Genevieve M. Thompson, 96

Genevieve M. Thompson, a longtime resident of West Glacier, passed away Monday, July 5, 2010, at her recent residence, The Springs at Whitefish. Genevieve, a Montana native, was born June 27, 1914, in Lothair, to Douglas and Gertrude Parker, second oldest in a family of eight children. She grew up in Sweetgrass and Shelby. She boarded and attended school at St. Matthew s in Kalispell. She also attended the Ursuline Academy in Great Falls and the Kinman Business School in Spokane. She worked for oil companies in Sunburst, and for her father at the Toole County State Bank in Shelby. Genevieve and David Thompson married in 1939. They moved to West Glacier in 1946 to develop a business partnership with the Lundgren families, in the ownership of the West Glacier Mercantile. She is survived by her brother, Jim Parker, of Shelby; four children, Tom, Carol, Richard Thompson, and Elaine Steele; 13 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. Her husband, David, died in 1983. Gen and Dave raised their family in West Glacier, enjoying Glacier National Park and the Flathead Valley. She sang in the choir and played the organ at St. Richard s Catholic Church. She loved music, skiing at Big Mountain, and traveling to special places, and was an avid bridge player. Her gracious hospitality led to delicious meals and picnics in her home, her backyard and on the shores of Lake McDonald. A vigil service will be held at 7 p.m. today, July 8, at the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls. A funeral Mass celebrating Genevieve s life will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, July 9, at St. Richard s Catholic Church in Columbia Falls. Burial will follow at St. Richard s Catholic Cemetery in Columbia Falls. Memorial donations may be made to Home Options Hospice in Kalispell, or a charity of your choice.