Dorothy Marie Chapin, 75
On July 5, 2007, longtime Columbia Falls resident Dorothy Marie Chapin lost her brief but courageous battle with melanoma cancer.
Dorothy was born Jan. 12, 1932, in Boise, Idaho, the second child of Viola and Dewey Bowman. She spent her early youth and teen years in the nearby farming community of Emmett, Idaho, on her fatherOs and grandparentsO fruit ranches.
While in her first year at the University of Idaho, she met another Emmett native, Jack Chapin, at a dance near McCall, Idaho. A few weeks later, they spent their first date playing pinball. On St. PatrickOs Day in 1950, the Episcopal bishop of Idaho united Dorothy and Jack in marriage in Emmett. Soon afterward, Jack began his long career as a powerhouse operator with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
The first of their four sons, Michael, was born in January 1951. Shortly after Patrick was born during fall 1952, Jack accepted a position at the Hungry Horse Dam, and the young family moved to the OBureau Camp.O Scott arrived in April 1955, and Phill arrived in May 1957.
In 1957, Jack and Dorothy purchased a half-finished two-story frame house at the top of the North Fork Hill in Columbia Falls. Dorothy and Jack raised their family on the Oedge of the wilderness,O chasing moose out of the strawberries on a regular basis. In 1965, they moved into the present family-built home in the Nucleus Addition, where Dorothy resided continuously until the day of her peaceful passing.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack, in 1999; her parents, Dewey Bowman and Viola Kefauver Yaneck; a brother, Paul Bowman; and her daughter-in-law, Kathy Miller Chapin.
Dorothy is survived by her sons, Mike and Phill, both of Columbia Falls, Scott, Living in Spokane, and Pat, recently relocated to Chinook from Canada; MikeOs partner, Elaine Miller; PatOs wife, Cathy, of Thunder Bay, Ontario; and five grandchildren, Mike Chapin Jr. of Kalispell, Chris Chapin of Portland, Holly Marie Chapin of Baltimore, Jessie and Wesley Chapin of Thunder Bay. Survivors from Odown homeO in Idaho include numerous in-laws; nieces and nephews; an aunt, Annie Patterson; DorothyOs OmomO (stepmother), Beulah House; and BeulahOs children, Colleen Bicandi, Marilyn Lorenzen, Jim Goodwin, and Joe Bowman.
The high points of this last year for Dorothy were enjoying her great-grandchildren, Bleu and Jack, at grandson ChrisO November wedding, and learning of great grandson Adam in April. Until the end of her life, Dorothy was devoted to her family, and they are no less devoted to her.
A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 11, 2007, at the Our SaviorOs Lutheran Church, 401 Seventh St. W., in Columbia Falls, with Father Bradley Wirth of St. MatthewOs Episcopal Church presiding. Interment will be afterward in Woodlawn Cemetery. A reception will be afterward the interment at the North Valley Rescue Hall behind the Montana Veterans Home.
The family suggests that memorials be made in DorothyOs name to the Flathead Hospice.
Arrangements are with the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls.