Doris Sanders

Doris Eileen (Etter) Sanders, 86, passed away May 20, 2015 at Brendan House in Kalispell.

She was born April 19, 1929 to Pearl Mae and William D. Etter in St. Louis County, Mo. She grew up in St. Louis County and attended school there.

Doris started her career as a switchboard operator at South Western Bell in Missouri while attending College in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Doris met the love of her life, Wayne Harris, when he made a phone call and liked her voice, so he asked her out. She also worked for McDonnell Douglas in a top security position.

Doris and Wayne Harris had seven children together. They moved to Florida in 1959, where she worked for Southern Bell and Wayne worked in the concrete business. To supplement her income for her family, she took on other jobs. She worked at New England Oyster House, and then Poncho's Shellorama, which she loved.

Almost 10 years after transferring to Colorado, she retired from Mountain Bell/AT&T in Denver, Colo. Since retiring, she has enjoyed being a huge influence in the lives of her children and grandchildren.

She loved horseback riding, whitewater rafting (until age 82), reading, bowling, throwing league darts, season tickets to Denver Bronco games, going to and watching MLB baseball games and traveling once a year with her sisters to America's historical places and Hawaii, and so much more.

She was a very special lady who loved her family and animals of all kinds. She was known as "Mom" to many more than her own children and would help anybody in need however she could, and often sacrificed her own needs to do so.

Doris was preceded in death by her parents William and Pearl Mae Etter; Wayne Harris; sons Tommy and Barry Harris; brother Guy Etter; and sister Marian Etter-Sutherlin.

She is survived by four siblings, Elizabeth "Betty" McCormick, Lorna Hines, Martha "Loopy" Sexton and William "Billy" Etter; five children, Belinda and Randy Wilks, of Colorado, Maureen Harris, Doug and Shirley Harris, of Florida, Mandi and Richard Johnson, and Melissa Harris and Todd Fuller, of Columbia Falls; 13 grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at Marantette Park in Columbia Falls on Thursday, June 11, 2015 at 6 p.m. This will be a potluck, so contact Melissa for questions at www.facebook.com/Cantomagica.

In lieu of cards and flowers, donations may be sent to the Flathead County Animal Shelter or the Disabled Veterans of America.