Daniel Raymond Story

Dan Story, 63, died suddenly at his home in Kalispell on Sept. 24, 2012.

Dan was born in Flint, Mich., and was the son of Violet and Carl Story. He was the youngest child of the family which included one older brother and five sisters. He was adored by his sisters who in addition to showering him with love, taught him to dance to tunes on the radio, a skill he perfected as he grew to be a man.

The family, now headed by a single mother, moved to Southern California while he was a very young child to be close to her married daughter Rose Madore and her husband Paul, who helped care for him while his mother worked as a nurse. At 12 years old, after a visit to his third sister and her husband, Gerry and Cal St. Onge in Libby, they convinced his mother to let him stay in Montana.

He attended Asa Wood Elementary and graduated from Libby High School. Living in the St. Onge household he discovered machinery and vehicles along with hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping, and his love of the outdoors continued for his entire life along with his love and admiration for Cal St. Onge.

He played basketball in Jr. High and worked at the lumber mill and Wilsons Grocery in Libby along with haying for local ranchers during his in high school years. Upon his graduation he joined the Army where he served in Germany and in Vietnam.

After his discharge from the Army he moved to Anaheim, Calif., where on July 21, 1973 he married Elizabeth Freund. They moved to Libby in 1975 but returned to California where their daughter, Tiffany, and son, Daniel, were born.

During this time, Dan became a journeyman machinist. They relocated again to Montana and then to Kenniwick, Wash., where Dan worked as a carpenter at Hanford. When the economy took a downturn, Dan relocated again to Montana, this time moving to Kalispell, where he worked as a machinist and then as a cabinet maker for the newly formed Semi Tool.

After seven years he went to work for Renfrow’s Cabinet Shop in Columbia Falls and then Architectural Woodworking of Montana where he worked for many years as a journeyman architectural woodworker.

In 2005, Dan moved back to Libby, where he entered the electrical trade and worked for Preferred Electric as an electrician until 2009 when he retired. After his retirement he assisted his wife as accounting manager of Hometown Insurance Agency in Kalispell, splitting their time between Libby and Kalispell.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Mel Haynes; and sisters, Fran Prouse,  and Linda Warlick. He is survived by his beloved wife, Elizabeth; children, Tiffany Story and Daniel Story; grandchildren, Tyler Collins, Emily Masuda, Cody Collins, Hunter Collins, Aidan Story, Alissa Masuda and Bella Story; sisters, Rose Madore, Gerry St. Onge and brother-in-law, Cal St. Onge; sister, Carolyne Langley and brother-in-law and dear friend, Ron Langley; nieces and nephews and friends, too many to mention.

Dan was a kind hearted man with an offbeat sense of humor. He enjoyed playing golf, any type of competitive sport, woodworking, good music and was a great cook. He loved babies (anybody’s). He loved his wife and family, adored his sisters, and his own children, especially. He was proud of all their successes. He supported them with complete unconditional love. His grandchildren were a constant joy to him. He was an honest man and a loyal friend.