Raymond Elmer Montgomery, 82

Raymond Elmer Montgomery, 82, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at the Brendan House in Kalispell. He was born on May 8, 1927, in Mullen, Idaho, the son of Clarence Richard and Laura Ellen (Crystal) Montgomery. He grew up and attended schools in Sandpoint, Idaho. He started working in the woods with his dad at an early age. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943 and spent most of his service time in Italy until his discharge in 1948. He was able to learn the language very well. Following his discharge he returned home and went to work in the lumber mills. He enrolled in an auto mechanics course and became an excellent mechanic. On June 26, 1963, he married Joyce Jones in Plains. He loved to fish and was known to tell some pretty fine fish stories for recreation. Later in his life he enrolled in a photography school and enjoyed and took many beautiful photographs. He was even rewarded with a gold cup for a photo taken of a house built like a castle. He and Joyce raised her two youngest children and a grandson and granddaughter until grown. They had 45 joyful years of marriage. He is survived by his wife, Joyce Montgomery, of Kalispell; a daughter, Shirley Mitchell; a son, Allen Mitchell; and three stepchildren, Michael Steele of Monrovia, Calif., Emma Krauss of Juneau, Alaska, and Terry Steele of Kalispell. Funeral services for Raymond will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Whitefish Stage Road. Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5, at Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home. Burial will follow services at C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery with full military honors. Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Raymond s family. You are invited to go to www.jgfuneralhome.com to offer condolences and view Raymond s tribute wall.