Obituaries

ARLEE — Betty Mae Schall, Mom, was born at the Elmore Hospital in Missoula, on Jan. 20, 1925, to Elmer and Della Wemple. She was proud that her dad, living on top of Evaro Hill at the time, flagged the train down to board his pregnant wife so she could travel to the local hospital to bring their little girl into the world. Mom truly led a lively, colorful life. She lost her real mom to leukemia when she was 5 years old and went to live in the Florence-Carlton area south of Missoula with her Gramma Rose and Grampa Lew. She told many stories of when she was a little girl, living with her grandparents. Mom moved back to the Jocko Valley when her dad met and married her “mother,&rdq...

RONAN — Agnes L. Wangerin passed away at St. Luke Hospital in Ronan on Aug. 28, 2024.  Agnes Lorraine Christensen was born to Mary and Henry Christensen on Oct. 12, 1933. She grew up on a grain farm near Westby with her two brothers, Verne and Kenneth, and her sister, Marge. Agnes attended high sc...

CHARLO — Virginia Rowe (Wallace) 81, passed away on July 13, 2024, from complications from a fall. She was born on Oct. 14, 1943, to a mining family in Wallace, Idaho. As a young child, she frequented her grandparent’s property in Lincoln. She officially made Charlo home in 1970. In Charlo she me...

SPOKANE — Karen Cowan passed away peacefully on Aug. 3, 2024, at Hospice House of Spokane surrounded by her friends and family. Karen was born on June 22, 1950, in St. Ignatius, and attended Ronan High School. She is survived by her two adult sons, Jeff Lee (55) and Aaron Swinkels (47).  Karen ...

POLSON — Tom Konen passed away on Aug. 10, 2024, at his home in Polson, surrounded by his loving family, after a 10-month battle with Multiple Myeloma. He was born in Butte, on July 5, 1961. Tom was a successful chiropractor with a clinic in Plains and at Logan Health Polson. He had a soft spot for ...

POLSON — Lillian (Johnson) Stephenson died peacefully in her sleep at age 99 on Jan. 5, 2024. She was born on July 25, 1924, in Polson, to Carl and Marie Johnson who had recently arrived from Siberia north of the Artic Circle where they had a trading post and where their first child, Chester was born. ...

POLSON — A beautiful and loving soul, Colleen Ann Ricciardi, passed away on Monday, June 24, 2024, in Missoula at The Village Care Center of natural causes. Colleen was born on July 5, 1959, in southern California. Her dad, mom and brother moved to Portland, Oregon, in 1971 where she lived until 201...

MOIESE — Robert (Bob) Burrell passed away peacefully on June 30, 2024. Bob was born to Leslie Wayne and Viola Burrell on Sept. 1, 1940, in Moiese. He grew up farming in Moiese, attended the Moiese School and graduated from Charlo High School.  After high school Bob worked as a farm hand f...

NORTH OAKS, MINNESOTA — Mary Margaret (Marney) Wamsley was born on June 3, 1926, in St. Ignatius and passed away on Feb. 18, 2024, in North Oaks, Minnesota. Marney graduated from St. Catherine’s College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and received a master’s degree from Notre Dame. Following her...

POLSON — Keith Rennie, a devoted husband, beloved father and brother, and cherished grandfather, passed away on June 23, 2024, after a brief but valiant battle with cancer. He was 71 years old. Keith was born on July 1, 1952, in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, and grew up on multiple reservations in New Mex...