Marion E. Fairbanks

Marion E. Fairbanks, 83, passed away Thursday Sept. 8, of natural causes at Brendon House in Kalispell.

She was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin on Aug. 23, 1933 to Harold and Isabelle Stanton. When she was 10 years old her family moved to Helena, then to the Swan Lake area finally making Flathead Valley their home.

In 1950 she started her family. She had four children, Delilah, Kim, Harold and Deana. She married Melvin Fairbanks in 1964 and added two more children to the family, Elaine and Janette.

Melvin and Marion resided in Columbia Falls. They liked to travel visiting family and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Isabelle Stanton; her husband Melvin Fairbanks; daughters, Delilah Salminen and Elaine Fairbanks Miller.

As well as being a homemaker Marion worked at the Montana State Veteran Home. She loved her job pouring ceramics at Mary’s Ceramic shop in Evergreen. She was very talented in her sewing, painting, embroidering, painting ceramics, crocheting, knitting and in her later years she started quilting. She was an artist.

Marion was a snow bird for many years splitting her time between Apache Junction, Arizona and Montana.

Marion had many friends and made many more where ever she resided, from her bible study ladies to the Red Hat Ladies of Columbia Falls.

She is survived by her children, Kim Mower and Becky, Harold Mower and Yelena, Deana and Carroll Jones, and Janette Fairbanks Hill.

Grandchildren, Anthony Salminen, Christopher Salminen and Jenni, Sonja Stanage and Mike, Brooke Coder and Chris, Ashley Humbird, Katie Mower, Cameron Jones, Stacia Comstock and James and Brenda York.

Great-grandchildren: McKenna, Garhet, Zachary, Rebecca, Mikeal, Austin, Brandon, Bridget, Scott, Clayton and Tristin.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday September 16th at Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls.