Virginia 'Jenny' Wetherelt, 87

Virginia "Jenny" Wetherelt, 87, of Columbia Falls "went to the Lord" on Dec. 23, 2007. She was born to William T. and Lilly V. French in Moscow, Idaho, on Jan. 29, 1920.

She attended school at the rural schools around the Moscow area and a couple of years at Lewiston Orchards school. She graduated from the eighth grade and worked for various families around Moscow, including her sister Molly Quist, on their farm.

In 1938, she met the love of her life Alvin Wetherelt; they were married on June 14, 1938, in Moscow, Idaho. In the fall of 1938 they moved to Broadus and lived on Alvin's father's homestead and built a house next to his.

They had two sons, Lawrence and Leonard. When Lawrence was school age, they bought an acre at Cranes Acres just west of Broadus and built a house there in 1946.

In 1956, the moved to Alvin's sister's ranch up Big Powder River from Broadus, until the fall of 1966 when they moved to Libby.

In April of 2000, they moved to Columbia Falls, to their present home.

Virginia was a homemaker and loved to cook and bake. She loved to make quilts, a large number of the family have had them as gifts. She also sewed lap robe tops for the Klothes Kloset in Columbia Falls for a few years.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Walter, Richard, Dan, Bob and Roy; and sisters, Caroline Weibe, Molly Quist, Lillian Gibbs, Maude Hall, Francis Schultz and Edith Burton.

Virginia is survived by her husband of 69 and a half years, Alvin, at their home in Columbia Falls; two sons, Lawrence and Helen Wetherelt of Columbia Falls, and Leonard and Sharon of Columbia Falls; two granddaughters, April Wetherelt of Post Falls, Idaho, and Rachael Koller of Rathdrum, Idaho; grandson, Matt Wetherelt of Columbia Falls; six great-grandchildren, Felicia, Megan, Ashley, Andrew, Angelique and Lita; two sisters, Mabel Wheeler of Colfax, Wash., and Mary Eaton of Spokane; and brother, Ben, and Bonnie French of Deer Park, Wash.

At her request, she has been cremated and a memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 7, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church, 401 West Seventh Street, Columbia Falls, Montana 59912, with Pastor Peter Erickson officiating.

Arrangements are under the direction of Austin Funeral Home in Whitefish.