Maxine Ness

Maxine Alida Ness, 89, died July 16, 2011, just two months shy of her 90th birthday. She had been in failing health, memory, vision and attitude for some time and finally just gave up the fight. She died quietly at her home in the Vivian Findley Friendship House in Kalispell, where she had lived under their loving care for the past three years.

Maxine was the daughter of Alida and Jim Ring, born in Helena on Sept. 16, 1921. She attended grade school in Helmville and graduated from high school in Deer Lodge. She married Forrest A. "Bus" Wright in 1938. They had one child, Alida. They lived in the Blackfoot area, northern California, Los Angeles, Missoula and, finally, Swan Lake, where they operated a packing and guide service until his death in 1952. Maxine moved back to Missoula where she met and married Burdette Lowe. They were divorced in 1965. She married Randy Ness in 1966. He died in 2007.

Maxine became a very good fiddler in later life. She won or placed well in a number of contests around the state. She was inducted into the state Fiddlers Hall of Fame in 1989, an honor of which she was very proud.

She competed in her last contest in July 2008, taking the third-place trophy in the senior division and the "oldest fiddler" trophy. When presented with that trophy, she was asked if she'd share her age. She quipped, "Age is just a number and mine's unlisted." And no, she didn't tell. She played the piano from the age of 12, accompanying her dad at dances, and she continued to play up until about two weeks before her death, entertaining guests and residents at her home.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother Stanley; all three husbands; her stepson Norman; and a number of younger and older in-laws, cousins and nieces and nephews.

She is survived by her daughter Alida Wright; stepchildren Tickie Davis, Karen Branstetter and husband Jere, and Troy Ness and wife Dolly; Ring family nieces, Linda Wolfe and husband Tim, Judy Hotchkiss and husband Ken, Julie Thompson and husband Scott, and Debbie Kubes and husband Tex; 16 Wright family nieces and nephews; and a number of step and foster grandchildren, as well as Ring, Harvey and Higgins family cousins. She was well loved and will be sorely missed by many friends and family members. 

Cremation has taken place. A memorial picnic will be held in her honor on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011, her birthday weekend, at 1801 Ernest Avenue, in Missoula, from 2-5 p.m. Any donations or memorials should be directed to the Friendship House in Kalispell at 606 Second Avenue. Her ashes will be interred next to Randy's in the Lone Pine Cemetery in Darby.