Elizabeth Lockridge

Elizabeth Louise Lockridge, 91, a longtime resident of Montana, died Jan. 26, 2007, in Mineral Wells, Texas.

She was born Jan. 2, 1916, in Portland, Ore., the daughter of Lewis and Florence Downing. Her father was born in the Montana Territory in the Bitterroot in 1887. Her mother was born in Carson City, Nev., to one of the families known as the "Hots" who went to Butte from the Comstock Mine in 1891.

Elizabeth was raised in Hamilton, and following her education there, she attended the University of Montana, where she was a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority. In 1938, she married Leon "Bud" Lockridge of Whitefish.

In 1940, she graduated from the University of Alabama. Elizabeth worked for two years for Proctor and Gamble in advertising, while her husband was finishing medical school at the University of Pennsylvania.

During the war, while her husband was overseas, Elizabeth and her daughter Ann lived in Hamilton with her parents. At that time, she was active in the Red Cross.

In 1950, she and Dr. Lockridge moved to Whitefish, where they raised two daughters, Ann and Mary. In 1959, Elizabeth and Bud had Frank Lloyd Wright design their medical clinic, and they built it on Central Avenue.

Bud passed away in 1963, and Elizabeth sold the building to a bank. Elizabeth then taught junior high home economics for eight years.

In 1983, Elizabeth sold her home in Whitefish, where she had lived for 33 years, and moved to Lubbock, Texas. A 60-year member of P.E.O., she loved to travel, and after retirement, she traveled extensively in Europe, Russia, Africa and China.

She was preceded in death by her husband, father, mother and brother Bill Downing.

Elizabeth is survived by daughters Ann Christmann and husband John, of Hamilton and Weatherford, Texas, and Mary Goldberg and husband Steve, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; three grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; and nephews, cousins, best friends and traveling companions; and good friend Leona Constenius, of Whitefish.

She was a loving mother, grandmother and friend, and her smile and pleasant, loving attitude will be missed by all.

A memorial service will be held in Hamilton on Monday, March 12, 2007, at 1 p.m. for family and friends at the home of Ann and John Christmann at the foot of Downing Mountain, named after Elizabeth's grandfather, George Downing, and his brother and sister.

Burial will take place Wednesday, March 14, 2007, at 1 p.m. at the Whitefish Cemetery.