Ida May (Fisher) Gehring, 86

Ida May (Fisher) Gehring, 86, passed away Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010, at her home in Libby. Ida was born May 14, 1924, in Kalispell, at the home of her Aunt Rose. The family lived in Columbia Falls but because her brothers and sisters had whooping cough at the time, her mother went to Kalispell for the birth. Her parents were Henry and Mabel Fisher. She was raised in Columbia Falls until age 16, at which time the family moved to Kalispell where she attended high school. During her junior year in high school, she met her future husband, Lee Gehring. After high school the two eloped to Grants Pass, Ore., where they made their home for the next year. Their first child, Jack, was born while they were living in Oregon. The three of them returned to Kalispell when Lee was drafted into the U.S. Army, and Ida and Jack stayed there for the three years while Lee was in the service. Their son Ed was born in Kalispell. When Lee was discharged, they stayed in Kalispell for a year, during which time daughter Phyllis joined the family. They moved to Libby in 1948, and Lee went to work for J. Neils Lumber Co. as a dry kiln operator. They had two more children, Rod and Chris. Ida, known as Ike to her many friends, liked gardening and flowers. She enjoyed going to the Libby baseball fields where her sons and her husband were very active in Little League, Babe Ruth and Legion baseball programs. Her three sons kept her busy attending their track, football and basketball games. Games were always a family affair as Ike, Phyllis and Chris helped with concessions, selling tickets, keeping score, etc. Ike was a member of St. John Lutheran Church for more than 50 years; a member of American Legion Auxiliary, where she held every office local and district; a member of the Business Women s Club; a member of the Cabinet View Country Club, where she was an active golfer and worked in the clubhouse for 15 years; a member of the Red Cross; and bowled for many years on the Sunday night mixed league. Following Lee s retirement in 1987, they liked to travel and spent time each winter in Visalia, Calif. Ike is survived by her four children, Ed and Judy Gehring of Palouse, Wash., Phyllis and Milo Haugen of Libby, Rod and Vicki Gehring of Post Falls, Idaho, and Chris and Mark Daggett of Libby; her daughter-in-law Sharelle Gehring of Harlowton; and nine grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. Ike was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Lee Gehring; her parents, Henry and Mabel Fisher; her sisters, Margaret Miller, Elsie Williams and Helen Fisher; her brothers, Otto Bus Fisher, Fred Fisher, Phillip Fisher, Henry Hank Fisher and Harry Fisher; her son Jack; and great-grandson Cedric Reid. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2, at St. John Lutheran Church, 1017 Montana Ave., Libby. Visitation will be held from 1 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, at Schnackenberg & Nelson Funeral Home, 422 W. Second St., Libby. Arrangements are by Schnackenberg & Nelson Funeral Home of Libby and Eureka.