Earl Milton Buckie Norris, 84

Earl Milton Buckie Norris, 84, passed away on Sunday, April 11, 2010, at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls. He was born at Lake Five in June of 1925 to Royal A. Norris and Effie M. Halberg. He was raised and schooled in Belton, until the family was displaced by the 1929 fire and moved to Kalispell. Earl loved the Lake Five area and returned as often as possible to fish the Middle Fork River, hunt the area and trap for extra income for his family. Buckie entered the U.S Navy in 1942 and was assigned to the USN Frigate Idaho and then later the USS Block Island, which was destroyed in the South Pacific. He then transferred to the Ticonderoga which later was hit by three torpedoes and kamikazes. He was awarded one Bronze Star and three Silver Stars. After serving his country from 1942 to 1945 Buckie returned to the Flathead Valley and worked in the logging industry for a period of time. He then started working for Glen King as a meat cutter at King s Market on Main Street. In 1947 Buckie worked for Don Peterson and Jesse Eayrs at the original Meats Supply on Second Street West in Kalispell. Later on, he joined Don Rasmussen and started the eastside Superette on 10th Street and Fourth Avenue East. Upon selling the Superette he went to work for F.H. Stoltze as a plainer set-up foreman. Due to a mill accident he left there and went to Evergreen School District and later with Jesse Eayrs at Meats Supply at 601 Washington. Buckie was married to Betty L. Bosley for over 33 years. She currently resides in Portland. He later met and married Gloria Garvin and then moved to Tampa, Fla., to enjoy retirement. After Gloria s death he moved back to Kalispell in March of 2006 where he lived with his son until March of 2009, when he moved to the veterans hospital in Columbia Falls, where he died April 11, 2010. Buckie was active in the Evergreen Lions Club, Moose Lodge in Kalispell and Tampa, and Boy Scouts Troop 48 in Evergreen (in his earlier years here). Buckie was preceded in death by his parents, Royal and Effie Norris; infant daughter, Danna; brothers, Clifford, who died in the Korean War, William and Harold; sisters, Mildred and Dorothy Birky; wife, Gloria; and special friend, Lee Taylor. He is survived by his sister, Verna Landon; and brothers, Ray Norris of Kalispell and Albert Norris of Colorado; daughters, Linda Corrigan of Portland, Janice Vachal and husband, Dan, of Somers, and Jeri Truckner and husband, Dave, of North Dakota; and son, William Norris, and wife, Sandy, of Kalispell. He also has 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Buckie will be buried at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 16, at Fairview Cemetery. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. in Kalispell at the Bible Baptist Church on Highway 2 north of Reserve Drive with Pastor Nathan Bemis officiating. Johnson-Gloschat funeral home is caring for Buckie s family. You are invited to go to www.jgfuneralhome.com to offer condolences and view Buckie s tribute wall.