Jeannine Ransier

Jeannine Lee Ransier, 77, passed away on Feb. 5, 2008 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Jeannine was born in Farmington, Mo., on Jan. 27, 1931 to William Lee Gruner and Edith Sarah Norris Gruner.

The Gruner family of nine emigrated from Germany to the United States, sailing aboard the schooner Matador, docking in New York 1836. They eventually made their way to Missouri making their home near the small town of Doe Run. The Gruner property was affectionately called Gruner Hill. In later years the Gruner property was deemed part of the nearby township called Farmington. Many generations were born in the large farm house on Gruner Hill, including Jeannine; she was the first grandchild of her generation and adored by grandfather Phillip Roy Gruner Sr. and her many aunts and uncles.

In 1944, at the tender age of 14, Jeannine relocated from her beloved Missouri to the tri-city area of Washington state along with her parents and two younger siblings. The family soon settled in Pasco, Wash., and thrived.

In 1946 Jeannine met a handsome red-haired boy named Juel Ransier. The pair dated throughout high school with the typical break-ups and make-ups that happen to dating teens. They eventually married in 1950 and spent the next 57 years happily together.

In 1965 the family moved to Spokane, Wash., settling on North Monroe Street, where they lived until Juel retired in 1986. They moved back to Pasco after reclaiming their home on Bonneville Street. In 1998 they relocated to Columbia Falls to be closer to their grandchildren, making fast friends with their neighbors.

Jeannine was a homemaker and mother to four daughters, and in later years worked as a seamstress for White Stag and as a caregiver assisting the home bound. She took pride in whatever she did, everything being done to perfection. In addition to sewing Jeannine loved to crochet and embroidery, skills she learned from her maternal grandmother Mary Ninnie Louisa Norris. She would often talk about the many happy hours spent either working on needle crafts or helping grandma in her garden and flower beds. With pride Jeannine passed these arts on to her own children and grandchildren.

After the passing of Jeannines husband in 2007, her cancer worsened and her health began to decline, she moved in with her youngest daughter and her family. There she lived happily until the disease made pain management increasingly difficult. In November of 2007, Jeannine moved to Heritage Place Nursing Home, where she received excellent care from the nursing staff, aids and Grace Hospice. Getting her pain under control enabled Jeannine to scoot around in her wheelchair, have her meals in the dinning room and make new friends. She had two-and-a-half quality-of-life months before the cancer took her. Jeannine will be remembered as a gracious woman with style aplenty and a loving heart.

Preceding Jeannine in death was her loving husband of 57 years, Juel Red Ransier.

Surviving Jeannine are her siblings, Carolyn Farley of Las Vegas, Larry Gruner of California and Linda Gruner of Arizona, in addition to many cousins, nieces and nephews in Washington, Missouri and California; brothers-in-law, Larry Ransier and wife Bonnie of Kennewick, Wash., and Jack Ransier and wife Linda of Poulsbo, Wash.; children, Julie Clark of Columbia Falls, Rene Barton of Lewiston, Idaho, Vanessa Ransier and common law husband Roy Bingaman of Spokane, Wash., and Kelly Ransier-Ross and husband Ron Ross of Columbia Falls; grandchildren, Rob Scheeler of Idaho, Danielle Templeton of Nevada, Collette Clark of Washington, Lisha Clark of Arizona, Jessica Ransier-Ross of Montana, Nicholas Ransier-Ross of Montana, Marcus Ransier-Ross of Montana, and Spencer Ransier-Ross of Montana; great-grandchildren, Destiny Scheeler, Gage Scheeler, Emali Templeton, Hannah Templeton and Frisco Clark Shaw.

A memorial service will be held at a later date in Kennewick, Wash.

Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls Montana is in charge of the arrangements.

Mother, grandmother, sister, friend we will miss you.

Dr. Jerel Barnhart

Dr. Jerel S. Jerry Barnhart, 58, of Forked River, died Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Jerry was born in Columbia Falls. He obtained both a B.A. and a Masters degree in Education from the University of Montana and worked as a school psychologist in Great Falls for 13 years. While in Great Falls, Jerry helped start the Big Brother/Big Sister Program and was its first director and board chairperson.

After suddenly becoming deaf, Jerry moved east and attended Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., a school primarily for the deaf and deaf issues, obtaining his PhD in 1991. He had been a school psychologist in New Jersey since 1991. He worked for the Neptune Board of Education, Neptune, N.J., in their K-12 schools. He also worked for the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf in Trenton, N.J.

Jerry was actively involved in deaf-related programs while in New Jersey, helping to start a local chapter of the Association of Late-Deaf Adults. He also served on the governors advisory council for the Department of Deaf and Hard of Hearing. He wrote numerous articles and gave presentations on deaf and hard-of-hearing topics.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, James and Joseph; and his parents, Curtis and Helen Barnhart.

Jerry is survived by his beloved wife, Christine of Forked River; a sister, Joyce of Missoula; two sisters-in-law, Sharon A. McDade of Forked River, and Cynthia Piana of Ocean Grove, N.J.; father-in-law James F. Piana of Forked River; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held in Columbia Falls at a later date.

Norman Trohanov

Norman J. Jim Trohanov, 66, passed away in his sleep the morning of Feb. 3, 2008.

He was born Aug. 20, 1941 to Orville Sr. and Vera Trohanov in Portsmouth, Va. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1959 where he was trained as a communications electrician. While in the Navy, he was able to travel the world and served in the Vietnam War. He met Lorraine Frese while stationed in Great Lakes, Ill.; they married in January of 1970. Jim retired from the Navy in July of 1977 and moved the family to Columbia Falls. Jim was an electrician at Plum Creek Fiberboard Plant until he retired in 2003.

Jim was wise, adventurous, strong willed and very witty. He enjoyed the company of his family and having a gin and tonic with his friends at the Columbia. He also enjoyed collecting stamps, woodworking and riding his 4-wheeler.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Rainie; and son, Robert.

He is survived by his daughter, Vera, and granddaughter, Jayme of Columbia Falls; four grandsons, Bray Olsen of Richland Heights, Texas, Justin Suppes of Goose Creek, S.C., Austin Suppes of Prescott, Ariz., and Michael Flaherty; one brother, Bill of Arlington, Va.; and one nephew, several nieces and many dear friends.

Cremation has already taken place and a memorial service will be held at Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls on Friday, Feb. 15 at 3 p.m.