Louis Warren Webster, 74

Louis Warren Webster, 74, died in Kalispell on Dec. 17, 2012, of natural causes, with his family at his side.

 Born on Aug. 29, 1938, in Astoria, Ore., to Warren L. Webster and Eleanor Jasperson, he attended Ilwaco High School in Ilwaco, Wash., and graduated in 1956.

Louis enlisted in the United States Navy and served until 1959 as an aviation machinist mate. After serving in the Navy he met Geneva Manicke at a dance in Seattle. On Sept. 2, 1960, he married Geneva and they lived in Seattle for five years while he worked at Boeing. Louis and Geneva then moved to Geneva’s hometown of Whitefish.

Louis worked on the extra board for the Whitefish Police Department until he was hired full time. He eventually attained the rank of Chief of Police. Louis took the time to sit on the curb and talk to a young man who was headed for jail. The mother was so appreciative when her son later joined the Navy.  Another time he got down on his hands and knees and took a vacuum cleaner apart to release a child’s hair. Once he climbed into a second story window to get a woman’s house key and let her into her own house.

One night, Louis woke Geneva up and said there was a hostage situation. He left the house in civvies, and when he came back he said that it was a Vietnam veteran who was holding the police at bay with a bow and arrow. When the man saw Louis he said it was about time he saw a policeman he knew and said, “Hi, Louie, how you doing?”  Louis took the honored veteran home. Maybe these comments will help the anguish of Louis’ children and wife.

“May the grace of God lift us above this.”

 During these years, Louis was supporting a growing family and also worked several jobs in addition to being a police officer. He worked as a driver for Rocky Mountain Transportation, started a snowmobile shop for a few years, and worked as a tow truck driver.

Louis eventually retired from police work in 1987. After retiring from the Whitefish Police Department, Louis worked as a truck driver. He drove a chip truck for Owens and Bray for several years. He then became a long haul driver for Walmart for two years. Louis returned to help Geneva run a taxi business that she had started, Great Northern Taxi, until retiring in 2003. Louis worked very hard, along with his wife Geneva, to support their family of six children.

 Through all the years of hard work, Louis made time to spend with his family. He taught his children to hunt, to fish and to love the outdoors. Many summer days on the lakes will be remembered boating and fishing, camping at Beaver Lake and Lake Koocanusa, huckleberry picking in Louis and Geneva’s secret locations, and going to get firewood and shaggy manes in the fall. Louis was happy cooking for everyone while hunting at the Duff’s cabin in the North Fork and snowmobiling in the wintertime.

Louis will be especially remembered for his smile and sense of humor. Louis’ grandchildren were the light of his life and he was proud of the large family that surrounded him.

 Survivors include his wife, Geneva; son, Loren Webster, and Julie, of Mesa, Ariz.; son, Kenneth Webster, and Lori, of Marion; daughter, Kathryn King, and Aric, of Whitefish; son, Milton Webster, and Gail, of Whitefish; daughter, Karen Webster, and Jason, of Whitefish; daughter, Peggy Hertlein, and Josh, of Whitefish; grandchildren, Jade Webster, JoDee Webster, Joshua King, Jesse King, Myra Webster, Shayla Schuhriemen, Kai Schuhriemen, Natalie Hertlein and Devin Copeland; and sister, Mary Tollenaar.

Louis was preceded in death by his parents, Warren Webster and Eleanor Webster; and his grandchild, James Louis Webster.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Dec. 22 at Austin Funeral Home in Whitefish. Relatives and friends are welcome at the VFW in Whitefish after the services.

You are invited to go to www.austinfh.com to offer condolences, share memories and view Louis’s tribute wall.

Arrangements are entrusted to Austin Funeral Home.