Jeanne F. Schmauch, 91

Jeanne F. Schmauch, 91, passed away Thursday, May 22, 2008, at Brendan House in Kalispell. She was born Sept. 17, 1916, in New Orleans, to Louis E. and Emma (Mendoza) Abadie.

Jeanne attended grade school in New Orleans through the eighth grade, and then entered the job market working in various factory jobs to help her family through the Great Depression. During the war years, she moved to a larger job working for Consolidated Vulte Aircraft as a welder for the U.S. Army. It was here that she met her future husband, James L. Schmauch, who was from Kalispell, and in the Army, stationed in New Orleans. On Oct. 9, 1945, she and Jimmy were married in California and they traveled to Kalispell, meeting all his family and friends.

In 1958, Jimmy and Jeanne, along with their two children, moved from New Orleans to Kalispell, beginning a new chapter in their lives. It was on this trip that Jeanne noticed something wrong with the right side of her body. She later was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. This did not slow her down in her everyday life of raising her children and being a full-time homemaker. One of her desires was to be able to see her children grow up and have families of their own. Not only did she achieve that, but also because of her tremendous strength and faith, she also got to see her grandchildren grow up and have families of their own.

In later life, she was stricken with cancer; she continued to have a full life and continued living on her own despite these problems, and fought each and every one of these with great faith and determination.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James L. Schmauch; a great-grandson, Garrett Adam; her parents, Louis and Emma Abadie; her brothers, Gene and Emile Abadie; and her sisters, Henrietta Abadie and Marie Gervais.

She is survived by her children, James Schmauch, and Judi Gorton and husband, Dan, all of Kalispell; a sister, Evelyn Baran, of New Orleans; nephews, Stanley Baran of New Orleans, and Jules Gervais of Hilo, Hawaii; granddaughter, Wendy Adam; grandson, Daniel Schmauch and his wife, Rochelle; and great-grandchildren, Jordan Adam, and Teagan and Peyton Schmauch, all of Missoula.

Memorial services for Jeanne will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 30, at the First Presbyterian Church in Kalispell, with Pastor Glenn Burfeind officiating. There is no visitation. Urn burial will be at 2 p.m. at Glacier Memorial Gardens. The family suggests that any memorial contributions be sent to the charity of the donor's choice.

Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for Jeanne's family. You are invited to go to www.jgfuneralhome.com to offer condolences and sign Jeanne's guest book.