Mary Anne Rogers

Mary Anne Rogers, age 64 of Bigfork, passed away from natural causes at her home on Sunday April 22, 2007. Surviving Mary include her son Chris Koppang along with his wife Hallie and their children Sydney and David and her daughter Stefanie Brooke along with her husband Ken and their child Cole. A memorial service was held on Friday April 27, 2007 at the home of Mary Anne Rogers located at 27792 Highway 35. The family request memorials be made in Mary’s name to your local Humane Society.

Nellie Reukauf Mahlum

Nellie Reukauf Mahlum of Kalispell, Montana died April 23, 2007 at Heritage Place. Nellie was born at DeGrand Montana, December 1, 1920, the sixth child of Arthur and Henrietta Reukauf.

She attended high school in Mt. Hope, Wisconsin and Luana, Iowa before returning to Terry, Montana, to complete the last semester of her junior Year, and her senior Year. She was awarded a scholarship to Eastern Montana State Normal School in Billings and graduated with honors in 1940. Nellie married Edwin P. Mahlum May 1, 1943 at Missoula, Montana. They have resided in Flathead County since 1945 with the exception of two years on a farm in Wisconsin.

She returned to Eastern in 1946 and helped revise the State Course of Study in Science under the supervision of Mrs. Lillian Peterson, State supervisor of Rural Education. Mrs. Mahlum received her Life Certificate in Education for Grades 1-10 at that time. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Eastern 1967, and further credits from the University of Montana, the College of Great Falls, Northern Montana College at Havre, and Teachers’ College at Cheney, Washington.

Mrs. Mahlum came to Flathead County in 1940 and began her 39-year teaching career at Deer Park School. She taught at Helena Flats, Marion, Bad Rock, and Batavia in Flathead County, as well as Pershing School in Prairie County, and Mt. Hope State Graded School in Mt. Hope, Wisconsin. The two latter schools she had attended as a former pupil. In 1957 she began her teaching career of 29 years at Evergreen School. She loved her pupils and the people of Evergreen, and when she retired in l986, they honored her by awarding her the Evergreen Lions’ Citizen of the year award. Her fellow teachers, also, bestowed upon her their Big Apple Award.

Nellie was a charter member of Calvary Lutheran Church, where she taught Sunday School, Bible School, and Confirmation Classes. She served on the church council and sang in the choir. She was a member of the “Daughters of the American Revolution”, and served as registrar for many years. She was a life member of Montana Education Association and the National Education Association and held offices in the local associations. She was a member of Montana Retired Senior Citizens’ Association and Northwest Chapter of Retired Teachers.

Mrs. Mahlum was preceded in death by her husband Edwin Mahlum, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Reukauf, four sisters Elaine Reukauf, Christine Smerke, Hazel Armstrong and Ruth Miller, four brothers, Robert, Arthur, Walter, and Bill Reukauf.

She is survived by one daughter, Ms. Sandy Glazier of Kalispell, two sons and their wives, Edwin and Joy Mahlum of Kalispell, and Peter and Gina Mahlum of Ferndale. She is also survived by six beloved grandsons: Jeffrey and Todd Glazier, Daniel, David, Nicholas, and Logan Mahlum and a beloved granddaughter, Chelsea Mahlum and two much loved great grandsons, James Logan Mahlum and Dawson Scott Glazier, one sister, Mrs. Ann Mayne of Mt Hope, Wisconsin and one brother, John Reukauf of Vale, Oregon, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services for Nellie were at Calvary Lutheran Church with Pastor Kurt Rau officiating. Burial will be at Glacier Memorial Gardens. Memorial contributions may be sent to Calvary Lutheran Church, 2200, Hwy 2 East, Kalispell, MT 59901.

Maxine Johnson

Maxine Johnson passed away April 19, at her home in Lake Oswego, Ore.

Maxine was employed by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana from 1950 to 1988, first as a Research Associate, and later as the Director and a Professor of Management. Maxine spent most of her career studying the Montana economy and briefing government and business leaders on her results. She was the author of approximately 140 articles and 18 monographs dealing with state and regional economics.

She served on the Boards of Directors of The Montana Power Company (1975-1988), First Bank Western (1972-1988), and the Montana Board of Investments (1971-1976).

Other service included the board of Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation from 1989-2002, (President, 1993-2002); the board of the Burton R. Wheeler Center at Montana State University from 1987-2006 (Chair,1999-2006); the board of the AAUW Educational Foundation (1989-1993), and a trustee of the Washington State University Foundation (1993-1999). In 1975, she received the Distinguished Alumni Award from The University of Montana, followed by an honorary Ph.D. from Montana State University in 1981.

Maxine was born in Kansas in 1925 and moved with her family to Bellingham Washington in 1941. She attended college at Washington State University, where she met and married Manford “Buzz” Johnson. After graduating in 1948 with a BA in Economics, she moved to Missoula, Montana, where she earned a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Montana in 1950.

Buzz and Maxine retired to Bigfork, MT in 1988, and have split their time between there and Lake Oswego, OR since 2002. Maxine loved to travel and enjoyed ballet, classical music, and paintings.

Maxine is survived by Buzz; son, Kurt; brother, Robert, daughter-in-law Julie, and granddaughter Cory.

Both Maxine and her husband received scholarships while students, which led them to establish a scholarship in their name at Washington State University. Memorials can be sent to:

The M.E. and Maxine Johnson Honors Scholarship

WSU Foundation

PO Box 641042

Pullman, Washington 99164-1042