Norman Ray 'Norm' Miller, 74

Norman Ray "Norm" Miller, 74, passed away on Monday, April 13, 2009, from complications of pneumonia at Kalispell Regional Medical Center in Kalispell. At 10:15 on a chilly Thursday morning on Feb. 28, 1935, Norm became the seventh child of Johnnie Roscoe and Eva May (Bower) Miller. The family would grow to eight boys and three girls.

Norm attended Bald Rock School northwest of Kalispell where he met his lifelong best friend, Leonard Goss. Over the years, the two of them shared many good times and not so little mischief.

As a young man, Norm met the love of his life, Virginia "Bunnie" Larson. Soon after, on May 1, 1953, the two were married in Coeur d'Alene. They would spend their entire life together in the Flathead Valley. To this union was born five daughters.

Norm is descended from strong, proud Scots - Irish stock that came to America for a new life in 1756 from the Northern Ireland region of Ulster, County Tyrone. They entered near Philadelphia and soon moved west and helped open the wilderness of America, moving ever westward, selling their farms and settling new ones as land was opened in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Missouri.

Martin Miller, Norm's grandfather, moved his family from Worth County, Mo., to the Demersville area in about 1900. They soon adapted to the timber country of Montana and became hard-working loggers, avid hunters and fabled fishermen.

Norm began his logging career at the age of 13 at the business end of a crosscut saw. He worked many years for Lyman H. Claridge and Johnny Slack at S and S Logging. He could fall timber, hunt elk, catch bull trout and overhaul your Cat, maybe all in the same day.

He loved the wilderness, the mountains, the rivers, the people and most of all, his wife, daughters and extended family. Everyone was always welcome at Norm and Bunnie's - the hand of friendship was readily extended to one and all. If you were a stranger, it was only that Norm had not yet met you.

Norm was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Ross, Johnnie, Richard, Bennie and Marvin; sisters, Virginia and Luella; a very special grandson, Bradley Williams; and very sweet great-granddaughter, Korbyn EvaMay Williams.

He is survived by his wife, Bunnie Miller, at the family home in Kalispell; and his daughters, Sharyle Miller and Jerry Welker of Rollins, Cindy Regnier and husband, master sergeant Fulton, of Kalispell, Wendy Reiter and husband, Steve, of Black Diamond, Wash., Carla Hayek and husband, Lonnie, of Somers, and Heather Robbins and husband, Sam, of Helena. Norm enjoyed the company of a very special nephew, Steve Miller, of Billings; also 13 grandchildren, Beci Davenport (whom he raised as his own daughter), Tyler Miller, Darin Regnier, Tiffany Audette, Kyle and Katy Harland, Aimee and Jim Bob Williams, Heather Hayek, Kwyncee, Kennar and Kerstie Ward, and Aden Robbins; and seven great-grandchildren, yet-to-be-born Hailey, Cylus, Lindsay, Braylon, Kya, Tommy and Makenzie; also two brothers, Irvin Miller and Ken Miller, both of Kalispell; and one sister, Sylvia Evans, of Newport, Wash.; and countless other relatives and friends.

"No greater honor can be bestowed on a man's life than to be known simply as a good man."

A celebration of life for Norman will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, April 17, at Stillwater Grange, 1810 W. Reserve, in Kalispell. A visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, April 15, at Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home.

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