Walter D. May
1930 - 2010
Walter (Wally) D. May, 80, passed away peacefully in his Barnegat N.J., home Tuesday, March 23.
Born in Chicago, Ill., he has been a resident of Barnegat since 1998.
Wally was well loved by all who knew him. He was known for his entertaining stories, many stemming from his childhood where he grew up living the rugged life on the old Highland Ranch near Moose Creek in the Big Hole, and later on his grandmother's, Mary Glennon, homestead along the Big Hole river east of Glen. He graduated in 1948 from Beaverhead High School in Dillon.
He met and married Grace Felts at Western Union School in California in 1949. They had five children together and lived in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, California, Utah, Massachusetts and New Jersey.
He enjoyed a long career of more than 30 years with Western Union. He began as a telegraph operator, and following successive promotions, ultimately became assistant vice president of sales at the New Jersey corporate headquarters, where he met his second wife, Gloria.
Wally was an avid reader and listener of books. He had a great love of nature and art. He sketched and doodled throughout his life, but it wasn’t until after he retired that he began creating portraits and, with dedicated practice, proudly achieved the art of creating likenesses.
He loved playing golf and enjoyed spending time with his many friends and family. He volunteered at his church’s thrift store, and his interest in Dillon was continually fed by his subscription to the Dillon Tribune. He attended his 60th High School Reunion in 2008, rekindling friendships and family ties from his past.
Preceded him in death were his second wife, Gloria in 2003 and his oldest son, Scott in 1988.
He is survived by two sons, Pat , California, and Tim, Colorado; two daughters, Betsy and Nancy, Oregon; three stepchildren, Dave, Cindy and Ron, New Jersey; and his beloved sister, Marjory Johnson, Arizona. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
A Memorial Service was held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Waretown, N.J., Tuesday, March 30.
Lois Grace Roy
1910 - 2010
Lois Grace Shrauger Chidester Roy died Easter morning holding her great- granddaughter Shannon’s hand.
Lois was born in Whitehall Montana August 21, 1910, to Pearl Daniel Shrauger and William (Buck) Shrauger. She spent her childhood in Whitehall, Livingston and on Sunlight Mountain with her grandparents, who were gold miners at the Sunlight Mine near Whitehall.
In 1927 she married Charles Chidester, and together they had two children, Donna June and Frank.
Charles and Lois owned a dray business delivering goods around the Whitehall area, and worked as guides in the Lewis and Clark Caverns, using oil lamps and ropes to lead tours through the caverns. Charles died in 1937 of pneumonia.
To support herself and her children, Lois sold her shares of the Sunlight mine and moved to Bozeman where she graduated from beauty school. After graduation she opened a shop in Lima.
In 1943 she married Guy Roy, an engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad. He adopted Donna June and Frank, and his job took the family all over southwest Montana and Idaho. For a number of years the family lived in Payette, Idaho, before finally settling again in Lima.
Guy and Lois loved to camp and fish, packing up their camper and poles and heading out on the back roads of Montana and Idaho. They spent most summers wandering from one lake, river or creek to another with their three grand kids in tow, camping and always fishing.
In the winters, Guy and Lois took the family skiing and snow shoeing, winter picnics with bonfires were a mainstay of entertainment. At the age of 55 Lois learned to ride a bike. She was an adventurous and gourmet cook, although some of her experiments were not well received by the family, such as the time she cooked a moose nose and insisted it not be wasted.
Guy and Lois retired in 1965, and expanded their camping to the desert they loved in Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada. They wandered all over the south, and spent several winters living in Mexico City.
Guy died in 1979, and after his death Lois remained in Dillon where she was an active participant in her family’s lives. She taught her family many things, but the most important trait she shared was responsibility to family.
Lois was a ball of energy and fire, there was nothing she liked as well as a good argument.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, daughter Donna June, and grandson Byron.
She is survived by her sister, Wilma (Bob) Patrick; son, Frank Roy; grandchildren, Dawna Lynn (Dennis) Wells and Brad (Penny) Roy; great-grandchildren, Shannon, Stacia, Shayna, Ross and Nicholas; great great-grandchildren, Brandi (who shared Grandma Lois’ birthday), Cody, Dawsyn, Stetson, Cole and Kinley; niece and nephew, Sandra and Jim Patrick.
Cremation has taken place and there will be no funeral service per Lois’ request.
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