Marian Janet White, 76

Marian Janet White, 76, of Kalispell, passed away surrounded by her family at home on Thursday, April 7, 2011, following a battle with pancreatic cancer. 

Marian was born Oct. 8, 1934, to Ann and Dan Kozeliski in Roundup. She graduated from Roundup High School and began her lifelong career as a bookkeeper, following study at Billings Business College.

While working in Roundup, she met and married her best friend and love of her life, Chuck White. They were married Oct. 30, 1954, in Roundup, and ranched in the Bull Mountains south of Musselshell where their four children were born.

Marian and Chuck later left close friends and Musselshell behind, moving their family to a ranch in Pleasant Valley, west of Kalispell in 1967. In order to provide their children improved access to school and activities, they purchased a home in Kalispell, where Marian enjoyed a brief period as a town girl, until they moved into the ranch home she designed in West Valley, along the Stillwater River in 1972. During this period, in addition to managing the ranch books, Marian resumed her career as bookkeeper and office manager for several businesses, including Lillienthal Insulation, Kalispell Feed & Grain, LHC and Mattelich Construction.

Montana winters gave way to Arizona sunshine at their winter home in Chandler in 1995, where Marian and Chuck spent 15 glorious winters.

Her loves and passions included her family, gatherings with friends, music, dancing, reading, art, decorating, travel and gardening. She had a passion for history, especially for her Slovenian and Croatian heritage.

Marian is survived by her husband of 56 years; her four children, Lindy and Jerry Anderson, Barb and Steve Graham, Ken and Gwen White, and Bob and Laura White. She was a loving grandmother to seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Madelyn Turley, of Virginia; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

A celebration honoring a life well lived will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 16, at Northridge Lutheran Church, 323 Northridge Drive in Kalispell, followed by a lunch reception.

The family requests, in lieu of flowers, memorials to Northridge Lutheran Church or Samaritan House of Kalispell.

Friends are encouraged to visit the website, www.buffalohillfh.com, to leave notes of condolence for the family. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.