Corey Ladvala

On Sept. 11, 2009, we lost our beloved Corey James Ladvala, age 31.

Corey was the youngest child of Bill and Cindy Ladvala. He was born in Billings on Jan. 22, 1978, and was a Whitefish High School graduate in 1996.

As a Montana native, Corey was passionate about skiing and an avid outdoorsman. He loved baseball, college football and NASCAR. He was a music enthusiast, had an incredible sense of humor, never met a stranger, loved his friends as family and was crazy about his dogs.

Although he attended school in Missoula and Phoenix, his heart always brought him back to the Flathead Valley. Corey had an adventurous spirit, a heart of gold and will sorely be missed.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents George Ladvala, and Buddy and Juanita Bennett; and family pets Zadar and Nakita.

Corey is survived by his parents; sister Kristye Coomer, husband Michael and their daughter Mikayla, of Haslet, Texas; grandparents Pat and Leo Reid, of Deer Meadows, Wash.; grandmother Barbara Ladvala, of Roberts; and many more family and friends who love him, including Zeus, Malley and Lulu.

Services were held at Austin Funeral Home in Whitefish on Sept. 15, 2009.

Corey's memory would best be honored with donations to the Humane Society of Northwest Montana, in Kalispell.

Janet McConeghy

Janet McConeghy, 97, died Sept. 9, 2009, at North Valley Hospital.

Janet was born in Chicago on Feb. 12, 1912. She grew up, raised a family and lived in the Chicago area for most of her adult life before retiring to Florida with her husband.

After many enjoyable years in Florida, she moved to Whitefish in September 2003 to be close to her family.

Janet had many accomplishments in her life. She graduated from The Chicago University High School and Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., in 1933. Her most recent accomplishment was becoming a better bridge player.

She enjoyed swimming, horseback riding, bridge, and interaction with people. She had a joyful life, a great attitude, and was, and will remain to be, an inspiration to us all.

Janet and her twin sister, Betty, had loving families throughout their lives. They were fortunate to have each other and everyone was fortunate to have them.

Janet is survived by her son Hugh and wife Kay McVey, of Lake Geneva, Wis.; daughter Leslie Smith, of Conroe, Texas; daughter Joan Sadler and husband Bob, of Whitefish; granddaughter Morgan Sadler, of Whitefish; and other grandsons and great grandchildren in the U.S. and Canada.

A celebration of her life will be held at the Golden Agers in Whitefish on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. The family asks that all her friends join them for lunch from noon to 2 p.m. to honor Janet.

In lieu of flowers, any contributions should be made to the Golden Agers of Whitefish.

Theodore Antweiler

Theodore Delmar Antweiler, 85, of Missoula, passed away of natural causes on Sept. 3, 2009, at Riverside Healthcare Center.

Theodore, known to most as Ted, was born on May 8, 1924, in Cedar City Mo., to Adam and Helen Antweiler. He grew up with his family on a small farm and was educated in Jefferson City public schools. At the age 19, he left home to enlist in the Army. He completed his basic training in Alexandria, La., and served in Europe during World War II. He was attached to the 3rd Army under General Patton's command to the end of the war.

After the war, Ted returned to the Missouri farm for a brief time to reflect on the war. He then attended Parks School of Business in Denver. While in school, he met Esther Nielson, who was a nurse at St. Luke's Hospital Denver.

In 1950, they were married and settled in Denver. Ted was working in the construction industry, which he liked and did for the next 40 years. They had two children, Dean and Inger. They resided in Denver, but much of Ted's work took him overseas.

He and Ester divorced, and he reconnected with Gertrude Bauer. They married in 1968 and resided in Denver, where they lived until 1978. Ted's last big construction project before retiring was in Brush, Colo., where the two relocated. Ted worked on the Excel Pawnee Power Plant from 1978-1982 and then retired. After Gertrude's passing in 2002, he moved back to Denver.

In 2005, Ted moved to Montana and resided with Craig and Kathy Aasved, longtime friends. He enjoyed roses, walking, dancing, politics and the stock market. During his life, he became acquainted with many people with whom Ted left a memorable impression. Ted always claimed he had a hard but a good life. He was a kind man who never complained.

He is survived by his son Dean Antweiler, of Aurora, Colo.; Inger Grizzell, of Westminster, Colo.; and grandchildren, Brit Cotter, of Polson, and Nina Cotter, of Phoenix, Ariz.

Funeral services took place Sept. 11, 2009, at Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery, in Missoula.

Benjamin Symmes

Benjamin Robert Symmes, 31, of Bozeman, was lost at sea on July 31, 2009, near Togiak, Alaska.

Ben was born Oct. 4, 1977, to Charles Thomas and Carol Diane (Zenier) Symmes in Lewiston, Idaho. He grew up in Idaho and Alaska before graduating from Whitefish High School in Whitefish. While in school, he participated in several sports, including hockey and Tae Kwon Do. He was also a member of his high school golf team.

After graduation, Ben studied briefly at the University of Montana, where he was a member of the Alpha Phi chapter of Sigma Nu. He earned his associate of science degree from Flathead Valley Community College, and while there became the captain of the Logger Sports Team, as well as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. He studied at Montana Tech in Butte, and then transferred to Montana State University, where he was pursuing his bachelor's in chemical engineering at the time of his disappearance.

From the time he was in high school, Ben spent most of his summers working as a deckhand on his father's fishing vessel in Bristol Bay, Alaska. The few summers he was not in Alaska, he worked for the Forest Service as a firefighter, eventually earning a position on the elite Interagency Hotshot Crew in Prineville, Ore. After moving to Bozeman, he also started his own construction business — Symmes Construction, LLC.

An avid outdoorsman, Ben explored the Montana wilderness every chance he could. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, hiking, horseback riding, camping and spending days at the lake. He also continued to practice his golf game and played several courses in Montana.

Ben was a man of exceptional integrity and outstanding character. His friendly nature and genuine concern for those around him was remarkable. He was healthy and strong with a gentle disposition, a compassionate heart and a keen wit. He brought an indomitable sense of purpose and determination to all of his endeavors.

He is survived by his mother Diane Zenier and her fiance Richard Hyde, of Sandpoint, Idaho; his father and Charles Thomas and wife Paula Symmes, of Kalispell; sister Arrie Frakes and husband Joshua, of Spokane; half brother Ryan Symmes; and half sister Laura Symmes.

The family would like to extend its profound gratitude to the United States Coast Guard, the Alaska State Troopers, and especially the fishermen, local volunteers, and all those who donated time and resources during the search and rescue efforts.

A memorial service will be held at Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 2 p.m.

The Ben Symmes donation account has been established to support search-and-rescue efforts for commercial fishermen in Alaska. Contributions can be made at any Wells Fargo Bank branch.