Spouse and I are not big party animals. That's why New Year's Eve is not much different than any other night. Sometimes we may go out to dinner but this year, I was recovering from a nasty cold and didn't want to go anywhere. Besides, there was football on and that's always a good thing, at least for me.

After a gourmet dinner of BLTs (for him) and chicken noodle soup (for me), we celebrated with Pinwheel Cookies. You know the kind, chocolate covered marshmallows on a graham cracker. Very healthy indeed. It was clear the neighbors were going to have to get pretty wild to compete with the Schurmans.

Being an early riser, spouse said goodnight about 8:30 and I was left alone to watch the football game. I wasn't too upset, however. This meant I had complete control of the remote and I could indulge in my own channel surfing.

After some football and some more surfing, I moved to the computer and was challenging myself to Sudoku when the fireworks began around the neighborhood. I was watching the bright lights out the windows when I realized the horses were not getting nearly as much enjoyment out of this celebration as I was.

Let me backtrack a bit. Last fall we took on some horses. A friend had eight head that needed a home. After some deliberations, we decided we would take the horses and try to sell them for our friend. The horses range in age from yearling to mature with various degrees of training. They have spent the majority of their lives living at the top of Iron Cap. An occasional coyote or falling star was about the most excitement they had seen.

After spending time up on Sunset Bench, we brought four of the older horses home about two months ago, leaving the three youngest horses and one older mare up there until Saturday, December 30.

I never even gave the date a thought as we brought them home. These four were somewhat skittish the first day but settled down after the umpteenth car went past on the road. Chico, Chica, Bitsy and Dreamer were eating and drinking and although they may have thought of their Iron Cap or Sunset Bench homes, they were settling in. (It doesn't take much for a horse - oats, hay and water go a long way to make one feel right at home.)

Having grown up with horses, I have become sensitized to certain sounds. It doesn't matter what is playing on the television or radio, or if a car has just backfired; if I hear a horse snort in a fearful way, I am checking that snort out immediately.

So, about 11:30, in amongst the pops and bangs of the fireworks, I hear it, a SNORT! After grabbing a coat, I headed out expecting to find horses going every which way. Instead, I saw the older horses in the middle of the arena staring at fireworks going off to the west. The colts were in a different pasture and they were shuffling around with the whites of their eyes showing. I knew it was just a matter of time until they bolted. I was thankful that there were fireworks going off all around because the horses couldn't figure out which way to go.

When I walked outside and started talking to the herd, the older ones settled down right away. Perhaps it was our older mares telling them, "See, we told you it was alright," or perhaps it was just me. I was just glad they calmed down.

The youngsters, however, came at me like I was their long lost Momma. Chico, Chica and Bitsy walked right up to me and stuck their heads in my hands and on my back. Dreamer, being older, didn't want to seem so unnerved but soon she was right there, with her head on my shoulder wanting comfort too.

I could hear the skates on the pond up at the neighbor's as they finished one last hockey game. Occasionally a red or green explosion would grace the night sky. To the east, several different parties were setting off fireworks and I could hear the countdown beginning.

When midnight struck, there were fireworks galore along with firecrackers and I'm sure one or two shotgun blasts. Through it all, I was there, in the middle of my kids, petting and rubbing noses and ears. Although nervous, the horses had settled down. The sky above was clear and sprinkled with stars. The warmth from my four-legged friends kept the cold at bay.

For some, the arrival of 2007 was with toasts and kisses and fireworks. For me, it was done with my new horses, a stamp of a hoof, a nudge and a flick of an ear. Life doesn't get much better than that. Happy New Year!

Watershed Education course

Experience is the best teacher and it is through experience that the Montana Natural History Center will teach the next generation of outdoor educators. Students in the Community Watershed Education course will learn to be better educators through direct experience teaching in the classroom and by participating in the Montana Natural History Center's 13th annual Clark Fork Watershed Festival program.

"This is a great introductory course if you are thinking about teaching in the fields of outdoor or environmental education" says Lisa Moore, Youth Programs Coordinator for the Montana Natural History Center. "Not only will you learn some techniques for teaching in the field but you'll be introduced to several organizations in the community that can provide additional volunteer experiences."

The Community Watershed Education course is offered free to the public and University of Montana students in exchange for their help bringing the Clark Fork Watershed Festival program to over 600 Missoula-area sixth graders in April. The course, which meets every Wednesday through the UM academic spring semester, will introduce students to local watershed issues and characteristics and will provide them with the opportunity to connect with people and organizations doing environmental education in the Missoula valley. But the most exciting element of the course is the opportunity for students new in the field of education to take their knowledge and training right into the 6th grade classrooms.

"Working in the classroom is a much better experience than writing an essay or taking an exam. It gave a real sense of experience," says a 2006 course participant. "I really liked going into the classrooms and participating in the festival."

The class is offered through the Montana Natural History Center and can be taken for university credit through the department of Continuing Education. OPI credits may also be available. The Community Watershed Education Class will be held on Wednesdays from 4 to 7 p.m., beginning January 24 through the 2007 Spring Semester. For more information or to register for this class, contact the Montana Natural History Center at 327-0405 or learn more at www.MontanaNaturalist.org.

Elk Foundation signs habitat stewardship agreements with USFS, BLM

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has signed agreements with the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Bureau of Land Management to conduct two 10-year habitat stewardship projects on nearly 260,000 acres of federal land in Montana and Wyoming.

Signing the agreements opens the door for the Elk Foundation and its partners to begin work to improve wildlife habitat on 85,000 acres of Forest Service Land bordering the Blackfoot Clearwater Wildlife Management Area near Ovando, and 174,000 acres of BLM land in the Wyoming Range west of Pinedale, Wyoming. �

Stewardship contracting is a relatively new authority that Congress granted to the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to manage and restore federal lands. This authority allows agencies to reinvest some or all of the value of commercial timber or other forest products into habitat stewardship projects, accomplishing more on the ground for wildlife and other resources than is possible with congressionally appropriated funds alone. In a time of increasing budget constraints for federal agencies, stewardship contracting allows habitat projects to proceed that may otherwise not have been possible.

"Stewardship is a way of doing our business that helps us to do more good work on the land," said Dale Bosworth, Chief of the U.S. Forest Service. "It provides a new way to involve communities and organizations such as the Elk Foundation in carrying out our collective mission of caring for the land. I want to thank the Foundation for its dedication to the concept of stewardship and its willingness to invest its energy and resources to bring this agreement to a conclusion."

The two projects, officially called stewardship agreements, put conservation concerns at the forefront, but still acknowledge the importance of harvesting timber. The projects provide all parties the opportunity and tools to study a landscape and develop a long-range plan that will help meet objectives for healthy forests, biological diversity and habitat conditions for desired wildlife.

"Stewardship contracting is a new way for federal agencies, communities, conservation organizations and industry to work in partnership for the benefit of the land and wildlife," said Peter J. Dart, President and CEO of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. "The Elk Foundation is truly honored to be the partner to lead these important, landscape-scale projects."

The Forest Service agreement with the Elk Foundation is on the Seeley Lake Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest � an area that provides a key migration corridor for elk and mule deer between their summer range high in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and their winter range on the 57,000-acre Blackfoot-Clearwater Game Range.

The Elk Foundation, working with many conservation and industry partners, will spearhead habitat stewardship projects such as selective logging and thinning operations, noxious weed treatment and seeding.

"I want to congratulate the BLM's Wyoming State Office and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for developing this Stewardship Agreement," said BLM Director Kathleen Clarke. "This joint effort will not only strengthen our management and protection of wildlife habitat in Sublette County, but will also advance the BLM's overall mission of ensuring the health and productivity of the nation's public lands."

The primary objective of the Elk Foundation's habitat stewardship agreement with the Bureau of Land Management in Wyoming is to promote the restoration of age and size/class diversity of aspen stands. Aspen communities are considered second only to riparian and wetland communities as the most productive habitat for wildlife and plant diversity in the Rocky Mountain region. Aspen stands within the project area are spread across 174,000 acres of elk country and provide some of the region's most vital habitat for elk, mule deer and other wildlife.

As the lead agreement partner, the Elk Foundation will subcontract out the work to timber and forest restoration companies, and other community and conservation organizations. The work will take place over the next 10 years and will include removing conifers, thinning aspen and prescribed burning to stimulate aspen growth.

Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Missoula, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. The Elk Foundation and its partners have permanently protected or enhanced more than 4.7 million acres, a land area nearly twice as large as Yellowstone National Park. More than 450,000 acres previously closed to public access are now open for hunting, fishing and other recreation. To help protect wild elk country or learn more about the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, visit www.elkfoundation.org or call 800-CALL ELK.

Salish Language Revitalization Institute receives funding

The Nkwusm Salish Language Revitalization Institute announces it has received support for a number of programs and improvements that will enable staff to carry out their work on the Flathead Indian Reservation.

Nkwusm is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to recreate a process whereby the Salish Language is passed from parent to child, elder to youth, in an effort to holistically preserve the language and to perpetuate the Salish tribal way of life and world view. Looking to the future, Nkwusm is dedicated to perpetuating the Salish Language through the creation of comprehensive educational programs that involve people of all ages. In order to fulfill this goal, an immersion school was created for pre-school and primary students, with the future to include students through high school.

The Nkwusm Salish Language Revitalization Institute, located in Arlee, opened its immersion school to its first group of young children in the fall of 2002 with a preschool and kindergarten; it now enjoys students from pre-K through age 12. The school is a complete academic experience dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Salish Language. The curriculum is translated into the Salish Language and the children are then instructed in their native tongue, with the ultimate goal of creating conversationally fluent Salish speakers.

Nkwusm has been awarded a grant in the amount of $15,000 from a small, Ohio-based, family foundation with interests in health, education, and social services. This grant will be used to help develop Salish Language curriculum based around the changing seasons. This curriculum is a holistic, environmental and cultural avenue to educate young children in the Salish Language while fostering an awareness of where they live, who they are, their existence in the "web of life," and respect and appreciation for the natural world. By using the natural environment to educate young children, learning is not only fun, but becomes much more relevant. The Changing Seasons Curriculum "themes" are carefully developed to incorporate the cultural and historical traditions of the Salish people. Each season is broken down into "focus areas" with the months of the year having weekly themes upon which the curriculum will be developed and implemented.

Nkwusm is also grateful to a private donor for a recent contribution in the amount of $4,500 that will be used to purchase much-needed playground equipment for the school. For more information on Nkwusm, contact Tachini Pete, Executive Director at (406) 726-5050 or visit the Nkwusm website at www.salishworld.com.

Dale receives AdvoCare promotion

Crystal Dale of Corvallis was recently promoted to a Silver level sales leader by AdvoCare International, LP, a direct-selling company of nutritional supplements and skincare products based in Carrollton, Texas.

Dale, an independent distributor for AdvoCare since 2006, achieved the new leadership level because of outstanding sales and team-building performance. Leadership recognition is based on success in building an independent AdvoCare business, which includes mentoring and training new distributors.

"Crystal has shown a true passion for helping people to create a healthier lifestyle and developing her team in the Corvallis area," says Claude Chistolini, senior vice president of sales for AdvoCare. "We are proud of her efforts to build a home-based business and to share with others the exciting potential for better health and financial security."

Safe Haven Llama and Alpaca Sanctuary looking for board members

The Board of Directors of the Safe Haven Llama and Alpaca Sanctuary in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana is looking for a new president and vice president.

The sanctuary has been in operation since March 2005. At one time the sanctuary was caring for as many as 80 llamas and alpacas. Currently homes have been found for the majority of the animals.

The non-profit status has been established with the State of Montana and the IRS. By-laws are in place and the majority of the ground work has been done. There is great need in this area and state for the sanctuary. Anyone interested in these positions can contact the current President, Charlene Hakes, 961-4027.

Campbell-Buzzell achieves certified diabetes educator status

The National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE) announced that Janelle Campbell-Buzzell, Registered Dietitian at Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital in Hamilton, has achieved Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) status by successfully completing the Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators. Candidates must meet rigorous credential and professional practice experience requirements to be eligible to take the examination. Achieving the CDE credential demonstrates to patients and employers that the health care professional possesses distinct and specialized knowledge, thereby promoting quality of care for patients with diabetes. There are currently more than 15,000 diabetes educators who hold the CDE credential.

Janelle Campbell-Buzzell, RD, CDE has been a registered dietitian for 12 years. She has worked as Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital's dietitian since 2004. She received her degree from Utah State University, Logan, Utah, in Nutrition and Food Science with an emphasis on Medical Dietetics. Janelle hopes to be able to help diabetics manage their disease by educating them on food, exercise and lifestyle choices that can help keep their disease from progressing.

"Having diabetes is not like having a cold. People who have Diabetes mellitus type 2, is commonly referred to as adult-onset diabetes, have to make different lifestyle choices to manage their disease, from that day forward," Janelle says. "We try to educate people that they aren't being denied certain things. Now they are making good lifestyle choices instead."

NCBDE was established in 1986 to develop and administer a certification program for health care professionals who teach individuals with diabetes how to manage their disease. NCBDE is dedicated to promoting excellence in the field of diabetes education through the development, maintenance, and protection of the CDE credential and the certification process. NCBDE supports the concept of voluntary, periodic certification for all diabetes educators who meet credential and experience eligibility requirements.

SAF announces $100,000 in grant funds for Montana organizations

In her position as executive director at Helena's Career Training Institute (CTI), Sheila Hogan is all too familiar with the trials and tribulations faced by men and women who, for whatever reason, have been unable to pursue postsecondary education.

Poverty, low self-esteem and a sense of hopelessness are characteristics she recognizes in many of her clients, and she has made it her goal to help them overcome those challenges through her work at CTI.

According to Hogan, this is where CTI's mission converged with that of Student Assistance Foundation (SAF) last year. CTI recognized an ongoing shortage of nurses in Montana and decided it would be beneficial to help its interested clients train in that occupation to meet that need. However, CTI wasn't sure how to fund the effort.

"Our clients have issues that sometimes get in the way of success in (a higher education environment)," Hogan said, explaining those problems range from arranging for child care, to an inability to pay rent. "We want to be that brace to help them on the personal side."

It was at that time Hogan found out about SAF's Complementary Mission Grants. Annually, SAF provides grants to a variety of groups whose activities augment its own mission to provide Montana students with the tools they need to pursue their dreams of higher education.

CTI was one of 13 Montana recipients to share in more than $200,000 in grant funds in 2006. According to Hogan, CTI used the $15,000 it received to provide case management and support services to 10 low-income students enrolled at the UM-Helena College of Technology in the school's nursing program.

"This is a very popular program," said Hogan. "(The clients) are very grateful. And so is CTI. It's a nice addition to what we do and it furthers our mission."

Kelly Chapman, chief of foundation activities at SAF, said providing that type of assistance is the essence of what SAF hopes to accomplish in Montana.

"We believe strongly in collaboration, and providing these funds to partner organizations is a great way for us to affect positive change for Montana students," she said.

This year, SAF has $100,000 in Complementary Mission Grant funding available to qualifying groups.

More information about the Complementary Mission Grant program and application forms are available at www.safmt.org. In addition to the completed form, applicants must submit a budget with their proposals by the Jan. 17, 2006, deadline.

Student Assistance Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Montana corporation that provides students with knowledge and tools to finance and pursue their postsecondary education. Funds generated by SAF are returned to Montanans in the form of education grants and public benefit programs - to date more than $4.5 million. For more information, visit www.safmt.org.

Post Office asks customers to keep mailboxes clear of snow and ice

With the recent severe snow storms that have hit the Rocky Mountain area, the Hamilton Post Office reminds all residential postal customers, businesses, home owners associations, etc. to clear a safe, accessible path to your mailboxes.

Make sure your mailbox itself is visible and free of snow and ice, and make sure it is safely accessible for your letter carrier. Clear your mailbox area of snow, sleet, slush, ice and debris.

If mailboxes are blocked off and conditions are too difficult, letter carriers must consider safety and accessibility first. Letter carriers are instructed not to deliver to mailboxes and locations they consider having access too difficult or unsafe.

Whether you have a street-side, centralized neighborhood cluster unit, house or door mailbox, your letter carrier needs to have clear and safe access to deliver your mail.

Every year, girls across Montana gain valuable knowledge while providing the community with a special treat�Girl Scout cookies. This year will be no exception.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program, an integral part of Girl Scouting's Business and Economic Literacy initiative for girls ages 6�17, provides finance, marketing, and public speaking skills, along with valuable experiences that build girls' self-confidence and help them develop their own personal leadership style.

In 30 western counties in Montana, girls will begin to sell Girl Scout cookies on January 12. The cost will be $3.50 per box.�All varieties of Girl Scout cookies are now "zero trans fat per serving," in compliance with FDA regulations.�This change was made because, like most successful businesswomen, Girl Scouts listen to their customers.

Since 1917, the Girl Scout cookie activity has become a famous annual event that has helped girls develop important leadership skills they will use throughout their lives. Whether they are dreaming of becoming a doctor, teacher, businesswoman, president of the PTA, or superstar athlete, the Girl Scout Cookie Program gives them the self-esteem they need to reach for the stars.

Through the Girl Scout Cookie Program, girls manage inventory, set goals, learn money management, and develop marketing skills. Essentially, the girls run their own business. The entire troop sets a goal and follows a plan leading toward that goal. Girl Scout troops use funds from the cookie activity to fund a service project or to plan for an exciting trip. Many successful women have credited their business skills to the Girl Scout Cookie Program, making it the premier business and economic literacy program for girls in the United States.

"The Girl Scout Cookie Program is a valuable part of the Girl Scout experience. The skills girls gain truly help them develop into future business leaders," said Susan R Hunter, Girl Scouts of Big Sky Council, CEO. "It is always exciting to see girls developing skills they might not realize they are developing while it is happening."

All proceeds, after paying the baker, stay in the Girl Scouts Big Sky Council service area where the girls decide how to spend a portion of the funds, thus further teaching the girls community involvement and volunteerism. Proceeds from the Girl Scout Cookie Program also go to support camp programs, training for volunteers across the area, troop programs, and scholarships.

Girl Scouts of Big Sky Council is the preeminent organization for and leading authority on girls in western Montana. The Council's mission is, 'Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.' To learn more about Girl Scout Cookie Sale Program visit www.bigskygirlscouts.org/product_sales.htm or call 1-800-823-4475.

Wedding - Holladay-Vernon

Lee Holladay of Mobile Alabama and Robbie Vernon of Stevensville were united in marriage on October 7, 2006 in Mobile, Alabama. Lee is the daughter of Yvonne and Tim Holladay of Mobile and Robbie is the son of Vickie and Arnold Vernon of Stevensville. Lee, a graduate of University of South Alabama, is employed as an account representative at First Security Bank of Bozeman. Robbie, a graduate of Stevensville High School, is employed by Elite Air Systems of Bozeman. The couple honeymooned in Florida before returning home to Belgrade, Montana.

Births

Births at Marcus Daly Hospital, Hamilton

12-13-06
Girl, 7 lbs., 2 oz., 21 inches, to Allen and Gracie Steele, Corvallis

12-15-06
Boy, 6 lbs., 2 oz, 19-1/2 inches, to Cody Rowlan and Annie Martinez, Victor
Girl, 7 lbs., 1 oz, 21 inches, to Travis and Melissa Saville, Hamilton

12-19-06
Girl, 7 lbs., 8-1/2 oz., 20-1/2 inches, to Brad Allen and Samantha Bennett, Hamilton
Girl, 8 lbs., 1 oz., 20-3/4 inches, to Jamie and Rebecca Parker, Victor.
Boy, 7 lbs., 12 oz., 21 inches, to Justin Griffin and Rosalynn Harrell, Corvallis

12-20-06
Boy, 7 lbs., 11 oz., 19-1/4 inches, to Jeff and Andrea Simmerman, Hamilton.

Obituaries

Edith Belle Gray
1925-2006

Edith Belle (Burch) Gray, 81, of Stevensville, died on Christmas Day, December 25, 2006 at the Bitterroot Valley Living Center.

She was born on May 21, 1925 in Deer Lodge, Montana to Albert Christopher and Almyra (Gill) Burch. When she was 5 years old her parents divorced and she and her younger sister, Margie, were taken to the Montana Deaconess Home in Helena. After graduating from the eighth grade, she moved to Nampa, Idaho. She graduated from Nampa High School in Nampa, Idaho and later attended Cadet Nurse Corps, a Mercy Hospital School of Nursing.

She never finished nursing school as she moved to Butte in the fall of 1946 and was working at the Hansen Meat Packing Plant where she met Edward Ward Gray. The couple married on January 24, 1947 in Deer Lodge. They were married for 53 years and had seven children. The couple moved to Stevensville in 1975 upon Ed's retirement from the Anaconda Smelter. He preceded her in death on January 31, 2000.

Edith was a nurse's aide at Silver Bow General Hospital in Butte, and Edith and Ed were first-aid instructors for Butte Red Cross for 20 years. They manned the first aid room for all events at the Butte Civic Center.

After Edith retired, she enjoyed knitting mittens and booties and quilting. She loved the Oak Ridge Boys and her noon news and weather. She enjoyed ice dancing and westerns on TV and reading Louie L'Amour books.

She is survived by sons and their wives: Earl (Tory) Gray of Victor, Albert (Colette) Gray of Ulm, MT, Wilbur Gray of Buhl, Idaho, and Neal Gray of Missoula; daughters Rosemarie Gray and Barbara Gray, both of Butte, and Sherry Burnett of Great Falls; one sister, Frances Dedrickson of Butte; five grandchildren, five great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Graveside services were held on Friday, December 29, 2006 at St. Mary's Cemetery in Stevensville.

The Whitesitt Funeral Home in Stevensville is in charge of arrangements.

LaVonne D. Ulmer
1921-2006

LaVonne D. Ulmer, 85, of Stevensville, died on Monday, December 25, 2006 at Marcus Daly Palliative Care Center in Hamilton.

She was born on August 21, 1921 in O'Brien County, Iowa to Glen and Grace (Anderson) Watters.

She was preceded in death by her husband Walter Ulmer.

LaVonne is survived by her daughter, Judy (Bill) Burke of Stevensville, and a son, Gregory L. (Kathy) Ulmer of Gainesville, Florida. Also surviving is a granddaughter, Rebecca Burke of Greenville, North Carolina and grandsons, Tyson (Anita) Ulmer and Leland Ulmer.

Memorial services were held on Friday, December 29, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Stevensville with Father Michael Smith officiating. A reception followed services.

The Whitesitt Funeral Home in Stevensville is in charge of cremation arrangements.

Loyal D. Williamson
1918-2006

Loyal D. Williamson, 88, left this life peacefully surrounded by family Saturday, December 30, at his daughter's home in Corvallis.

Loyal was born in Stevensville on May 19, 1918, to Frank "Doc" and Mary Hughes Williamson. Doc was the son of Bitter Root pioneers A.P. and Eleanor Williamson and was born at Florence in 1882. Loyal's mother came to the valley in the early 1900s from Idaho. He attended Etna Grade School and Stevensville High School. Although he was never able to finish high school, quitting to help support his family, Loyal excelled as a mechanic and as a businessman.

From 1936 to 1943 he held various jobs including working for the Forest Service as a firefighter. Unable to join the military during WWII for medical reasons, he contributed to the war effort by trucking supplies to ports in Seattle. On May 19, 1943, he married Ruby Mills in Bozeman where they lived for a short time. They then returned to Stevensville where Loyal worked as a mechanic for Floyd's Auto Repair and the Chevrolet garage. In time he started Loyal's Auto Repair. It was housed in a garage attached to the house they built in Stevensville. Following a back injury, he had to close the shop and began working for Hamilton Motor Supply. He moved his family to Hamilton in 1953. He worked at the automotive parts store until he and Ruby purchased the business in 1971. They operated it until 1981 when they retired. People respected his knowledge of auto repair and continued to bring their cars to him for help and advice for many years.

After retiring, Loyal and Ruby bought a motor home and became snowbirds. They would winter in Mesa, AZ, where they made many new friends. Upon Ruby's death in 1995, it was not the same for Loyal. He decided to stay in the valley near his children and sold the motor home.

His stories of growing up in the Bitter Root were told often and with a twinkle in his eye. He was not above getting into mischief and pulling teenage pranks. At times he would take his rifle or shotgun to school near Bell Crossing, stashing them along a ditch bank, so he could hunt on his way home. Loyal loved fly fishing and camping. He became an accomplished self taught carpenter and cabinet maker. He built a camper the family used for years. He also built many cabinets and dressers out of mahogany and oak for family members. He was elected to the Hamilton City Council during the mid-1970s and worked hard to serve the community. He was disappointed that he had to resign when he moved out of the city limits.

Loyal was preceded in death by his wife Ruby, his brother Harold, his father and mother Frank and Mary Williamson, and sister Lorna Williams. He is survived by his brother Melvin Williamson of Kalispell, son LeRoy Williamson and wife Carla of Hamilton, daughter Sandra Price and husband Ken of Corvallis, son Dennis Williamson and wife Ursula of Melbourne, Australia, and son Don Williamson and wife Glenda of Nuevo, California. Loyal has 12 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held at the Daly-Leach Chapel on Saturday, January 6, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. with funeral services following at 2 p.m. Burial will take place at the Victor Cemetery following the services. Memorial donations can be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children, 911 West 5th Ave., POB 2472, Spokane WA 99210-2472.

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