Roger F. Gowdey, 81
Roger F. Gowdey, 81, died Tuesday, May 10, 2005, at the Bitterroot Valley Living Center in Stevensville.
He was born on November 23, 1923, at Judith Gap, the middle son of Alex W. and Naomi (Edmonson) Gowdey. The family moves to the Flathead Valley in 1924, where they farmed in the Whitefish Stage area. Roger continued to reside in Whitefish most of his life. He attended school in Whitefish and while still in high school enlisted in the Army, serving in the Pacific during World War II.
Following his discharge he returned home to Whitefish and while carpooling to work in Kalispell, met Gayle (Bergan) Shefloe. He was persistent in his courting of Gayle and after several years of dating they were married in the fall of 1949.
He moved his new wife and her son, Brad, to LaGrande, Ore., where he was an assistant manager for Montgomery Ward. Following the birth of a daughter, Susan, in 1951, there were moves to Walla Walla and Spokane, Wash. In 1952, the family returned to Whitefish where he went to work for the Great Northern Railway. He retired from Burlington Northern Railroad in 1982 and continued to live in Whitefish. He and Gayle moved to the Bitterroot Valley Living Center in 2000. Gayle preceded him in death the summer of 2000.
Roger was not one to join clubs or organizations. His entertainment and greatest joys in life were having family and friends gathered around for one of his meals, eating fresh baked cookies or tasting the latest cake recipe he was trying. The family tradition of cooking and eating continues to be the topic of most memories. His kitchen expertise was dispensed to everyone who wanted to learn and many of his recipes have found their way to reaches of the country he was never inclined to visit. Many people shared in the bounty of his garden or treasured a piece of his woodwork that he so freely gifted.
Roger's season in the kitchen and his time as the main storyteller has passed, but the traditions will be carried on by his surviving family and friends.
The immediate family includes his son, Brad Shefloe and wife, Teresa Torgerson, of Missoula; daughter, Susan and husband, Pat Hartman, of Missoula; grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Scott Shefloe of Missoula, SSG Kara and John Cassidy, Robert and Maura of Fairfax, Va., Naomi and Lee Garrett and Jackson of Missoula.
He is also survived by his two brothers and their spouses, Robert and Frances Gowdey, Everett, Wash., and John and Eva Gowdey of Spokane. Nieces, nephews and many friends, will deeply miss him in their lives.
A memorial service to remember Roger and celebrate his life will be held 11 a.m. in Whitefish on Saturday, May 21, at the Presbyterian Church, 301 Central Ave., Whitefish. A luncheon will follow in the Fellowship Hall. Private interment of Roger's ashes will follow at a later date.
The family suggests memorials to the Glacier Presbyterian Camp, P.O. Box 384, Lakeside, MT 59922 or to a charity of choice. Cards for the family may be sent to Susan Hartman, 261 Half Circle Way, Polson, MT 59860.