Marie Lorraine (Lahd) Brewer
1920 – 2013
Marie Lorraine (Lahd) Brewer, 93, of Dillon passed away Aug. 14, 2013, at Legacy Senior Living in Dillon. She was born in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, on July 18, 1920, the youngest of John and Helen Lahd’s eight children.
At the age of three, she moved with her family to a farm near Fishtail. During her childhood, her family moved several more times. She graduated from Fergus County High School in 1938. After receiving a teaching permit from Billings Normal School, she taught in rural schools in Meagher County, including the Ringling School. In Ringling, she met William Brewer and they married on Aug/ 5, 1947. Together they raised six children. Bill’s employment with the Milwaukee Railroad resulted in many moves over the course of their lives together.
After her husband passed away in 1989, Marie remained in Ringling for several years. Due to the distance for medical care, she moved to the Homestead Manor in Townsend, and then to Choteau, where she resided at the Skyline Lodge. In 2011, she made her last move to Legacy Senior Living in Dillon.
Marie greatly loved children and enjoyed being a homemaker. She was an excellent cook and loved to bake Norwegian goodies. She always had a huge garden and spent hours canning and preserving fruits and vegetables for her family. She was an avid reader and liked nothing better than to play board and card games. Her favorite was pinochle, which she enjoyed even to the last days of her life.
Marie loved to visit and entertain family and friends with her stories and conversation.
She was raised in a generation that valued old-time family traditions and high moral standards, and lived her life to uphold those standards. She was a wonderful mom, grandma, aunt, sister and friend to all she met.
She will be dearly missed.
Marie is survived by her children: Richard (Kim) Brewer of Helena; Julie (Woody) Ameline of Choteau; Jack (Roxanne) Brewer of Townsend; Ron (Dee) Brewer of Helena; Linda (Scott) Marsh of Dillon; and Allen (Sandy) Brewer of Winston. She was blessed with 17 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Other survivors include: her sister-in-law, Betty Jean Brewer of Spokane, WA; many nieces and nephews; her dear friend Vi Anderson of Billings; and her “Legacy family” in Dillon. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, and all her siblings.
Graveside rites will be held at the Mayn Cemetery in White Sulphur Springs at 1 p.m. on Friday, August 23. A reception will directly follow at the Yoked Lutheran-Presbyterian Parish in White Sulphur Springs. Gorder-Jensen Funeral Home of Choteau is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be expressed at www.gorderjensenfuneralhome.com. Memorials are suggested to Barrett Hospice in Dillon, The American Diabetes Association or a memorial of your choice.
Della Francis Stanger Thornton
1937–2013
After a week of heartfelt goodbyes from family and friends, Della Francis Stanger Thornton passed away on Aug. 16, 2013. Though she was in and out at the end, she never lost her sense of humor, her concern for loved ones and her caring nature. Her endurance to the end really showed her strength and character, and everyone who knew her is grateful to see her out of pain.
In 1937, in Pocatello, ID, Della Francis Thornton was born to parents Dan and Irene Stanger, and was sister to three rambunctious brothers. Early on she had to learn to be adaptable. Her family moved a lot growing up, resulting in her attending eight different schools in just twelve years. She graduated high school in Hunters, WA, in 1955. After high school, she moved back to Idaho. She worked in Pocatello at H.S. Kress and then as a telephone operator. From there, her next step was love.
In 1956, she married her tall, handsome cowboy in the Idaho Falls Temple. Along with husband Darrell Thornton, she was blessed with three daughters. They then adopted a son, Guy, and went on to have three more sons. All of their children have walked in their mother’s footsteps and have become strong, spiritual, caring individuals. In 1998, Guy was killed in a car accident. Family and friends are happy to know mother and son are reunited now.
Della followed her cowboy husband around the Northwest with their seven children, stopping just long enough to live and love in Washington, Idaho, Canada, Nevada and, finally, Montana. She and her growing family reached their final destination in 1977 in Lima. Darrell and Della would have been married fifty-seven years come August 22.
Della worked in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as a Primary President, a Young Women’s President, and as a counselor in the Relief Society. She taught Primary, Sunday School, Young Women’s and Relief Society many times.
Della was no stranger to service work. She sewed her way into many strangers’ hearts. Donating nearly 600 pieces of children’s clothing to the LDS church and orphanages around the world, she touched many with her contributions and caring, charitable nature.
Della had a gift for making everyone around her feel welcome and loved. People were drawn to her for her sharp wit and sense of humor. She had a generous spirit and was always mindful of people’s needs. She was an amazing cook, seamstress, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Along with her love and boisterous personality, her cinnamon rolls and delicious gravy will be sorely missed, especially come the holidays.
Della is survived by: daughters Valerie Briggs (John), Annette Lee (Roger) and Robin Hales (Don); sons Justin (Janet), Brandon and Dan (Mandi). She was blessed with 20 grandchildren—with one on the way—and two great- grandchildren. All those who knew her and loved her will carry her in their hearts always.
There is a visitation scheduled at the LDS Church in Lima on Wednesday, Aug. 21, from noon to 1:45 p.m., with funeral services following at 2 p.m. A guestbook is available online at www.brundagefuneralhome.com.
Diana Lee McNinch Walrath
1951 – 2013Diana Lee McNinch Walrath was born on July 26, 1951 and passed away on Aug. 12, 2013, in Barrett Hospital in Dillon.
She is survived by: husband Dick Walrath, of Lima; son Jonathon, of Anchorage, AK; son Jason (Diana), of Wasilla, AK; stepson Rick (Natasha), of Anchorage; stepson Rodney (Karen), of Dillon; and stepson Rand (Michelle), of Seattle, WA.
Services were held at the Lima Community Church on Tuesday, Aug. 20, with internment following at Lima Cemetery.
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