Ella Maier Oie Clairmont
courtesy photo
Ella Clairmont
RONAN — Ella passed away on May 5, 2016, at the age of 96. She was born Nov. 7, 1919, in Eureka, South Dakota to Fred and Katherina Bitz Maier. They had seven children and the oldest, Eva, will soon turn 100. Herbert, Arthur, Lillian and Pauline are in their 80s and 90s.
In 1940, Ella married Thurston Oie, and at that time Thurston was employed by the Forest Service and worked at shoeing horses. As they had their four children, John (Jack) 1940, Donna 1943, Sharon 1944, and Jerry 1945, they were required to for several years to move every three months. They bought a ranch in Irvine Flats and had cows, sheep, horses, chickens, etc. For many years they operated a school bus and ran the route from their home in Irvine Flats to Polson with their own kids being the first to get on early in the morning after chores were done. Ella also worked in town at the grocery store, Mallory’s, later called Main Street Market.
After the kids were raised and they were getting older, Thurston and Ella sold their ranch in Irvine Flats and moved to a much smaller place east of Pablo. Thurston and Ella had a milk cow and a large yard and garden where they always had grandkids help milk the cow, keep the garden weeded, and the yard mowed and maintained, as she was very particular. Ella also sold milk and cream, made butter, canned many quarts of fruits and vegetables. She was also a very good cook although during the years she worked in town, Thurston always had dinner ready when she arrived home after a long workday. Ella made date filled cookies at Christmas time and it was a favorite of the family. No one has been able to master her recipe as well as she did.
Thurston passed away in 1978 and a few years later she married Gene Clairmont from Polson. During their time together they went on an Alaskan Cruise and had many adventures. She spent several years on a bowling league in Polson and sometimes bowled twice a week. She was involved in the Montachto Club and made many pies over the years for different functions. Gene and Ella had been married over 20 years when Gene passed away in 2005. Ella moved to Ronan after Gene passed away and has resided there since.
Ella was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Thurston Oie and Gene Clairmont; sister, Rosie; son, Jack; and daughter, Donna Sturm.
She is survived by her daughter, Sharon Hill; son, Jerry Oie (Ulyanna); son-in-law. Wayne Sturm; step-daughter, Julie Wall (Ray); and a special nephew who was like a son, Jim Anderson; grandchildren Tana Tobol (Steve), Dustin Sturm (Darci), Jeff Lulow (Erin), Diane Tompkins (Brian), Dana Sturm, Stacey Hill (Thurston), Devi Coughren (Sam) and Courtney Hill (Brett). Ella also had 15 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers are Warren Oie, Robert Lulow, Wayne Sturm, Easton Weingart, Tike Parsons and Jim Slack. Honorary pallbearers are Jim Anderson, Rex Merrit, Dustin Sturm and Jeff Lulow.
The graveside service was held at the Lake View Cemetery in Polson on Saturday, May 14 at 11 a.m.
