Genevie Fern Chance, 99, Of Troy
Geneive Fern Chance, 99, passed away at her home in Troy, Mont. on Saturday, March 25, of natural causes. She was born June 26, 1923 in Lincoln, Nebr. to William Arthur and Yetta Mary (Askey) Voreis. She graduated from high school at Arlington, Wash. and attended secretarial school in Seattle. She worked as a secretary in Seattle and later moved to Mesa, Ariz. where she worked as a ‘skating carhop’. She married James Carlton Chance on May 5, 1948 in Mesa, Ariz.
Geneive was well known for her beautiful flower gardens, wonderful vegetable gardens and her fruit trees. She had quite the green thumb. She also enjoyed quilting and crafting. Everyone was blessed by Geneive’s generous nature. “Every life she touched was better for it.” She was preceded in death by her husband, James Chance; brother, Charles Voreis; sisters, Donna Pogue and Anna May Zingmark; son, Michael Chance; and grandchildren David Posey and Tammy Posey.
Survivors include her children Jerry Chance of Missoula, Tami Reatz of Libby and Kimberly Cody of Troy; grandchildren Heather Chance, Jennifer Huitron, Eric Reatz, April Reatz, Heidi Chance and Amber Chance; and numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Services for Geneive where at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 30, at the Troy United Methodist Church. Arrangements are under the care of Schnackenberg Funeral Home of Libby. Online condolences and memories may be shared by visiting www.schnackenbergfh.com.
Claire C. (Evans) Rose, 77, Of Libby
Claire C. (Evans) Rose, 77, passed away Friday, March 24, at the Libby Care Center in Libby, Montana. Claire was born to Lloyd and Alice Evans in Missoula, Montana, on May 16, 1945. The family moved to Libby in 1949, where Lloyd began his law practice. Claire and her brothers lived on their Whiskey Hill farm along with a vast array of domestic and wild animals that her parents accumulated. Summer days were spent riding donkeys and horses, weeding the garden, swimming in Libby Creek, and exploring the surrounding forests and mountains.
Claire attended elementary and high school in Libby, and graduated from the University of Montana in 1967. Upon graduation, she took a train to New York City to study photography and went on to work in photography studios in the city for 2 years. In 1969, she returned to Montana and worked for a year as a social worker on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation. She then returned to the field of photography in a studio in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1972, she joined the U.S. Army, studied the Russian language at the Defense Language Institute, and worked for the Army Security Agency in Berlin, Germany for 3 years. After discharge from the Army, she and a friend toured Europe and Israel by bicycle for 9 months, before backpacking through the Middle East and India for 3 months.
Upon returning to the United States, Claire studied nursing at Montana State University and received her BSN in 1981. She proceeded to work for 23 years as a registered nurse in the states of Montana and Washington; primarily in the psychiatric wards. In 1997, Claire began working at the Pathways Treatment Center in Kalispell, Montana, where she met her future husband Bob Rose, who was working there as a counselor. They were married in 2000 in the woods by their home in Coon Hollow.
In 2005, Claire and Bob moved to Libby and had a house built on the Evans family property on Whiskey Hill. Claire accepted a job as the program coordinator for MASSA, a federal/state asbestos screening clinic. She worked there until the program was terminated in December 2008.
Claire loved all animals, big and small, especially dogs. She was always invested in one dog or another. She volunteered at the animal shelters in various places and served as a board member for Kootenai Pets for Life. She loved living in the country and lobed the seclusion of her homes in Coon Hollow and Whiskey Hill.
Claire is preceded in death by her parents; and brother Curt.
Claire is survived by her husband Bob Rose; brothers Chuck Evans and Kelly Evans; stepchildren Robin Rose, Stephen Rose, and Summer Rose; nine nieces and nephews; 8 grand nieces and nephews; and step granddaughter Chloe.
To Claire’s many friends who might be interested, they may honor her life by making a contribution to Kootenai Pets for Life.
Arrangements are under the care of the Schnackenberg Funeral Home of Libby. Online condolences and memories may be shared by visiting www.schnackenbergfh.com.
“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they…came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments…They said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” He is not here but is risen!” Luke 24:1-6a
– Submitted by Ruthanne Dolezal