Bonnie Dee Merrell
1909 - 2011
Bonnie Dee Merrell, Grandma Bonnie to five generations, passed away on Aug. 10, at the Renaissance Center, at the age of 102.
Bonnie was born on Jan. 29, 1909, to Willey and Lelia Cheney in Lima, where she was to spend the entire 102 years of her life.
She attended and graduated from the Lima Schools. On May 15, 1923, she was married to Max C. Merrell. Their union of 67 years resulted in eight children, 25 grandchildren, 55 great-grandchildren, and numerous great-great-grandchildren.
Her family was the center of her life, but she also enriched the lives of many others with gifts of baby blankets, aid to stranded motorists, meals for shut-ins, and working in many community organizations and the Lima Community church.
Her community service included years on the cemetery board, and a time as Lima’s mayor.
Bonnie worked at various jobs throughout her life, starting at the Union Pacific club house as a young woman, and later at the Club Café’ and the Peat Café’. She worked for many many years with her husband Max at the family owned Merrell Store.
After retiring from the store, she worked for the Lima school lunch program, and finished her working career at the local motel laundry at the age of 80. She left behind an admirable work ethic for later generations to follow.
Bonnie was preceded in death by her husband Max; two sons, Kenneth and Don; a daughter-in-law, Lois; one grandson and two great-grandchildren.
She is survived by Dee (Norma) Merrell, Carol (Gordon) Harball, Edith Reed, Anita (Baxter) Brown, Joyce Merrell, Lila (Jim) Harper, plus numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
She will be greatly missed.
Services were held Tuesday, at 2 p.m., at the Lima Community Church, with a visitation prior to services. Graveside services and reception followed.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Lima Community Church Ladies Aid, or a charity of the donor’s choice.
Ralph Redfield
1930 - 2011
Ralph Redfield, Jr., 80, of Twin Bridges, passed away Aug. 8 at the Sheridan Hospital.
He was born Dec. 7, 1930, to Ralph and Clara Redfield, in California.
Bud was a cowboy in his younger years. In his midlife years he was a miner.
In 1966 he bought a small ranch and became a part-time rancher and a full time miner.
In the late 1990s, he retired from mining. Bud loved to read a lot, until his eyes got too bad. During his last few years he really enjoyed going up into the mountains with his family and his grandchildren.
He served in the Korean War from 1950 to 1953 as a Staff Sergeant, and married Jeannette Keene, June 14, 1958, in Dillon.
He is survived by his wife, Jeannette; one daughter, Donna (Craig) Sprinkle, Dillon; four sons,
Jim Redfield, Roseville, Ohio, Wayne (Linda) Redfield, Twin Bridges, Fred Redfield, Dillon,
Jerry (Amanda) Redfield, Tampa Bay, Fla.; brothers,
Bob (Eileen) Redfield, Twin Bridges,
Keith Redfield, Twin Bridges;
sisters, Betty (Lee) Rampy, Twin Bridges, Shirley (John) Magnus, Sheridan; grandchildren, Laura, Tarah, James, Virginia, Ezra, Jade, Joshua, Ruth, Isaiah, Trista and Ezekiel.
Graveside services will be held Aug. 27, at 10 a.m.
at the Point of Rocks Cemetery.
A reception will follow at the Church of the Valley.
The family requests that memorials be sent to the TwinBridges American Legion.
Patricia L. Clucas
1927 - 2011
Patricia L. Clucas passed away one day short of celebrating her 84th birthday.
She was born to Percy and Harriet (Martineau) Barney on Aug. 12, 1927, in Tacoma, Wash.
She lived in Elliston as a small child, and then moved to Butte with her parents where she attended grade school and Butte Central Girls High School.
Her various careers included working as a telegrapher for Union Pacific for eight years before taking time to raise her family.
Her third marriage was to William T. Clucas, and they were wed on her birthday in 1955, in Helena. Together they lived and raised their family in Lima where Pat was active at the St. Rose Catholic Church and PTA, and was a founding member of the Lima swimming pool.
She was the secretary and an EMT for the Lima Ambulance and Fire Department. Not to be denied a high school diploma, Pat enrolled in the GED program and graduated from Lima High School in 1968 with her second son, Fran.
In 1976, she and Bill moved to Pocatello, Idaho, where she was a Red Cross first aid instructor. In 1977 Pat enrolled at ISU Vo-Tech to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. She graduated in 1978 with an LPN degree, and worked at the Bannack Memorial Hospital until moving back to Dillon in 1982.
She continued her nursing career at Barrett Hospital until her retirement in 1989. Not one to sit still, she then became active in the Dillon Hospice until 1995.
Pat enjoyed gardening, crocheting, and especially following her grandkids ball and track teams. She was the life of the party at family get-togethers. “G”, as she was known by some of the grandkids, was known to give the grandkids their Christmas goose a little early, as well as her spunky teasing, and making them one of her famous Chinese sandwiches.
Pat was preceded in death by her husband, William T. Clucas; and son, Bill Clucas.
She is survived by her sons, Mike (Sue) Jensen, Dillon; Fran (Shanni) Jensen, Lima, and Bob Clucas, Gig Harbor, Wash.; grandchildren, Dallas Jensen, Travis (Dawn) Jensen, Lance (Charlene) Jensen, Amanda (Corey) Harris, Adam Jensen, Kelsy Jensen-Coon, Casey Clucas and Katie Poppy, and eight great-grandchildren.
A rosary will be held at 7 p.m. at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, with a prayer service at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 18, at BrundageFuneral Home.
A funeral mass will be held Friday, Aug. 19, at 12:10 pm, at St. Rose Catholic Church.
Memorials are should be made to the Lima Swimming Pool, Barrett Hospital Foundation, or a charity of the donor’s choice.
A guestbook is available on-line at www.brundagefuneralhome.com.
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