January 21st, 2015

Keith L. Colbo
Keith L. Colbo was born on Monday, February 10, 1941 in Deer Lodge to Ken and Mary Colbo.  He died in the early morning Monday, January 12, 2015 in Missoula.
He completed grade school and high school in Deer Lodge attending Saint Mary’s Academy and Powell County High School.  He spent his youth climbing the mountains and fishing the waters around Deer Lodge and working for his parents at the family bowling alley. He left for Bozeman to earn his degree in Business at Montana State University in 1963.
He began his career in Helena in the Montana State Budget Office when there were only two employees.  He worked up to Assistant Budget Director appointed by Governor Tim Babcock, and shortly thereafter was appointed to Budget Director for Montana by Governor Forrest Anderson.  Under the Executive Reorganization Act of 1971, a new Department of Revenue was organized and Keith was appointed as the first Director of the Department of Revenue.  In 1974 the budget function for Montana was transferred to the new Department of Budget and Program Planning at which time Keith was again appointed as the first Director of this Department by Governor Thomas Judge.  His next position was Chief of Staff to Governor Judge.  After many years in this position, he was appointed as Director of Social and Rehabilitation Services and Director of Fish, Wildlife and Parks simultaneously.  In 1980 when Ted Schwinden was elected Governor, Keith headed his transition team and then again was appointed as Chief of Staff to the Governor.  Keith was then appointed to the new Northwest Power Planning Council ending his time with the Council as the Chairman.  Keith ended his 26 years of service with Montana State government as Director of the Department of Commerce.
In 1989 he started his own consulting business where he worked on a variety of issues for numerous clients first with his daughter Leslie then his wife Carole.
Keith was preceded in death by his parents Ken and Mary Colbo.  He is survived by his wife Carole, children James R. Thomson, Leslie K. Thomson (Tim), Brooke Colbo, Kel Colbo (Suzie), brother Ken Colbo (Judy), numerous grandchildren including Jamie Smith, who will present him with his first great-granddaughter, and Abbey Keith his buddy and golf partner, numerous nieces and nephews, and his good friends and in-laws Vickie Hoyt and Patrick Noble.
Keith was a quiet, gentle man with a sure sense of himself.  He lived a dignified life, a life that mattered, and was a source of intelligent wit and uncommon wisdom.  He had an avid need to read, a love of possibilities and was driven to play the game of golf.
Keith wanted to leave in a quiet fashion and decided there should not be a memorial service.  Thank you to all who entered his life in the last few years and made it better than it would have been without you.  Keith loved animals found them eternally fascinating.  He would have been grateful to any donation to support the welfare of animals.
“You will begin to touch heaven in the moment you touch perfect speed, and that is not flying a thousand miles an hour or a million or flying the speed of light.  Because any number is a limit and perfection doesn’t have limits.  Perfect speed is being there.”   JLS

Connie Clawson
Connie Clawson, age 66, a lifetime resident of Anaconda passed from this life into the next on January 14, 2015.  Connie was born on March 1, 1948, to Perry and Emma (Martin) Clawson.  Her parents died tragically in an automobile accident when Connie was five and she and her brother Perry were raised by their maternal grandparents, Jim and Emma Martin.
Connie attended Daly and Washington Grade schools and graduated from Anaconda Senior High School in 1966.  She dreamed of becoming a florist after graduation, but had to give that dream up when she discovered she was allergic to most flowers.  Instead Connie went to work for Anaconda School District #10 as a special education aide in Nancy Keenan’s classroom; a job she loved.
After leaving the school district Connie opened a daycare with her friends Dee Dee and Donna O’Brien.  They provided care to literally hundreds of kids over the next 30 years and many of those kids and their families are numbered among Connie’s closest friends.  After closing the daycare Connie worked briefly for AWARE until an injury forced her into early retirement.
After her retirement Connie left the family home on West Fourth and moved into Hearthstone Apartments.  As always Connie found ways to serve others at Hearthstone as a member of the Board of Directors, as President of the Residents’ Council, and as a great friend to all of the residents and staff.
Connie was a long time member of the Anaconda Church of Christ.  She loved attending services, Bible studies, special events, and especially the annual Christmas “Lie, Cheat, and Steal” gift exchange.  She served as the volunteer secretary for the church and taught Sunday school classes and Vacation Bible School classes for years.  Connie also cooked for Junior High Camps at Yellowstone Bible Camp for several years and for several Libby Youth Events.  Families and children from across Montana and the Northwest remember Connie with a great deal of love and respect for the kind and compassionate friend and servant she always was.
Connie is preceded in death by her parents and her grandparents, by her brother Perry Jim Clawson, by her adopted brother Bob O’Brien, and by her co-worker, Donna O’Brien.  She is survived by her close friends Linda Smith, Mike and Gloria O’Rourke, Trena Vollmer, Dee Dee O’Brien Smith, her “little brother” Jason Rucker, her adopted sister Margie O’Brien, and her cohort at Hearthstone Mike Murphy, as well as by all her brothers and sisters at the church and by her dear friends at Hearthstone and all over the Northwest.  In her life she taught us about compassionate service and stalwart faith. In her death she is victorious. 
A memorial service for Connie was held at the Church of Christ on the corner of Washoe and Evergreen at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 17.  A celebration of life and memories followed.
In lieu of flowers memorials are suggested to the Church of Christ in Anaconda. 
Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home is entrusted with Connie’s funeral arrangements. You may pay your condolences at www.longfellowfinneganriddle.com.

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Robert Milton Reno
Robert Milton Reno, 77, passed away in his Reno, Nev. home on January 5, 2015.  Bob was born in Virginia City, Nev. on December 29, 1937 to Harold C. Reno and Mabel Mae (Salmonsen) Reno.  
He was raised by his aunt and uncle, Anna and Frank Hunter, and known as Robert (Bob) Hunter in his childhood and youth.  Bob grew up in Montana and graduated from Powell County High School in 1956 along with his cousin, Thomas Miller, who now resides north of Deer Lodge.  In high school, Bob was an excellent swimmer and was well liked.
Bob attended the University of Nevada for several years studying engineering.  He worked as an electrician for the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads for 31 years.  In his early years he worked for Otis Elevators, was a tool maker for the Boeing Corporation, a navigator in the United States Air Force.  While serving in the Peace Corps, he established leather factories in Pakistan.  
He was a dedicated member of the Church of Latter-day Saints, serving a mission to the southern states.  He was known for his love of reading, teaching his family, enjoying nature, building and figuring out how things work.
Bob is survived by Carol, his loving wife of nearly 42 years, and 11 children:  John (Fatima), Hans (Marcy), Rebecca (Heath) Workman, Charles (Kristina), Martha (Richard) Turley, Joseph (Megan), Antone, Sarah (Cody) Lindstrom, Peter (Mandy), Catherine (Mario) DeBruyn, Francis (Rebecca), and 25 grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at the LDS Chapel, 1095 Golconda Drive, in Reno on Friday, January 23 at 1 p.m.

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Harb Anderson Whitwell
Montana State Prison inmate Harb Anderson Whitwell #3004141  died on Tuesday, January 13, 2014 from an extended illness.  
Inmate Whitwell was sentenced out of Sanders County for the crimes of Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse of Children receiving a 40 year sentence. His parole eligibility date was 5-1-2026.   His discharge date was 4-25-2049.

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