Juanita Ordish Painter, 97

Our dear little auntie, Juanita Ordish Painter, danced into the presence of her Lord and Savior and those of the family waiting for her to join them in Heaven on May 7, 2010. She passed away from natural causes at Alamitos West Convalescent Center in Los Alamitos, Calif. She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles E. and Lillie May Ordish; two husbands, Clifford Cole and Harold Painter; a sister, Dixie Ordish Wilcox; and a brother, Robert Charles Ordish; several very dear friends and much-loved pets. She was born on Jan. 30, 1913, in Kalispell, the first-born child of pioneering parents, Charles Edward and LIllie May (Flagg) Ordish. All of her childhood and early adulthood was spent here in this beautiful valley that she loved so much. She attended Elrod Elementary, Central Junior High and graduated from Flathead County High School in 1931. She met and married Clifford Cole who was the son of traveling evangelists who were staying at the home of her life-long friends, Lester and Barbara Shryock. He was smitten when he saw her photo on their piano, and said, I m going to marry her one day, and he did! Unfortunately, after the marriage he became very ill and succumbed to influenza. Later, she attended beauty college in southern California, graduating with an operator s license. She met and married Harold Painter, a medical offices accountant in Compton, Calif. She was a secretary for City Maintenance Co. for 29 years and volunteered with Meals on Wheels and Los Alamitos Medical Center. They remained happily married until his death from a brain tumor in December 1979. She and Uncle Harold were active in the Shrine organization and she was in Eastern Star. They were also very involved in the Rose Parade activities, sponsoring several queen and princess candidates. Lord only knows, they never missed a Rose Bowl game! Our dear little auntie was a beautiful, generous lady; small in stature but so large in heart and spirit. She loved her Lord Jesus with all her heart and served Him and others all her life. She was an earthly mother and grandmother to those of us whose mothers and grandmothers were already in Heaven. She had many dear and close friends whom she loved very much, three of whom remained very close all of their lives. She was the last of the four to leave this world for a better one. She loved and cherished her family, her beloved pets; the last of whom was a little white poodle named Touche. A large part of her heart was still here in the Flathead Valley and she came home as often as possible. Her spiritual life was never neglected. They attended First Christian Church in Compton. After moving to Cypress, Calif., they attended New Life Church and in later years she attended Sea Coast Grace Church in Cypress. Those of us left to miss her earthly presence but rejoice in her home-going and to keep on keeping on are nephews, Gary Ordish and wife, Patti, of Dillon, and their children, Zachary of Las Vegas, and R.C. Ordish and wife Jeanette and children, Cassidy, Marshall and Kennedy, of El Paso, Texas; Terry Ordish and wife Martha of Wilkes Barre, Pa., and children, Michelle Quartieri and her son Nicholas of New Mexico, and Cricket Sparks and husband Alan and children, Jordan and Kylee, of Kalispell; niece, Jaqueline Jackie Rae James, of Kalispell, and her daughters, Holly Rae Howard of North Charleston, S.C., and Roxanne Rae and husband Dr. Norman Haueisen of Mechanicsburg, Pa., and their children, Erik and Alyona; and very dear friends, Dick and Margaret Snavely. Cremation has taken place and she was interred at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Wittier, Calif. At her request, no services will be held.