Olga Hoerner

Olga Schwenke Hoerner peacefully passed away on Feb. 5, 2014, in Shoreline, Wash.

She was born Feb. 17, 1915, in Bainville to Anne and Charles Schwenke, the eighth of 12 children.

She graduated from Bainville High School in 1933 and then attended a commercial school in St. Paul and worked for the Brown calendar company. She returned to Whitefish in 1936.

She and Jack Hoerner were married on Oct. 24, 1942, in Whitefish. They moved to Pasco, Wash., working at Hanford on the Manhattan Project.

They returned to Montana, established, owned and operated Hoerner Plumbing and Heating in Columbia Falls from 1947 until 1970, when Jack passed away. Olga not only ran the retail and books for the business, but she was a wonderful homemaker and maintained six lots of fruit trees, gardens and her roses.

In 1969, Olga began work at the state liquor store in Columbia Falls (even though a teetotaller, she could tell you how to mix any drink) until 1978, when she moved to Seattle to be closer to her children. Olga was a member of the VFW in Columbia Falls and  attended and volunteered at St. Richard’s Catholic Church.

Many a chocolate chip cookie was lovingly baked for her family. Olga loved to be with her grandchildren, playing cards and was always on the go. She was a member of St. Matthew’s Parish in Seattle. She was a strong, independent woman who cared about others.

She will be deeply missed by her daughter Celeste McArthur, of Seattle, and son Clinton and his wife Sue, of Las Vegas, Nev. She will be remembered by her four grandchildren, Scott McArthur and wife Kerrie, and Shane McArthur and wife Robyn, and Kirsten and Carin Hoerner; four great grandchildren; her sister Thelma Westberg, of Sequim, Wash.; and many nieces and nephews.

A funeral mass for Olga will be held at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church, 1240 NE 127th Street, in Seattle, on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014, at 11 a.m. Inurnment will take place at a later date at Glacier Memorial Cemetery, in Kalispell.