Alan Gilham, 78

Alan Gilham, 78, passed away quietly on Wednesday, July 11, 2012, at his home in Martin City, with his family by his side.

He was born Nov. 10, 1933, in Browning, to Calvin and Elinor (Smith) Gilham, and was the second of six children. When Alan was 5, the family moved to a ranch between Browning and Cut Bank, where they lived until he was 9, when they moved to Spokane for a short time during the Second World War.

After the war, they moved back to the ranch and were there for several more years. He loved the ranch and always said his happiest memories were playing with his cousins and riding his horse, Big Enough Shorty. He attended schools in Seville, Browning, Hot Springs and Spokane.

In 1951, he joined the Air Force and served during the Korean conflict, leaving the service with an honorable discharge in 1953. For most of his time in the service, he was stationed in Goose Bay, Labrador, and Thule, Greenland.

While he was stationed in Minneapolis in 1953, he met and married Angela “Penny” Krebsbach, and they had two daughters, Tonilynn and Gloria.

From 1953 to 1955, he worked for the Glacier Reporter in Browning as a Linotype operator, typesetter and proof reader; then in 1955, he went to work for the Park Service at Glacier National Park as a payroll supervisor.

In 1957 he and Penny divorced, and in 1958 he married Lois Baeth in Martin City, and they had three sons, Vernon, Gary and Doug, and a daughter, Rebecca.

From 1959 until 1987, he worked for Indian Health Service, working his way up from a supply clerk to hospital administrator/service unit director. During his time with IHS, he worked in Montana, Oregon, South Dakota and Arizona.

In 1987, after retiring from IHS, he and Lois moved back to Martin City, and he went to work for the Lundgren family at West Glacier, where he worked until 2001.

Alan is survived by his wife, Lois; and children, Tonilynn Gilham of Portland, Gloria Fuzi of Hermiston, Ore., Gary and Wanda Gilham of Kalispell, Doug and Debbie Gilham of Columbia Falls, and Rebecca Gilham of Hungry Horse; grandchildren, Shane and Jason Travis, Raymond and Matthew Dunn, John and Angela Fuzi, Nathanial, Clifford and Krystyn Gilham, Jye and Cathy McDowell, Jacob Harris, Gary and Brandon Curry, Skylur and Stephanie Gilham, Mariena Taylor, Michael and Melissa Matt, Christopher Gilham, Andrew Burd, and Brittney and Whisper Sellars; 25 great-grandchildren; sisters, Shirley and Jim Stirling of Mount Vernon, Wash., and Sharon Williams of Tooele, Utah; and a cousin, Robert Gilham, of Riverton, Utah, who lived with the family for several years.

He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Vernon Gilham; brothers, Mike and Dean Gilham; sister, Doris Meineke; and a grandson, Russell Gilham.

There will be visitation from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 19, at Columbia Mortuary. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, July 20, at Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls, with interment at Woodlawn Cemetery. There will be a reception following the interment at the Canyon Community Church Educational Building, 185 Coram School Lane, Coram.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Columbia Mortuary.

You are invited to go to www.columbiamortuary.com to offer condolences and view Alan’s tribute wall.