Irma Venise Singleton Strong, 94
Irma Venise (Singleton) Strong was born July 1, 1912, in Adams County, Ind., to parents John V. and Edith (Cook) Singleton. She had a beautiful life and died Aug. 20, 2006.
The second-oldest of 10 musically gifted children, she attended 12 years of school in Albion, Ind., and graduated top of her class in 1930. Irma married E. Allen Strong Dec. 24, 1932. He preceded her in death in 1992, sharing nearly 60 years together.
Irma was very talented. She was a civic-minded woman and a dedicated mother, as well as a strong matriarch to a very large family. She was a vocalist, pianist, Sunday school teacher, piano teacher, 4-H leader, PTA president, actress, gardener, seamstress, exceptional cook, avid reader, beautiful writer and a skilled Scrabble player. She loved to travel and could tell every route she'd ever taken and points of interest.
She grew up during the Great Depression but had lots of determination to succeed. Her father was sheriff of Noble County and she lived at the jail in Albion during her teen years. After marriage she lived in Elkhart, Ind., and Goshen, and then moved to Noble County, where all the children graduated from Albion High School.
It was 1977 when they moved to McCaffery Road near Bigfork. After Allen's death, she resided in Columbia Falls until she moved to Kalispell with daughter Joy. Irma recently lived at Wel-Life in Kalispell, then the Lakeview Care Center in Bigfork.
She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers, Hubert, Arthur and John Singleton; sisters, Lelah Walters, Helen Harris and Gloria Portmess; and her son-in-law, Ronald Rosenberry.
She is survived by sisters Phylis Braa of Powell, Wyo., Edith Welling of Lynchburg, Va., and Mary Rose Stouffer of Fort Wayne, Ind. She was blessed with all six children surviving her, Janet Venise and Roy Rosenberry-Wodarz, formally of Coram, now residing in Havre; John A. and Irene Strong of Mainville, Ohio; Arthur and Retia Strong of Kenosha, Wis.; Paul and Betty Strong of Bigfork; Joy Grate, formerly of Kalispell, presently of Clackamus, Ore.; and Bill and Dee Strong of Roundup. Irma enjoyed 21 grandchildren, Tad and Rose Rosenberry, Judy and Joe Lunceford, Wendy and Robin Blevins, of Columbia Falls, Jeanne and Maurice Turner of Martin City, Janet and Rick Maricle of Bellingham, Wash., Bruce Strong of Florida, Kevin and Susan Strong of Ohio, Karen V. and Greg Ball of Austin, Texas, Scott and Randy and Eileen Strong of Evergreen, Colo., David Strong, Katie Woodruff of Bigfork, Joanna and Patrick Hill of Bozeman, Sarah Richards of Utah, Patricia Strong of New York, Rachel and Steve Gabel of Bozeman, Dustin and Jack Shultz of Roundup, Lane Grate of Las Vegas, Kelly Edwards and John P. Grate of Clackamus, Ore. She is also survived by 34 great-grandchildren, nine great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. today, Aug. 27, at the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls. Services will be held 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 28, at the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls, Rev. Ray Davis officiating.
Irma's two favorite charities were the Presbyterian Church in Albion and the Heritage Living Center, an assisted living center in Ashland, Mont., committed to Northern Cheyenne elders at: Soaring Eagle, P.O. Drawer 879, Billings, MT 59103 or http://www.soaringeagle.org/.