Char-Koosta News
The Official Publication of the Flathead Nation online
For the Record...November 2007 ObituariesShirley
M. Anderson Shirley was born on May 10, 1920 to Louis G. and Gladys S. Maillet in Missoula, MT. She was raised in Hot Springs, Montana on the Flathead Indian Reservation and was a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe. She attended Montana State Normal College in Dillon and received a teaching certificate in 1940. After graduation Shirley taught in various locations in Montana, California and Washington including a position where she was living and teaching in a 1-room schoolhouse. It was while residing in Pasco, WA in the fall of 1947 that she met Charles Calder Anderson on a blind date. They were engaged within 2 weeks and married 2 months later on December 5th. They were happily married for 54 years until Charles death in 2002. Shirley and Charles moved to Spokane in 1950 where Charles attended Eastern Washington College of Education receiving a teaching degree in 1952. Shirley continued teaching until the birth of her first child in 1953 at which time she retired from teaching and devoted the rest of her life to being a mother, grandmother and homemaker. In the late 50's she decided to continue her education and received a Bachelors Degree in Education at Eastern Washington State College in 1961. Shirley enjoyed knitting, sewing, crocheting, cross stitch, plastic canvas and excelled at many other handicrafts as well. She enjoyed cooking and baking. Shirley had a passion for genealogy and had traced her family tree back many generations to a small village in Luxembourg. She was active in garden club and after Charles retirement became very involved in Eastern Star where she attained the office of Worthy Matron. She was also a member of White Shrine of Jerusalem and Daughters of the Nile. Shirley and Charles enjoyed RV'ing and even after Charles death she continued to take trips with the Inland Empire Travelers camper group. Shirley was a devoted Seattle Mariners fan and was treated to a trip to Seattle to see a Mariners game this past fall by her grandson Nicholas. Shirley was preceded in death by her husband Charles and her stepson Charles C. Anderson Jr. She is survived by her brothers Louis Maillet of Ronan and John (Jack) Maillet of Bellevue, WA; her son and daughter-in-law Jon and Amy Anderson of Hot Springs, MT; her daughters and sons-in-law, Gail and Rich Gilleran of Spokane and Glenna and Robert DeVleming of Spokane; stepdaughter Diana Housh of Everett, WA; 11 grandchildren, Charles C Anderson III, Douglas Anderson, Michael Housh, Paige Anderson, Danielle, Jacob and Olivia DeVleming, Nick and Adam Trefry, Sean and Fiona Gilleran; and seven plus great-grandchildren. Memorial services will be held Saturday, December 8, 2007 at 1 at Audubon Park United Methodist Church. Memorials may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children. Reverend
John Bruce Plummer The second of six children, Fr. Plummer was born in Anaconda on May 24, 1914 to John Bowling and Eleanor Brennan Plummer. The family moved to Missoula, where he attended St. Anthony's and Loyola High School. He played football in high school and at Carroll College, where he graduated in philosophy. During his college years Fr. Plummer held summer jobs with the state as a border inspector for fruit and vegetables, first in Noxon and then near Yellowstone National Park. In 1936, he entered St. Edward Seminary in Seattle. He was ordained as a priest at the Cathedral of Saint Helena on May 18, 1940. Fr. Plummer served as an Assistant at the Cathedral in Helena and at St. Anthony Parish in Missoula, where he also was chaplain to the Newman Club. During this time, he had the responsibility of looking after Italian ship crews from New York who were interned at Fort Missoula. Fr. Plummer recalled that they were excellent cooks and were, on special occasions, allowed to sign out to cook meals for the priests. He was named Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Ronan in August 1949. In 1956 he was named Pastor of St. Ann Parish in Butte. In 1968 he was named Pastor of St. Matthew Parish in Kalispell and in 1977 he was named Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Polson. For several years he served on the Carroll College Board of Trustees. Fr. Plummer retired in 1981. After that he lived in his beloved log cabin on the Narrows of Flathead Lake except when he escaped the long, gray western Montana winters by going to Mexico or California. More recently he lived at St. Joseph Retirement Community. As a young man, he spent a lot of time at his family's cabin on Placid Lake, rowing around the lake, fishing, relaxing, and working on the cabin there. In 1951 he purchased the Flathead Lake cabin on Lansing Point. Built in 1919, the rustic tamarack log structure was originally just the shell and porch. Fr. Plummer always had projects going at the cabin. One of the most significant changes was the addition of indoor plumbing and electricity. Visitors who had experienced the cabin's old outhouse had a true appreciation of that particular improvement. During another cabin project, a makeshift scaffold fell. Fr. Plummer fell with it onto the rocks below, severely injuring his back. As a result he had many back problems through the years. The cabin became a focal spot for family gatherings and reunions, good times full of swimming, boating, water skiing, fishing, pancake-eating contests, hiking, skipping rocks, and just plain visiting. Infamous for his outrageous habit of speeding, both on land and out on the lake, Fr. Plummer went through an amazing number of boat propellers. For his nieces and nephews, as well as for many boys and girls from his parishes, staying at the cabin helped instill a love of and reverence for the outdoors. Fr. Plummer was the kind of person who could turn a summer night of patio stargazing into an expansive discussion of astronomy and physics. He loved kokanee fishing, especially out by the Bird Islands. Many a boat ride included silently drifting and watching a fawn on the shore or bighorn rams clashing and clacking their horns at the water's edge on Wildhorse Island. He was also a world traveler. During reunions, he would give slideshows of his latest vacations to exotic foreign countries. While some family members were guilty of nodding off during those shows, others were inspired by Fr. Plummer's color photography of places like Italy, India, Peru and China to develop their own lifelong habits of travelling. Fr. Plummer was a gifted Renaissance man whose varied interests and accomplishments included: in 1965, designing and coordinating the construction of the new St. Ann Church in Butte; designing, commissioning and donating a unique stained glass mural to the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Polson; designing his sister Laurine's lake home; drawing and sketching; completing numerous rockwork projects; hand-carving exquisite wooden artwork; and creating gorgeous vases and bowls with a wood lathe in his lakeside shop. He was a voracious reader. His floor-to-ceiling library shelves in the cabin living room held a dizzying array of literature, from Greek philosophers to Catholic theologians, from popular fiction to carpentry manuals. Fr. Plummer's large family and his many friends will miss his distinctively dry sense of humor. He was preceded in death by his parents and all five of his siblings: Virginia (Dick), William, Laurine (Hartman), Robert, and Richard. Surviving him are his sister-in-law Vada Plummer of San Jose, California and numerous nieces, nephews and their families. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Immaculate Conception Church in Polson, the Polson City Library, or a charity of choice. Condolences to family may be sent to www.groganfuneralhome.com Marjorie
Ann Felsman Michell She was born March 28, 1937 to Oswald and Annie (Ashley) Felsman, the tenth of eleventh children. In her youth, she learned how to be a hard working caregiver. She was in the Ursillines Boarding Home at the young age of 3, because she lost her own mom at such at an early age. Mom grew up quick and stern. She even told us she enjoyed being raised by the Ursilline Nuns. She and Floss were Sister André's favorite girls. At a young age of 14 or 15, she married the love of her life Gilbert and they raised five "Navy Brats"! Twenty years as a Navy wife, she passed many inspections with flying colors. After Gilbert's retirement in 1971, the family moved home, where Mom, Dad and son Randall built their home in St. Ignatius. She was a very devoted to the St. Ignatius Catholic Church and the Church Ladies Guild, she also taught Catechism to many kids. After her and Gilbert's marriage unfortunately ended, she had to begin a new life seeking employment. She was such a hard worker, she had no problem finding work; first she tended bar at Buffalo and Tepee, eventually owning her own in Perma she also enjoyed helping her friend in the back country with his horse packing outfit. They also had a roping arena that she enjoyed thoroughly. After selling Perma, she moved back to St. Ignatius and started in the Road Construction business as a flagger. She was very serious with this position and the owner's of the companies she worked for took great trust in her dedication. She and her ex-husband always remained friends and ended up in business together as owners of the Silver Dollar Bar in St. Ignatius for about ten years. She loved it! She also worked with the Mission Headstart as an assistant teacher and her special place of employment was at the St. Ignatius Senior Citizens Center, where she met and loved so many of the members. For about the last ten years she was dedicated member of the Mission Valley Honor Guard; she played Taps for many of our fallen veterans. At one burial she played Taps twice on a tape recorder. She didn't hit stop quick enough (LOL), thus the nickname "Two Taps Marge". She also sewed, cooked and made sure that her "Boys" were taken care of. She was also very proud and honored to be a member of the Mission Valley Honor Guard. She enjoyed sewing most of her life; she made a lot of us kid's clothes, special dresses for communion, graduations and daughter Ronda's wedding dress. Other things she enjoyed were ceramics, gardening, yardwork and just taking care of everyone else's needs. We will surely miss her. Marge was preceded in death by her parents Oswald and Annie (Ashley) Felsman; eight brothers, Ronald, Bill Jr., Mark, Grub, Harold, Carl and Joe Dog; one sister Alberta (Felsman) Priefert and a special mother-in-law Mary Michell Mills. Survivors include her sister Floss Felsman; her soul mate Gilbert J. Michell; children Gilbert R. (Beanie) Michell, Ronda (J.C.) Michell, Randall J (Sherry) Michell, Rita Renee' (Tim) Evans and Rachel (Randy) Michell; grandchildren Matthew, Johnny, Tommy, Conrad, Amber, Michael, Elliott, R.J., Matthew, Mary, Amanda, Ryan and Cougar and nine great grandchildren. Family request that memorials be made to the Mission Valley Honor Guard. Edward
Joseph Curley A member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, he was born in Polson on March 12, 1961 to Alice Lozeau Matt Curley. Ed resided in Elmo with his grandparents Vincent and Agnes Curley and sisters Marcella, Brenda and Tessie. Ed was married twice. He first married the mother of his children, Brenda Dumont Curley, with whom he shared the blessing and joy of Krystal, Amber, Sandra, Ed Jr. and Peter. Ed's second marriage was with Nancy Schall. Ed's greatest joy was his family. He enjoyed playing basketball and outings with his children. Ed loved animals. His dog Abby, who spent many years with him, will surely miss him. Ed also loved the outdoors so much he became an accomplished sawyer and woodsman. He was preceded in death by his mother and grandparents. Survivors include his children Krystal, Amber, Sandra, Edward Jr. and Peter; his sisters Marcella White, Brenda (Virgil) Brave Rock and Tessie Curley; grandchildren Brooke, Aubrey and William and a grandchild on the way; numerous nieces, nephews and extended family members. Keith
Douglas Mohr Keith was born on October 16, 1953 to Doug and Carol Mohr. Keith was a hard working man and a loving father, friend, brother, companion and uncle. He lived and worked throughout Canada, the United States and Costa Rica. Keith enjoyed the simple luxuries of life, which included his family and friends. Keith built houses and worked as a building contractor. He enjoyed working on his own house and he loved riding his Harley. Keith liked old school Bob Marley, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. Keith was a native at heart. He loved to cut wood, hunt, ride in the mountains, cruising around the lake and play cards at the powwows. He especially enjoyed watching and coaching all of his children's sporting activities. He also enjoyed watching his daughter Caroline dance and sing. Keith is preceded in death by his Parents, a brother-Gary and his dogs, Sipp and Hector. He is survived by his children, Alonzo (Monica) of Missoula; Caroline and Louis of Polson; his companion- Melissa Horseman; step-children, Marrisa; Meriah; Nathan and Darren all of Polson; and cousins, Douglas and Pamela Clark of North Carolina; and numerous nieces, nephews, brothers and friends scattered throughout the northern hemisphere. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.groganfuneralhome.com Arrangements are by Grogan Funeral Home, Polson. |
