Dorothy Marie Weaver, 81

Dorothy Marie Weaver, 81, passed away Sept. 20, 2008, in Gilbert, Ariz. Formerly from Kalispell, she was born March 28, 1927, in Havre. She lived in places including California, Texas, Minnesota, and Arizona, but for most of her life she called Western Montana the home she loved.

Dorothy was first and foremost a homemaker. Her bountiful gardens were tended with care, and she took pride in canning, cooking, and serving up hearty meals to feed her family. She enjoyed knitting, crocheting, and sewing, and her busy hands often were making clothes for her family or creative projects.

She was a published poet and a beloved songwriter. Enjoying the great outdoors, from a campfire site or picture window, she delighted in sharing her appreciation of adventure and watching the antics of wildlife.

Her most heartened smiles and joyful laughs came when she was surrounded by her family and friends, whether a small group of little ones or a large bustling gathering, and our many fond memories will keep her in our hearts forever.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, Wesley Andrew Buck and Mary Jane Gloer Buck; brothers, Roy, Wesley, Reginald and Thomas Buck; and children, Robert and Cory Weaver and Judith Shiels.

She is survived by her husband, Ira Weaver, of Thompson Falls; brothers, Clifford and Milton Buck; sisters, Jean Cobb and Mary Beth Steele; children, Samuel and Nicholas Weaver, Kathleen Eqosque and Vivian O'Connor; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and all their families.

The memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Kingdom Hall, 1115 S. Reserve St., in Missoula, (406) 542-0836. There will be a reception afterward at Creative Catering, located in the Palace Hotel, 220 Ryman St., Suite B, in Missoula, (406) 721-1418.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your local hospice.