Margaret J. Ryan Salvo
1936 – 2013
Longtime Dillon resident Margaret “Peggy” Ryan Salvo passed away peacefully in her home on July 11, 2013, after a brief battle with lung cancer.
Peggy was born in Deer Lodge on November 9, 1936. She was the first of three daughters born to Pat and Margaret Ryan. She attended St. Mary’s Academy and graduated from Powell County High School in 1954. She went on to attend Carroll College, where she achieved a nursing degree. She completed her nurse’s training at St. James Community Hospital in Butte.
In November 1961, Peggy married Alfred M. Holm in Laurin, and they made their home in Butte. In 1962, Peggy and Al moved to Dillon shortly before the birth of their first child. They had four children together before Al’s sudden death on January 13, 1973. Several years later, Peggy met Joseph Salvo of Dillon, and they married in Idaho Falls, ID, on December 12, 1996.
Peggy dedicated her professional life to the care of the sick and disabled. She began her career first as a nurse and later became Director of Nursing at Barrett Community Hospital in Dillon. She then accepted a position with the Montana-Wyoming Foundation for Medical Care, visiting care facilities in the region to help develop and improve nursing programs in community hospitals and convalescent homes. She ultimately returned to employment in Dillon to serve as Director of Nursing at the Parkview Acres Convalescent Center for over 20 years.
For over five decades, Peggy was a fixture in the Dillon community. She was a longtime member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church and for years was active in the Beaverhead County Democratic Party. She developed a true passion for square dancing in the 1980s, and she and her husband Joseph would travel locally and around the country to perform in square dance events and festivals. Peggy not only enjoyed dancing but she loved music in general and could often be found at the piano in her living room playing Irish songs. She loved to tell stories about her years growing up on family ranches in Deer Lodge and in Madison County, and would always get a laugh as she recalled her adventures in specific detail. Peggy also was a member at the YMCA in Dillon and over the past several years looked forward to regularly attending her water aerobics classes.
Peggy is survived by: her two sisters, Kathryn Pugh and Helen Christensen (Chris), both of Helena; and by her children, Mick Holm of Billings, Shelly Wulf (David) of Katy, TX, Stacey Bonnot (Matt) of Burbank, OH, Julie Goins (Tommy) of Dillon, and Sharon Bowles (Don) of Arizona; along with nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Peggy was well known as a consummate caregiver, someone who truly had a gift for comforting those going through the most difficult of life’s moments. Her ability to show compassion and extend a loving hand were treasured gifts to her family and to the entire community.
Funeral services will be held at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Dillon at 12:10 p.m. on Friday, July 19, 2013. A Scriptural Wake service will take place the evening of Thursday, July 18, 2013, at 7 p.m. at St. Rose of Lima. The family extends a special thank you to Dr. Judy Wilson for her continuous care and support.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Barrett Hospital Home Health & Hospice programs, or Pink Heals Southwest Montana Chapter. Online condolences can be expressed at www.brundagefuneralhome.com.
Loretta Cathrine Spehar
1918 – 2013
Loretta Cathrine Spehar passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 95 on July 11, 2013.
Loretta was born in Bismarck, ND, on January 8, 1918. She was the first of two daughters born to Jay and Christine Grills. She grew up with her younger sister, Gladys (Olson), in North Dakota and Miles City, MT, where she graduated from Custer County High School.
Loretta Spehar attended the Montana State Normal School in Dillon and graduated in 1938. She taught “country” school and drove the school buses at the Jackson and Reichle schools. Loretta married Bill Spehar in 1941. They made their home first in Glen and later in Dillon, where Loretta worked at the Dillon Tribune and kept books for the family auto repair business. Bill and Loretta raised their family in Dillon and called it home for the rest of their lives.
Loretta was a longtime member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, where she taught catechism for many years. She was active in many community projects and was especially fond of her work with God’s Kitchen and the halfway house. She also spent many years working with the museum, youth and school groups, and the University of Montana Western alumni and support groups.
Loretta was preceded in death by: her husband, Bill Spehar; her parents, Jay and Christine Grills; her sister and brother-in-law, Gladys and James Olson; and her grandson Michael Huffman. Loretta is survived by: her children, Tona Lawson (Allen) of Dillon, Jay Spehar (Teresa) of Globe, AZ, and David Spehar of Dillon, and by five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, one great-great grandchild, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Services will be held at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church at 12:10 PM on July 16. The family extends a special thanks to Dr. Weed and the Barrett Hospital Home Health & Hospice programs. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to these programs. A guestbook is available online at www.brundagefuneralhome.com.
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