Ferne Lewis Cohen, 86

Ferne Lewis Cohen passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009. Our beloved Ferne was born on Jan. 21, 1923, in Rochester, N.Y. Ferne was a treasured wife, mother and grandmother. She is survived by husband, Martin, of 64 years; son, Richard, of Whitefish; and son, Jeffrey, and wife, Renee, and grandchildren, Rivkah and Daniel, of California. Ferne graduated from Case Western University in Ohio and married Martin on June 7, 1945. Their first home together was in Santa Ana, Calif., where sons Jeffrey and Richard were born. While the boys were finishing high school, Ferne returned to Chapman College to obtain a master s degree in social work. She worked as an employment counselor for the State of California. From the start, the family was always outside, camping, skiing, hiking and enjoying the outdoors with their camper which was a life-long joy for Ferne. Traveling throughout our country and camping in our great national parks was a favorite. Her reverence for the environment led to her environmental activism which was no less important than her community activism. Ferne always nurtured her family s awareness of the environment and community. This awareness led her to a lifetime commitment of volunteer service. While living in southern California, she was active in Community Chest, American Association of University Woman and Sea & Sage Audubon Society. She continued her community service when moving to Whitefish in 1988, with Flathead Audubon, Glacier Orchestra, Citizens for a Better Flathead, Montana Society for the Blind, Temple Bet Harim and the Whitefish Library. She always had a welcoming smile to everyone she met and had a way of empowering others to see clearly and reach higher, whatever their goals might be. There will be a celebration of her life in January 2010.