Doreen Smith-Szpak

Doreen Smith-Szpak, 55, died of cancer in Anchorage, Alaska, on Sunday, June 15, 2008, at home with her family by her side.

She was born on July 18, 1952, the daughter of Dlorah (Schreckendgust) Bishop and John Malatare. She grew up in Montana, graduating from Columbia Falls High School in 1970, and subsequently earned her beautician's license.

After marrying Howard Smith in March of 1977 and having two children, Doreen became a domestic engineer and worked hard to take care of everyone who came through her door. Doreen was a wonderful Mom, not only to daughter Aimee and son Nathan, but to all of their friends as well.

After Doreen's marriage to Howard ended, she met Dwight Szpak, who became her husband in June of 2004. They spent their honeymoon moving to Alaska, driving the Alcan Highway. Doreen loved to watch the moose and the Northern Lights, her two favorite things about Alaska.

Doreen enjoyed taking pictures of family get-togethers, crocheting afghans for friends, cooking big holiday meals, beading earrings, writing letters and spending time with the people she loved. She will be greatly missed.

Doreen was preceded in death by her brother, Dusty Mills; her mother, Dlorah Bishop; and her father, John Malatare.

She is survived by her husband Dwight Szpak, daughter Aimee Smith, and son Nathan Smith, all of Anchorage; brother Don Mills of Columbia Falls; stepfather Pat Bishop of Florence; aunt Jean Schreckendgust of Whitefish; stepmother Wyona Malatare, sister June Malatare and brothers Shawn and Jody Malatare, all of Arlee; brother Jack Malatare of Newburg, Ore.; sister Dian Jenkins of Ronan; sister Joann Pentland of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; sister MaryAnn Hunter of St. Ignatius; sister Cheryl Malatare of Wyoming; and sister Dora Lynn Crane of Hamilton.

Cremation has taken place and Doreen's ashes will be buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Columbia Falls, Montana, near her brother Dusty at a later date. Cards may be sent to the family at 9456 Morningside Loop, Unit B, Anchorage, AK 99515. The family asks that memorial contributions be given to the American Cancer Society or your local hospice organization in Doreen's honor.

Lillian Olson

Lillian Minnie Olson, 71, passed away on June 23, 2008, in Fairbanks, Alaska. She was born in Clearwater, Minn., and began her life in Alaska in 1967.

Lillian was employed by Sally's Catering Service in Fairbanks and had also worked at the Canyon Bar and Restaurant in Columbia Falls.

She prided herself in homemaking, making creative crafts, maintaining the family tree and being loving to her family. Lillian surrounded her life with family and pictures of joyous times.

Lillian was preceded in death by her brother, Melvin Ward; father, Earl Ward and her mother, Zella Stage.

Lillian is survived by her son, Randy Olson; daughter, Cindy Lester; son-in-law, Michael Lester; granddaughter, Staci Lester; grandson, Kyle Lester; and extended family Richard and Roela Olson; Alaska family, Dave and Jeannette Olson, Kathy Kornack, Dennis Olson, and Steve Olson; Montana family, Elnora Jacobson, Elverna Johnson, Ruth Carter, Lorraine Benzine, Carol Havakorn, Elmer Ward, Beach Ward and John Ward, and Ron and Ester Olson; Minnesota family, Mary Ann and Larry Laymon. She also is survived by many nieces, nephews and friends in Montana and Minnesota.

Her family states, "Mom was deeply devoted to her family and surrounded her life with her children. She was a very caring and loving wife and friend. Mom worked very hard and always made sure others were taken care of and would sacrifice what she had for their comfort.

"Her home was the morning bus stop for all of the neighborhood kids as well as the gathering coffee stop for many local neighbors. Mom was a good listener. Friends and especially kids and teenagers would talk to her as she tried to help them find their answers.

"Mom loved her family as strong as she loved her animals. They gave her comfort and a sense of taking care of something. She treated them as if they were her children. She surrounded her life with pictures of her family and many animals.

"The most common memory among many was mom's excellent cooking skills. She never used a recipe and was always creative in the kitchen. She took pride in herself by always looking young and pretty.

"Mom was religious in her own way and expressed her devotion and love by displaying angels and crosses in her home, and her favorite song was "Amazing Grace."

"Mom will be missed dearly and will remain in our hearts forever."

Services were held at Fairbanks Funeral Home on June 30, followed by burial in Birch Hill Cemetery.

Arrangements were made by Fairbanks Funeral Home and Crematory.

George Daumiller

George Joseph Daumiller passed away unexpectedly on June 29, 2008 at Saint Patrick's Hospital in Missoula. He was born in Kalispell on March 2, 1932 to Emma and Joseph Daumiller. George's father homesteaded in the Flathead in the early 1900s and settled in the Patrick Creek area south of Kalispell. George was raised on a farm and worked in the woods from an early age, beginning his lifelong love of the outdoors. He went to the Patrick Creek School and Flathead High School. George and his brother -in-law, Jack Crane, operated a sawmill in Patrick Creek in the 1950s.

George served in the Army from 1952-1954 in Germany. He returned to Kalispell, where he met Beverly Geirmann, whom he married on Nov. 24, 1956. George began working at F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Company in 1957 and worked there for 45 years. He was known at Stoltze for his hard work and incredible strength. Whether he was loading lumber into a boxcar or stacking it on the inside it usually took two men to keep up with him on the other end.

George loved nature and being outdoors. He passed this love on to his children and also taught them to respect and appreciate all of God's beautiful creations. George was a "jack of all trades" and everyone knew if they had a project, George would be there to help.

When George fully retired in 2002, he took up woodworking as a hobby. He tinkered around the garage and eventually began building wooden logging trucks. He later added dump trucks and tractor-trailers. He also built tables, planter boxes, birdhouses and whatever anyone asked him to build. He never had a plan he just imagined it and built it. George was excited and eagerly gave away many of his creations, often donating them to charity auctions and events.

George and Bev were members of the Eagles Club for over 40 years. George was a great dancer and was hard to beat at pool. He made many lifelong friends and enjoyed many happy times at the Eagles. He loved to travel, not having to go far, just to go.

George was a quiet man. He listened and thought out his responses before offering sound, common-sense advice. Though he didn't finish high school he was the smartest person many knew. He had a subtle dry sense of humor that often caught you by surprise.

George will be greatly missed by all of his family members and friends. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Beverly; children Gerry Daumiller and his wife Marilyn of Helena; Scott Daumiller of Kalispell, and Margie Forbes and her husband Mark of Oak Harbor, Wash.; grandchildren, David Daumiller of Kingsville, Texas, Megan and Andy Forbes of Oak Harbor, and Amanda Daumiller of Kalispell; sisters Teresa Berentsen of Bremerton, Wash., and Mary Crane of Hannibal, Mo.; mother in-law Marge Giermann; and sister-in-law Kay Giermann. He also has four nephews, one niece and Bev's large extended family. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and friend. We love you and will forever miss you.

A memorial service was held Saturday, July 5 at the Johnson-Gloschat Chapel. Family and friends gathered at the Eagles Hall following the service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the ALERT helicopter.

Shawn Siemens

Shawn K. Siemens, 36, passed away on July 1, 2008 at the Kalispell Regional Medical Center in Kalispell. He was born on Sept. 18, 1971 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Shawn was an amazing man and Bridgett's very best friend. He was a loving father and wonderful husband. His kindness, consideration and devotion to his family were evident to all who knew him. He was known to be a man who would drop anything to help another in need.

He was a highly intelligent, resourceful, supercharged and he worked very hard to provide for his family but also toward the goal to have the resources to help others. A quick-witted "goofball" who, in his son's words, was excitingly funny, and loved the water and anything with a motor or spring. He was and will always remain a hero to his family.

Shawn met and married Bridgett A. Schaff on Sept. 20, 1997 in Kalispell; together they have a wonderful son, Jordan, who is the image of his father. He was a military man, serving in the U.S Navy as a special maneuvers expert. He adventured on the Alaska fishing boats, later becoming an ASE Certified Master Tech managing Anything Automotive, a local Kalispell business, as well as working in his own home business, Siemens Auto Start.

He was preceded in death by Kenneth Isaac Siemens and is survived by his wife Bridgett Siemens and son, Jordan Siemens, of Kalispell; parents, Pat and Gloria Jacobs of Columbia Falls; sister Corrina and brother-in-law Shawn Parmelee of Kalispell; two half brothers, Greg and Chris Siemens; grandma Edna and great-grandmother Doris; father and mother-in-law Jim and Cely Schaff; sister and brother-in-law Christy and Kevin Richardson; five nieces; and one nephew.

Funeral services for Shawn were held on Monday, July 7 at the Fresh Life Church (formerly Strand Theatre). Visitation was Saturday, July 5, 2008 at Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home. Burial followed the services at Glacier Memorial Garden with military honors conducted by the United Veterans of the Flathead. Memorial gifts may be made to Shawn Siemens Memorial, 345 Leisure Drive, Kalispell, MT 59901.

Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for Shawn's family. You are invited to go to www.jgfuneralhome.com to offer condolences and sign Shawn's guest book.

John Ward

John Robert Ward, 65, Columbia Falls, passed away Wednesday, July 2, 2008 at Kalispell Regional Medical Center in Kalispell.

He worked at Plum Creek Timber Company in Columbia Falls for 42 years and has been retired for the past three years.

John was preceded in death by his mother, father, a brother and a sister.

He is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren: Robert, Jami, Zak and Bria Ward, Rhonda, Tim, Chris and Tyke Nagel, Becky, Lorin, Heather and Jon Turner, and Rodney, Julia, Nik and Natalie Ward; and numerous family and friends.

A graveside service will be held Friday, July 11, at 10 a.m. at Glacier Memorial Gardens Cemetery, 2659 Highway 93 North, Kalispell. A reception will follow at Woodland Park.

Arrangements are with the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls.

Anne Thomas

Anne Ingeborg Thomas, 100, passed away Wednesday, July 2, 2008, at the Immanuel Lutheran Home in Kalispell.

Anne was born in a sod house on Nov. 10, 1907, to Lars and Henrikka Soiseth, immigrants from Norway, who had homesteaded on the prairie of North Dakota. Anne was the second of eight children, John, Christ, Hazel, Louise, Margaret, Leonard and Inga. She attended a country school, riding bareback on her horse, Beauty, and went on to high school in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The Soiseth home was gathering place for friends and neighbors with Lars playing the fiddle. Anne helped raise her siblings and served as a midwife, which was needed on the prairie at that time. She always expressed the wish to be a nurse. Once she completed her schooling, she lived with various families as a housekeeper until she moved to Williston, N.D.

She married her first husband, Ben Johnson, with whom she had one daughter, Dorinne Anne Bernice Johnson; her second husband, James W. Ryan, with whom she had five children, James Ryan, LeRoy Ryan, Margaret Ryan-Young, Patrick Ryan and Andrea Ryan-Halden; and her third husband, Hubert Thomas, who brought his four children into her life for her to nurture, Ronald, Richard, William (Billy) and Gary.

While married to James Ryan, she moved to Columbia Falls, in hopes of a better future. James Ryan was killed while working on the Hungry Horse Dam, and she continued working at the Columbia Falls Post Office and raising her children. She later married Hubert Thomas and was able to be a stay-at-home mother. She was a terrific cook and the best mother and grandmother anyone could have had.

Her life was a long journey of love, compassion and help for whoever needed it, be it a friend or stranger. From what is stated from those who knew her, she never said an ill word about anyone. She always stated that you should look for the good in people, try not to judge. She was a very Christian woman, a founding member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Columbia Falls, and continued to go to services, as much as she was able, until her death. She loved her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and extended family above all else. They were constantly in her thoughts and prayers.

Anne also was a founding member of the North Valley Senior Citizens Association, where she spent much time in her later years. Because of her advancing age, she decided she wanted to move into the Immanuel Lutheran Home in 2004, at the age of 97. She was very happy there, with many friends from her past years in Columbia Falls, and making new ones, again helping other senior folks as much as she could. She was loved by the personnel and will sorely be missed by all at the Immanuel Lutheran Home.

Anne was preceded in death by her father; her mother who died at the age of 105; her brothers, John Soiseth and Christ Soiseth; her sisters, Louise Soiseth and Inga Crail; her three husbands, Ben Johnson, James Ryan and Hubert Thomas; and two of her children, Richard Thomas and William (Billy) Thomas.

Cremation has taken place and there will be a celebratory memorial service on Monday, July 14 at 10 a.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Columbia Falls. Pastor Peter Erickson will officiate. A reception will follow the service at the church. All who knew her are welcome to come and celebrate her life.

In lieu of flowers, Anne and her family would request that anyone who wishes to make a memorial donation would make it to the church fund of Our Savior's Lutheran Church, in Columbia Falls, or to Immanuel Lutheran Home, in Kalispell.

Arrangements are with the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls.

Ronald Loveall

Ronald M. Loveall, 70, of Kalispell passed away on July 4, 2008. He was born in Shelby on April 11, 1938.

Ron was raised and attended school in Columbia Falls. Upon graduation and while serving in the United States Marine Corps he married Sandra Kay Stratton on July 23, 1960.

After successfully getting his pilot's license, he truly loved to fly and unselfishly donated many flight trips to young children's organizations. He was also a member of the local judo club and served on local board of many different organizations.

His most recent accomplishment at the age of 62 was to receive riding and horse cutting lessons. He competed in many local and surrounding arenas. On several occasions he would successfully bring home the top winnings.

Ron was preceded in death by his father, Kenneth "Cap" Loveall, and younger brother, Rick Starke.

Ron is survived by his wife, Sandy, of Kalispell; children Teri and Kip Loveall of Kalispell, Kendi Strowbridge and husband Scott of Columbia Falls, their children Ashley Vanek and husband Joe of Cut Bank, Tyler Benzien of Anchorage, Alaska, Shanae and Kassidie Strowbridge of Columbia Falls, Aleysha West and husband Dillon of Columbia Falls; great-grandchildren Austin and Emmalee Vanek, MacKenzee and Lynzee West; his mother, Audrey McCourt, of Arizona; sisters Patti Klinger of Arizona, and Luana Johnson of Cut Bank; and brothers John Starke of Arizona, and Kenneth Loveall of Utah.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, July 12 at 11 a.m., at the Fairview Cemetery in Columbia Falls. There will be a Celebration of Life Reception at the North Valley Senior Center following the services.