Jewell Bernice Bellmore, 88

Jewell Bellmore, 88, passed away Saturday, March 18, 2006, at Immanuel Lutheran Home in Kalispell.

She was born April 2, 1917, in Oakland, Minn., to Martin and Ida Midge Olson. Jewell received her education in Minnesota, where she had fond memories of fishing and horseback riding.

She met Morrie Bellmore at a community dance, and they were married in Bigfork on Jan. 20, 1934. He was a cowboy in those days, and they soon moved to the Rocky Bar Dude Ranch at Woods Bay on Flathead Lake. They remained there until 1941, when it became necessary to move to Seattle for employment.

Jewell worked as a home health nurse in the early '40s and then ran a boarding house.

Morrie and Jewell returned to Creston, where they farmed, while Morrie also worked in Broeder's Lumber Mill and Jewell worked in the Creston Mercantile. They farmed for the next 15 years. In the 1960s, Morrie and Jewell became the owners of the same store, which is familiar to many who traveled through Creston.

At that time, they limited their travels to relatives in Minnesota, Colorado and North Dakota, but after Morrie retired, they began snowbirding to Nevada, and spent one year in Mexico.

Jewell was an avid country-and-western music fan and she loved to dance in early years. She was also an accomplished seamstress and quilter, and enjoyed knitting, crocheting and fishing. She was a member of the Creston Grange, the Creston Homemakers Club and belonged to a pinochle club.

Jewell was Lutheran through most of her years, though her most recent attendance prior to the Lutheran Home was Glacier Mountain Fellowship near her home in Creston.

Jewell entered the Immanuel Lutheran Home on May 8, 1996.

Morrie precedes Jewell in death, as well as her two brothers and four sisters; with the last one being her granddaughter, LeahAnn, who passed away in January last year.

Her three children survive Jewel, Delores 'Pat' and Ken Odegard, James Bellmore, and Larry and Ginny Odegard, all of whom live in the Flathead Valley; nine grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren.

Funeral services for Jewell will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home, with graveside rights at Glacier Memorial Gardens.

Donations can be made to the Immanuel Lutheran Home in lieu of flowers, if you prefer.