Buffalo Hill Funeralhome http://buffalohillfh.com en Agnes Patricia Long Rupert [03/07/1952 - 01/05/2012] Agnes "Aggie" Patricia Long Rupert, loving mother, wife, sister and aunt, passed away peacefully Thursday January 5th, 2012 at Kalispell Regional Hospital. Aggie had made her home in Hungry Horse for the last 24 years. Aggie was born March 7th, 1952 in Columbia, PA to Tom and Agnes Long. Aggie was married to her husband Kevin for the past 19 years. Aggie was a committed mother to her three children; there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for them...they were her life. Aggie spent most of her career in the restaurant world. She got her start in her parent’s café, called the Milk Pail, in Helena. She became a sous chef at Yacht Basin on Canyon Ferry Lake and Frontier Town, outside of Helena. Soon afterwards she moved to Orem, Utah, as sous chef, and opened Viva’s at the Hilton in Salt Lake City. She longed to come back to Montana and returned to Helena, where she was chef at the Lakeside Restaurant and Bar. After the lease was up, she moved to Hungry Horse as co-owner and chef of the Hide Away. Aggie’s Special was a favorite that brought her clients from all over the state. She worked at other restaurants in the area-1889 in Whitefish, Rawhide Restaurant at West Glacier and the Elkhorn Grill in Hungry Horse. She loved to cook, but health issues sent her into retirement. Aggie was an avid Green Bay Packer Fan, and a true "MONTANA GIRL." She loved camping, fishing, Hungry Horse Dam, picking berries and going for rides up in the mountains. She enjoyed gardening, canning, playing pool, darts and cribbage with Kevin…wholesome Montana living. A fiercely proud and determined lady she lived her life to the fullest until ill health took over in the last couple years. She has been described as: A true rock; firm in her convictions; stubborn in her own way and a friend that could be counted on. Aggie was preceded in death by her parents Tom and Agnes Long, sister Donna Henderson and brother-in-law Ed Schleinger. Aggie leaves behind her beloved husband Kevin; sons Jeremiah and Thomas and beloved daughter Kareana; sisters Margaret (Mike) Foster (Helena) and Tommie Schleinger (Billings); brothers Bob (Kathy) Long (Dallas, TX) and Andy Long (Issaquah, WA); sister-in-law Lori (Denver) Butler; in-laws Ken and Kathy Rupert; brother-in-law Chuck Alguire, and many nieces and nephews. We all shall miss you Aggie…sittin’ around the kitchen table BSin’ , but we are glad you are finally at peace! Cremation has taken place at Buffalo Funeral Home. Services will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Kareana Rupert in care of Tommie Schleinger at Glacier Bank.

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]]> Marlene Kay Bunyak Doyle [01/12/1951 - 01/04/2012] Marlene Kay Bunyak Doyle, 60, died at her home in Great Falls MT on January 4, 2012. She was born January 12, 1951 in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada to Woodrow and Mary (Angyal) Bunyak. She was the second of three daughters. Marlene was raised on the family farm north of Cut Bank and eventually moved to Cut Bank to attend school. She loved the farm and recently remodeled and updated the family home there. Marlene graduated from Cut Bank High School in 1969 and attended Northern Montana College in Havre. It was while she was in college that she met many of her lifetime friends who now mourn her passing. On January 1, 1979, Marlene married the love of her life, Bill Doyle. No children were born from this union but the cats that they adopted through the years were their children and were the luckiest cats in the world. They provided Marlene and Bill many hours of enjoyment and love. After attending college, Marlene worked for Bison Ford in Great Falls for a short period then began her career at the Social Security Administration in Great Falls. She was honored by many awards during her time there. She retired in 2000. After Marlene’s retirement, she became a full-time antique dealer. Nothing made her happier than to shop for antiques and find those hidden treasures, no garage sale or antique store was passed by. She started her own small business, “Mrs. D’s Antiques” and had booths at the Jack Club Antique Mall in Great Falls and The Golden Girls Antique store in Helena. She also worked part time at the Jack Club to help fill her hours and keep a pulse on what antique collectors were searching for. Marlene’s favorite collections were her Roseville and Hull Pottery and she was always anxious to introduce others to the joy of collecting. Marlene and Bill spent many weekends travelling to different places in Montana and Washington to participate in antique shows to show and sell their treasures. One of Marlene’s favorite vacation spots, besides her beloved farm, was the home on Echo Lake in Bigfork. She loved entertaining friends and family there and everyone was assured that there would be music, dancing, food, visiting and fun. Her home was always decorated for Christmas. Decorations included three Christmas trees and multiple antique Christmas items and dishes. It always took her weeks to set it up just right and months to finally put it all away. Marlene is survived by her husband of 33 years, Bill Doyle. Her sisters Sandra (Ted) Harke of Columbia Falls and Rita Graham of Bigfork. Her nieces Tawnia (Barry) Harke Ramstad of Columbia Falls and Sonja (Shane) Harke Steele of Spokane, Lisa Graham of Seattle and Jill Graham of Spokane. Five great nieces, Ariel, Olivia, Kaitlyn and Taylor Ramstad and Shelby Steele. One great nephew Zach Steele. Her cats Maggie, Daisy, Dolly and Duke. Other relatives include her Aunt Delia Atkinson of Sweet Grass, Uncle Stan (Gladys) Bunyak of Sunburst, Uncle Steve (Helen) Angyal of Milk River, Alberta and Aunt Marion Angyal of Lethbridge, Alberta, along with numerous cousins. As well as her many friends who she loved and considered her extended family. She was preceded in death by her parents Woodrow and Mary Bunyak, her grandparents Mike and Mary Angyal and Steve and Katherine Bunyak, Aunt Vera and Uncle Virgil Dye and Uncle Mike Angyal. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 14 at 1:00 p.m. at the Bethany Lutheran Church in Bigfork Montana. Memorials may be sent in her name to the Great Falls Animal Shelter, The Kidney Cancer Foundation or the American Cancer Society .to send condolences to the family please go to www.buffalohillfh.com Buffalo Hill Funeral Home caring for the family

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]]> Alice Jane Bongiani [10/12/1924 - 01/02/2012] Alice Jane Bongiani, age 87, passed away Monday january 2, 2012 at Lake View Care Center in Bigfork, Montana. Alice was born October 12, 1924 in Glasgow, Montana, the second of seven children to Peter and Mary Caricaburu, She was raised on ranches near Nashua and Glasgow. Alice attended country schoold and graduated from Glasgow High School where she excelled in typing and shorthand. She married Jophn Bongiani in Glasgow ctober 2, 1954. Her first employment was with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Fort Peck, Montana, and after moving to Billings for Carter Oil (Now Exxon) and Farmers Insurance. She was last employed by Kelly Services and received the employee of the year award in 1983. After retiring she moved to Bigfork in 1986. Alice was a member of the Blessed John Paul II Catholic Church, and a member of the CCW. She also enjoyed volunteering in community activities. Alice enjoyed traveling in most of the U.S., Western Canada, and Europe. She liked to read, do needlecraft, cooking, baking, gardening, and especially spending time with her grandchildren. Alice was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother and will be missed by all who knew her. Alice was preceded in death by her parents, brothers John and Leonard and a sister Geny Kotecki. Alice is survived by her husband John Bongiani of Bigfork, MT; son Perry (Ann) Bongiani of Sammamish, WA, 2 grandchildren Tyler and Lauren Bongiani of Sammamish, WA and numeroius nieces and nephews.

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]]> David Earl VanDort [07/18/1940 - 12/12/2011] David Earl VanDort, 71, passed away Monday, Dec. 12, 2011, in Kalispell. Dave was born to Earl and Betty (Johnson) VanDort July 28, 1940, in Holland, Mich. Dave spent four years in the U.S. Navy and while there, he received his high school diploma. After his honorable discharge from the Navy, he went to work in his dad's furnace business, Ford Heating. Dave continued working in the sheet metal business until he retired. Dave enjoyed hunting and fishing, and loved riding one of his many motorcycles. He also loved the outdoors and taking walks to look for mushrooms. Dave was preceded in death by his grandparents; both parents; nephew, Gene VanDort; and numerous aunts and uncles. He is survived by two brothers, Gene and girlfriend Teri, and Jon and his wife Penny, of Kalispell; sister, Delores Whyte, of Eureka; son, Tony, of Great Falls; daughter, Shelley Gill, of Washington; four grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. He is also survived by special niece Janet VanDort Hansen. A celebration of Dave's life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home. A luncheon will follow at the Eagles Lodge, in the basement.

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]]> Lucille and Calvin Malson [03/25/1924 - 12/01/2011] Lucille Leona (Garbe) Malson, 86, went on ahead Friday, Nov. 25, 2011, in Tempe, Ariz. Calvin Earl Malson, 87, soon followed on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, apart from each other only six days. Calvin was born March 25, 1924, in Rockyford, Alberta, Canada, the middle of seven children born to Emerson and Pearle Malson. He had one sister, Kathryn (Louie Dietrich, deceased), of Lakeside; and five brothers: Harold (Vivian) of Kalispell, Wm. "Eddie" (Mabel) of Ontario, Ray (Rose) of Evergreen, Gene and Cecil (Carolyn) of Lakeside. Lucille, born November 2, 1925, in Churchbridge, Saskatchewan, Canada, was the oldest of five children born to Herbert and Rose Garbe. She had one sister, Vivian, who married Calvin's brother Harold (deceased); and three brothers, Ivan, of British Columbia, and Lyle and Bruce, both deceased. Calvin and Lucille were married Jan. 18, 1944, and from then on, throughout 67 years of marriage, were always together. In 1948, with their only child, Mona, they headed south from Canada to Ontario, Calif., where they lived for the next 20 years. In 1966 they headed back up north to settle on their 25 acres near Kalispell. During the next 40 years, Calvin worked around Kalispell and the Valley with Liberty Drilling and Palicz Contracting. Being generous with their time they became active in many community activities. Calvin was a member of the Somers Fire Department and Lucille joined the Ladies Auxiliary. Calvin was a member of the Kalispell Lions and Eagles. They both were members of Good Sam's Rocky Mountain Rollers RV Club and Sunshine Singers, entertaining at assisted living facilities in Kalispell. Calvin enjoyed singing and whistling with the country band at the old Syke's Market. Lucille loved to quilt by hand and won first place year after year for best quilt in the Flathead County Fair. They enjoyed their winter home in Mesa for the last few years of their life. Calvin had wanderlust so they traveled to many parts of the world: Europe, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Central America and through the Panama Canal, to mention a few. Calvin and Lucille are survived by their daughter, Mona Gray (Steve), of Tempe; two grandsons, Charles Gray (Melissa) of Mesa, Ariz., and Douglas Gray (Melissa), of Chandler, Ariz.; two great-grandsons, Josh Blackburn (Melissa) of Mesa, and Maxwell Gray of Chandler; and one great-great-grandson, Brandon Blackburn of Mesa. A dual funeral service for Calvin and Lucille will be held Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011, at 11 a.m. at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Glacier Memorial Gardens.

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]]> Eldon James Kerney [09/07/1980 - 12/01/2011] Eldon James Kerney “left us for a better place and a new adventure” on Dec. 1, 2011. He was ready for that. He was born Sept. 7, 1980, in Whitefish. Eldon was a fun loving, outgoing, compassionate man. His wit and humor will be sorely missed by his many friends and family. Eldon came into the world hard and fast, and that is the metaphor for his life. He enjoyed it to the fullest. He also worked hard climbing the ladder at Plum Creek Lumber Mill to operator supervisor and with forklift certifications. He also worked for his brother, Jarod, who owns All Bright Window Cleaning. Together, “the brothers” cherished their little sister Angela. Eldon had a gusto for life that few could rival. From motorcycles and fancy cars, to concerts, theme parks and even Las Vegas, he played his way through the lives of his friends while coaching them with his unique insight, wisdom and deep concern. “He loved you, each and every one.” He is survived by his son, Benjamin James; father, Jim Kerney; mother, Laurie Kerney; brother and sister, Jarod Kerney and Angela Russell, and their families; his grandparents of Yakima, Wash.; and many more too numerous to mention. “We thank you for loving him and we love you right back.”

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]]> Clifford A. "Smokey" Metcalf [01/27/1920 - 11/28/2011] Clifford A. “Smokey” Metcalf, 91, died peacefully after a brief battle with cancer, in Kalispell on Nov. 28, 2011. Smokey was born Jan. 27, 1920, in Colfax, Wash., to Carl Frank and Cyrena Mae (Baldwin) Metcalf. He was the eldest of six children. Smokey was raised and attended school in Libby. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942. He was in the Artillery Division, proudly serving in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. He was honorably discharged in 1945, returning to the family home. He worked for the Whitefish Creamery where he met his future wife, Isabell Murdock, whom he married in 1947. They had two children. Smokey worked for the Ford garage in Whitefish until accepting a job with Glacier National Park in 1953. He retired as shop foreman after 27 years. Smokey was a jack-of-all-trades. He and Isabell built three homes together. They traveled extensively to Alaska, Hawaii, Europe and Scotland. He loved to hunt and fish, and made many fishing trips to the West Coast. Smokey was preceded in death by his parents; and a brother, Ace. He is survived by his wife, Isabell; brother, Howard; and sisters, Ethel, Shirley and Kay; children, Carl and wife Ethel, and Susan and husband Phil Coons; four grandchildren, Tom and wife Sarah, Colleen and husband Andrew Zebedeo, Jennifer Baldwin and Matthew Coons; and great-grandchildren, Christofer, Savannah, Abby, Shea, Alec, Lance, Wes and Kaylee. A celebration of life service will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home.

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]]> Jesse E. "Smitty" Smith Jr. [10/19/1924 - 11/27/2011] Jesse E. “Smitty” Smith went to be with the Lord” on Nov. 27, 2011, at his home in Kalispell. Smitty was born Oct. 19, 1924, in Monroe County, Iowa. His father was Jesse Smith Sr., and his mother was Bulah (Elswick) Smith. He grew up on a farm in Iowa, attended a country school and then graduated from Moriva High School. When he was 17 years old he learned to fly, paying $8 an hour for lessons. Flying was truly his passion for the rest of his life. In 1942, he enlisted in the Navy and became a gunner’s mate, serving aboard a Navy tanker during World War II. He was discharged in 1946. He then returned to Iowa to marry Eileen Culver. They had two children. In 1949, he enlisted in the Army and became a motor sergeant. Along came the Korean War and his outfit was one of the first units to be dispatched to Incheon, Korea. Smitty received nine honorary medals. He also served 22 years in the Navy Reserve. Smitty, as well as his family, was very proud of his service to this country. Smitty and his family soon moved to Colorado Springs, Colo., where they lived for over 30 years. Smitty worked for Phil Long Ford, managed Conoco Car Clinic, and owned several gas stations. With his love of flying, Smitty had owned several airplanes — a 1948 Cessna 120, 1949 Cessna 140, and a 1953 Cessna 170B. He was on the board of directors for the Colorado Aviation Historical Society, and was the founder and state director for the Colorado Antiques Airplane Association. In 1999, Smitty and Eileen moved to Kalispell to be near their daughter and family. There he enjoyed his coffee time with friends at Sykes’ Restaurant, time spent at Glacier Airport, with the pilots at Semitool and especially his time spent at Red Eagle Aviation. On his 85th birthday, Jim Pierce took Smitty on his first helicopter ride. “Thank you, Jim, Rachael, and all at Red Eagle Aviation for being so wonderful to him.” Smitty is survived by his wife, Eileen, of 65 years; his daughter, Kathy Collins, of Bigfork; Kerry Smith of Colorado Springs; his brother, Carol D. Smith, of Waverly, Iowa; his grandchildren, Tami Bier, Michael Collins, Jennifer Syckes and Jami Collins, all of Montana, and Sherry Johnson, Joshua Smith and Todd Smith, all of Colorado; and his 12 great-grandchildren. The family would like to give a special thanks to Susan, Jill, Pastor Bob, Lon and all the ladies at Hospice and Home Options for such loving care; and thank you to our caring neighbors, Russ Mole and Merdie Hartsoch, for all your help. Several years back Smitty wrote his life story and this how he ended the book, “I think I have had the most interesting life a man can have. Flying has really been my passion and I have enjoyed every flight I’ve had the privilege of flying. In my lifetime, I have seen so many things, done so many things and had so much, far more than I deserved. The good Lord has certainly blessed me with a multitude of memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Most of all, I have been blessed with a wonderful family. I thank each and every one of you and I love you all. One of the important things in my life was to see people, laugh and smile. I did my best to make that happen.”

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]]> Jerome Maitland "Jerry" Boyle [03/28/1938 - 11/24/2011] Jerome Maitland “Jerry” Boyle, 73, passed away Nov. 24, 2011, at the Whitefish Care and Rehabilitation. Jerry was born May 28, 1938, in Los Angeles. Jerry was a retired pilot and author. He is survived by his wife, Andrea, of Marion; children, James Maitland Boyle of Germany, Kevin Lee Boyle of Sacramento, Calif., and Jennifer Rebecca Newton of Lincoln, Neb.; stepsons, Brent and Matthew Mikesell of Spokane; and seven grandchildren. A celebration of life service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home.

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]]> Betty L. Claride Miller [05/24/1929 - 11/23/2011] Betty L. Claridge Miller, 82, passed away at Immanuel Lutheran Home on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011, after a 14-year battle with Alzheimer’s. Betty was born May 24, 1929, to Lance and Lula Claridge, the second of five children. She grew up on the family farm west of Kalispell in the Bald Rock area. In 1946, she married her longtime beau Ken Miller and they raised five children. Betty was a stay-at-home mom, although every summer you could find her working at the county fair, and in the fall she helped Dad cut, haul and sell Christmas trees. They spent 40-plus years taking their trees to Whittier, Calif., for the Christmas season where she made numerous friends. She loved to crochet, making many colorful afghans for everyone she knew; she also loved flowers and took great pride in her yard, especially her rose bushes. Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Ken; her parents, Lance and Lula; one granddaughter, Kathy; and her brother, Loren. “We know that they were all there to greet her when she entered the gates of Heaven.” She leaves behind her five children, Roxy and Roger Smith, Ray and Randi Miller, Rod and Carol Miller, and Ronda and Joe Hermosillo, all of Kalispell; and Reta and Jack David of Columbia Falls; grandchildren, Jerry Smith, Tami Engler, Carla Williams, Cori Sousi, Destry and Tony David, Derick and Katie, and Trevin and Colton Hermosillo; and several great-grandchildren; sisters Evelyn Heuscher, Marilyn and Bob Cartwright, and Verla Guererro; as well as many other relatives and friends. The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staff of the Bratsburg unit at the Immanuel Lutheran Home for the love and care you have shown Mom and our family during her time with you. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home with Pastor Jim Davey officiating. Burial will follow at Spring Creek Cemetery.

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