Wayne Lapp, 81

On Thursday, March 18, 2010, Wayne Lapp, a lifetime Flathead Valley resident, passed away unexpectedly following a stroke early Tuesday morning, at the age of 81. He was born on July 18, 1928, to Lena (Kauffman) and Frank Lapp. He attended Deer Park and Columbia Falls Schools, and graduated from the Hesston Academy in 1948. Wayne served with the Mennonite Alternative (PAX) Service in Germany and Algeria from 1954 to 1956 in the reconstruction effort. On June 28, 1957, he married Mary Alice Eby of Drake, Saskatchewan, and they settled on a small acreage in Evergreen, where they raised their family of two sons and three daughters. Wayne worked briefly at Plum Creek before signing on with the Fuller Brush Co., as a door-to-door salesman in the Flathead Valley, which he continued doing until his death. Wayne was well-known by many valley residents simply as the Fuller Brush man. May of 2010 would have marked 50 years with the company. He and Mary had a large corn patch, a vegetable garden and fruit trees on their property. Many enjoyed the produce he sold at the Farmers Market and the honey from his bee hives. For many years, he also had some livestock (cows, pigs, and chickens) on the farm as well. Wayne became a member of the Mountain View Mennonite Church in Creston at the age of 12, and had been an active member since that time. An avid outdoorsman, Wayne greatly enjoyed fishing, hunting and camping with family and friends. Wayne will be remembered for his faith in God, his outgoing nature and his willingness to help whoever was in need. Survivors include his wife, Mary; his five children, Robert and Julie Lapp of Lake Oswego, Ore., Sandi and Dave Heine of Kalispell, Nancy and Kent Kanagy of Albuquerque, N.M., Julie Lapp of Everett, Wash., and John Lapp of Boulder; along with 11 grandchildren, Nick, Colton and Jordan Lapp, Loren, Tyler (Jeanne), Brad and Jenessa Heine, Will and Molly Kanagy, and Sean and Ben Porter; and three brothers, Jason Lapp of Lakeside, Edward Lapp of Kalispell, and Floyd Lapp of Molalla, Ore. Services will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, March 22, at the Mountain View Mennonite Church, preceded by the committal at 2 p.m. at the C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery. There will be a viewing from 3 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 21, at the Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home. Memorials can be given to Mennonite Central Committee, http://mcc.org, or to the Gideon ministry. Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Wayne s family. You are invited to go to www.jgfuneralhome.com to offer condolences and view Wayne s tribute wall.