Jacqueline Swenson

Jacqueline Joy Hythecker Swenson, 71, beloved mother and grandmother, passed away quietly Feb. 9, 2010.

Jackie was born Feb. 5, 1939, to Floyd and Evelyn Hythecker in Whitefish. She graduated from Whitefish High School and attended college at Colorado Women's College and the University of Montana.

She married Stuart Swenson, of Kalispell, in 1962 and moved to Libby shortly thereafter where she raised her family. She moved to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in 1985, where she taught school. She moved back to her home town of Whitefish in 1990.

Jackie always had a positive and high energy attitude toward everything she did. Her kindness and generosity to everyone she encountered will always be remembered.

She is survived by sons David Swenson, of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Matthew Swenson, of Missoula, and Mitchell Swenson of Hayden, Idaho; and grandchildren Adrian, Brittney, Colin and Nickolaus.

A celebration of Jackie's life will take place at United Methodist Church, 1150 Wisconsin Avenue, Whitefish, on Feb. 27, 2010, at 2 p.m. Private interment will be at Whitefish Cemetery.

Irene McLaughlin

Irene E. (Deranleau) McLaughlin, 88, passed away Feb. 14, 2010, at the Brendan House in Kalispell.

She was born Dec. 10, 1921, in Boyes, Powder River County, to Philip and Laura Deranleau, formerly of Quebec. Irene learned English at a Catholic boarding school where she was sent when her mother was treated for tuberculosis.

There were numerous trials during the Depression, including a cricket plague that destroyed the family's crops. They took refuge in Polson, where Irene attended one year of high school, before returning to the Plains where Irene graduated from high school in Simms.

After graduation, she moved to Compton, Calif., where she worked as a "Rosie The Riveter" on C Class cargo planes until the end of World War II. After the war, she trained with Western Union as a bookkeeper, working in Los Angeles.

She moved to Kalispell on March 19, 1946, to take care of her parents and found work at the new F.A. Buttrey Co. Within months, she was in charge of ready-to-wear. The job helped her purchase her parents' home in Kalispell.

On Aug. 5, 1947, Irene married Joseph P. McLaughlin, a pharmacist and co-owner of MacMillan Drug Co. She became involved with education and helped guide Brownies and Girl Scouts from 1956 to 1962. As a traveler, she was proud to have driven from border to border and coast to coast across the U.S. and Canada.

After Joe's death, Irene returned to work at Job Service and then at the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. She was a member of the Sunshine Choir for 24 years and worked on the Chamber of Commerce newsletter.

Irene was preceded in death by her parents, husband and sister Rose Johnson.

She is survived by her daughter Patricia McLaughlin and husband Glenn Violette, of Whitefish; grandson Porter Dassenko and friend Anita, and great granddaughters Bridget and Natasha, all of Belgrade; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Mass of the Resurrection was held at St. Matthew s Catholic Church on Feb. 19, 2010. Interment followed at C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery. Memorials may be sent to Brendan House.

Cleo Wilson

Cleo Carrie 'Kelly' Wilson, 90, passed away from natural causes in her Whitefish home on Feb. 10, 2010.

She was born in Malvern, Ark., on June 8, 1919, to Walter Garland Kelly and Lula Dale Samuels.

She was married to Robert "Bob" Wilson on Dec. 5, 1945. Cleo and Bob operated Wilson's Floor Covering in Wilmington, Calif., during the 1960s and 1970s. They moved to Whitefish in 1974, where they owned and operated Wilson's Floor Covering from 1975-1978 before retiring and moving to Orange, Calif.

Cleo couldn't stop working. She then worked with her sister's family at Tony's Sea Landing in Tustin, Calif., and then at Santa Monica Seafood. After they moved to Las Vegas in the 1990s, she worked for Albertson's in the deli department until she was in her early 80s.

When Cleo wasn't working, she loved playing bingo at Gold Coast Casino and taking care of her home. After Bob passed away in 2002, she moved to Corona, Calif., to be closer to her son Doug and his family. She resided there until 2007, when she moved back to Whitefish to be closer to her son Mark and his family.

Cleo will always be remembered for her passion of taking care of everyone before herself, bingo, keeping an immaculate home, her fashionable appearance and a love for life. Cleo was very photogenic and loved taking pictures with her family, always flashing the peace sign.

She was preceded in death by her husband; daughter Dorothy Street; brothers James Kelly and Luther Kelly; and sisters Grace Brimmage and Lois Stafford.

She is survived by her sons Doug Wilson and wife Laura, of Corona, Calif., and Mark Wilson and wife Shelley Gross, of Columbia Falls; son-in-law Ray Street, of Whitefish; sisters Katherine Osborne, of Texarkana, Ark., and Jean Fistonich of Corona, Calif.; grandchildren Eddie, Keith, Robert and Shawn Williams, Brittany and Brandon Wilson, Bryan and Breanna Routledge, and Chelsey Wilson; numerous great grandchildren and great great grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and countless friends.

Services were held Feb. 17, 2010, at the Austin Funeral Home in Whitefish, followed by a celebration of her life at Grouse Mountain Lodge.

Colleen Cluka-Gordon

Colleen Mary Cluka-Gordon left to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Feb. 17, 2010, in Las Vegas, Nev., with her loving family in attendance at her side.

Colleen was born July 19, 1953, in Bertha, Minn., to Robert and Mary Cluka. Her family, including her two brothers and three sisters, spent time living in both Chester and Conrad before settling in Columbia Falls around 1965. Colleen graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1971.

She married Richard Gordon, of Whitefish, in 1976. She gave birth to her son and only child, Jesse, in 1977.

Colleen relocated to Salt Lake City in 1978. During her time there, she briefly remarried, attained an associate level business degree and became a small-business owner. In the early 1990s, Colleen and her partner, Dennis David, moved to Lake Havasu City, Ariz., to start a new business of their own.

Colleen and Dennis were the owner-operators of Petrossi's Pizza in Lake Havasu for nearly 18 years and in that time made many friends with both the locals and the seasonal snowbirds who visited every year.

She is preceded in death by her parents.

She is survived by her son Jesse Gordon and wife Jamison, of Olympia, Wash.; siblings Yvonne Corbett and husband Jim, Donald Cluka and wife Cozy, and Ben Cluka and wife Michelle Price, all of Kalispell, Donna Hasson and husband Wayne Wick, of Whitefish, and Carol Cluka-Long, of Lake Havasu City Ariz.; partner Dennis David, of Lake Havasu City; 10 nephews and nieces; and nine grandnephews and grandnieces.

Colleen's ashes will be interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Columbia Falls at a future date.

Lorna Moss

Lorna May (Wright) Moss died Feb. 16, 2010, and is now dancing with Jesus whole and healthy after a courageous battle with cancer.

She was born June 22, 1961, in Waterbury, Conn., to Richard and Virginia Wright. She attended school in Connecticut until she moved to Whitefish in 1980.

Everyone who knew Lorna knew that she loved God with all of her heart. Whether serving at church, as a school crossing guard, as a caregiver or as a preschool teacher's aide at Cross Currents Christian School, she was a true servant, joyfully meeting the needs of others with loving care and compassion.

Lorna was the queen of garage sales, finding treasures no one knew even existed. If you went along, you knew to pack breakfast, lunch, and dinner with you. She had an eye for decorating, having the perfect spot for everything.

Besides hunting, camping, baking bread and pies, and spending endless hours in the sun, Lorna found new passions in the last two years of her life, including dancing and horseback riding.

She is survived by her daughter Hillary Moss, son Ezra Moss and ex-husband Robert Moss, all of Whitefish; parents Richard and Virginia Wright, brother Ward Wright and wife Dawn, and sister Carrie Genovese and husband Mark, all living in Connecticut.

A memorial service was held Feb. 19, 2010, at the Whitefish Assembly of God. In lieu of flowers, an account at Whitefish Credit Union in the children's name has been set up for donations.

James Munro

R. James "Jim" Munro, of Calgary, Alberta, passed away Feb. 16, 2010.

Jim enjoyed years of vacations and his retirement in Whitefish and Kalispell. He will be missed by family and friends.

He is survived by his wife, Avis Feury Munro, of Kalispell, children, stepchildren, numerous grandchildren, one great grandchild and two brothers.