at C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery with military honors by the United Veterans of the Flathead.

The family suggests memorials be given to Hospice, Wings or any veterans charities of the donors' choice.