![]() Arlene (Blakeley) Marshall Our beautiful mother, grandmother, daughter, aunt and friend Arlene (Blakeley) Marshall, 65, passed away peacefully on Monday, December 11, 2017 at the Deer Lodge Medical Center in Deer Lodge. It was a crisp, sunny winter day when her suffering ended. She was surrounded by her loving mother, Doris; son, Michael; daughter Jenni; and sister, Donna as they comforted her with loving words and held her hands until she took her last breath. There was no signs of struggle or pain when she crossed over-only tranquility and peace. Her last words that morning were “I love you.” If you were blessed enough to be loved by Arlene, then you know how powerful those three words meant to her. Her love was unconditional and eternal. She gave of her love and time generously and tried to help out financially whenever she was able to help. Oftentimes, she would go out of the way to see her family and help them with any means necessary to help improve their lives. Her family meant the world to her. So much so that she gave up her dream of becoming an English teacher to help take care of her siblings; her own children; and grandchildren. A decision she never regretted. Arlene was born March 19, 1952 in Sheridan to Jack and Doris Blakeley. She attended elementary and middle school in Virginia City. She attended high school in Ennis. She moved to Deer Lodge and began her family there. She had a special bond with her parents, Jack (Jack’s girl) and Doris (confidant and friend). She had unbreakable bonds with her siblings: Donna (best friend); Jim (helped her during her difficult struggles); Pete (he believed in her intelligence); Jake (they always had a good time together); and her baby brother Zeke (she was protective of him and helped raise him). When her own children were born, Arlene’s life was dedicated to them. She helped them overcome obstacles in life; how to be kind and thoughtful. She was so proud of her oldest son Michael especially when he graduated from Montana Tech. She bragged about his accomplishments throughout his life. He was a “momma’s boy” and they shared a strong bond. Her daughter, Jenni, “her baby girl” struggled to find balance in their relationship, but ultimately became friends. Jenni would often seek advice from Arlene especially after the birth of her first child, Dylan. Arlene’s pride and joy were her grandchildren. Dylan (oldest and “favorite”-an ongoing joke with the other grandchildren). They spent the most time together when Dylan was young and developed a strong bond. She was so proud of his accomplishments in the military and looked forward to hearing about his adventures. Hallie (her Jo-Jo Bean, her first granddaughter) spent a lot of girly time where they would talk about fashion and Arlene would teach her about make-up, how to dress, and boys. Next was Wyatt (her boy). He developed her love for reading. They would spend hours reading together. She was so proud of how he excelled at school. Jaiden (her pretty boy) would talk about sports and watch football and basketball. They discussed who were the best teams, but ultimately agreed that the Cowboys were their favorite team. She was proud of his athletic accomplishments and always complimented his appearance. The last grandchild, Luscienne, (her baby girl) was exactly that-the baby of the grandchildren. She loved her kindness and thoughtfulness. She would threaten to take her home as her own. Luscienne would always visit Arlene with a homemade drawing or painting-always a gift of some kind. Arlene was proud of her artistic and musical talent. She would display Luscienne’s artwork and boast about her talent. Arlene was an amazing friend. Once you met her, you would change for the better. At the beginning, you may have started out as strangers, but by the end you would soon be friends. Her radiant smile would light up the room and her witty sense of humor would make even the dreariest of people laugh. She was loyal, fun and cared so much about people. Arlene suffered from countless illnesses and struggles over the past several years. Recently she was diagnosed with lung cancer on September 14, 2017. Only three months later, Arlene would succumb to the disease physically, but she never gave up mentally. She never let her illnesses stand in the way of living the best life that she could. Arlene had many admirable qualities, but her persistence, optimism, confidence, tenacity and hope rose her above the rest. When others would have quit, she found the strength to continue despite her circumstances. As hard as it was to watch her life end, the family has found solace in knowing that her pain and struggles have ended. Arlene will always be remembered as a kind and loving person that we will miss dearly. The ones that have gone before her are; Jack (John Perry) Blakeley (her father); Jake (John K) Blakeley (brother); Fred Marshall (husband); Ethan Blakeley (grandson); Minnie and Ahti Hanni (maternal grandparents); Carolyn and Perry Blakeley (paternal grandparents); Martha and Peter B Gardetto (maternal great-grandparents); Mary and Abraham Hanni (paternal great-grandparents). Uncle: Jim Blakeley; Aunts: Colleen Crane, Verna Blakeley, and Helen Rybus. The ones Arlene left behind are: Doris Blakeley (mother); Michael (Michelle) Blakeley (son); Jenni Marshall (daughter). Grandchildren: Dylan Keith, Hallie Blakeley, Jaiden Meagher-Marshall, Wyatt Blakeley, and Luscienne Homer. Sister: Donna (Bill) Beierle. Brothers: Jim (Sharon) Blakeley; Pete (Mary Rose) Blakeley; and Zeke (Trish) Blakeley. Nieces: Mindy (AJ) Collins and Michelle (Lee) Garrett. Nephews: Vince (Heather) Shelton; Darren (Kym) Shelton; Josh (Vickie) Blakeley; Perry Blakeley; and Steven Blakeley. Great-nieces: Kiya Shelton; Olivia Garrett and Leanne Shelton. Great nephews: Garrett Shelton; Devon Shelton; Joshua Blakeley; Carter Garrett; Parker Blakeley; and Ace Collins. Uncles: Don Hanni; Gene (Ethel Mae) Hanni. Aunts: Pauleen Blakeley, Maureen Blakeley and Dorothy Blakeley. Special friends: Loraleigh Horswell and Robbie Hanni. Arlene despised funerals. Therefore, the family decided to honor her with a celebration of life ceremony on Friday, December 22, 2017 at 2 p.m. at the Elks Lodge in Deer Lodge. The family would like to thank K and L Mortuary in Whitehall for their outstanding services; heartfelt sympathies and overall kindness during this very difficult time. Arlene was cremated and her remains will be buried next to her father Jack and brother Jake at the Deer Lodge cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family has set up a college fund for Arlene’s grandchildren. More than anything, Arlene wanted her grandchildren to attend college. She set up savings bonds for each of them years ago, but knowing that you have contributed to these accounts would mean the world to her. She wanted her grandchildren to succeed in whichever path they chose, but preferable with a college degree. Lars Lewis Olsen
Lars Lewis Olsen passed away December 20, 2017 at St. Patrick’s hospital in Missoula. He was 80 years old. Lars was born September 2, 1937 to Lee Mantle Olsen and Hermieona Mae Nielsen Olsen. Lars was born in the bedroom in the same house he lived in on the family ranch in Deer Lodge. He attended grade school in Deer Lodge and graduated from Powell County High School in 1956. Lars attended Western Montana College in Dillon and Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa. He joined the Army and served from 1960-1962. Lars worked as a city police officer in Deer Lodge, as a security guard at the Anaconda Company, and for the State Highway Department. Lars always loved his dogs; he would often be seen taking rides around town with his latest dog, George. He enjoyed doing the crossword puzzles in the newspaper each morning and reading, particularly about history and sports. He enjoyed watching the Lady Griz basketball games and the Grizzly football games while listening to the voices of the Griz: Tom Stage, Dick Slater, and Mick Holien. His door was always open for cold refreshments and a good conversation. Lars enjoyed researching his family genealogy and visiting about his family history. He loved reminiscing about his Warden basketball and football days with his buddies from the class of 1956. Lars was proud to be a fourth generation north valley rancher, but even prouder of his granddaughter, Annalee who called him “Pa.” She was definitely the “light of his life.” Lars was preceded in death by his parents, Lee and Hermie Olsen, brother Lee Eliason, and sisters Jean Sager and Olivia Olin. He is survived by his wife Mary Ann, daughter Tammy (Mark) and granddaughter Annalee. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and extended family members. Services will be held Thursday, December 28, 2017 at the Jewell Funeral Home at 11 a.m. in Deer Lodge. Memorials can be made to The Community of Christ Church in Deer Lodge. Comments are closed.
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