Couple's bodies found after fire destroys their home

Ted Hardgrove could be spotted on Thursdays peddling his invention, the haywire klamper, at the Farmer’s Market in Libby. His wife, Swanie Hardgrove, was equally as handy — she baked delicious recipes and had mastered the art of tatting, a form of lace-making.

Their family reflected on those memories Monday as they crafted obituaries for Ted and Swanie, each 81, whose bodies were found in the ruins of their home after it went up in flames Saturday.

The residence on Bobtail Road north of Libby already was engulfed in flames when neighbors reported it at 11:14 a.m. The fire’s cause and point of origin have not been determined, Capt. Roby Bowe of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said on Monday.

One victim’s body was recovered Saturday, he said, and the other was not located until Sunday. The remains were sent to the Montana State Crime Lab in Missoula to determine causes of death. 

The investigation is being conducted by the Sheriff’s Office and Montana State Fire Marshal’s Office.

The Hardgroves’ neighbor, Mike Murchie, was one of the first people to discover the fire. He saw a plume of smoke from his window, but because it was more than 200 yards away, he didn’t realize at first what he was seeing.

“I had seen a small wisp of cloud out in front,” he said. “I didn’t pay much attention. At first I thought it was fog.”

Murchie stepped on his front porch about 10 minutes later and heard the loud crackling and popping sounds of the fire. When he walked closer to the fence line to investigate, he saw the flames.

“I headed to their house in a dead run,” he said. “I saw their car was there and started hollering for them. I couldn’t get close because the heat was intense.”

Murchie ran to his house, told his wife to call 911 and then headed back.

“I went back to the house again to see if I could assist in any way but by that time it was totally engulfed,” he said. “The heat was too much, you couldn’t get near it.”

Libby Volunteer Fire Department extinguished the intense fire. One engine and two tenders along with 20 firefighters worked on the fire for 4 1/2 hours.

The U.S. Forest Service, Libby Volunteer Ambulance and Flathead Electric also were involved in the operation.

Murchie said that Ted and Swanie Hardgrove had been good neighbors in the 15 years that he has owned the property near them. He first met them after moving to town more than 20 years ago when the couple operated a bed and breakfast.

Ted Hardgrove volunteered weekly at the Heritage Museum and enjoyed attending his great-granddaughter’s school events, family said. Swanie Hardgrove loved to garden but had become less active because of declining health.