Muriel Pridgeon, 90

Muriel Pridgeon, 90, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013, at Buffalo Hill Terrace in Kalispell, with family at her side.

 Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 3, at the American Lutheran Church in Chinook, with burial at Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements, and you can leave your memories and/or condolences for the family at www.hollandbonine.com.

  Muriel Fern Klotzbuecher was born on April 9, 1923, to Leonard and Hazel Klotzbuecher on the family homestead, 25 miles north of Chinook with neighbor, Mrs. Pankratz attending the birth. She attended Norheim School for grades one to eight, and graduated from Chinook High School in 1941.

Muriel worked at Buttrey’s Foods and the Dime Store in Chinook, and taught one year at the New Hope School.

  On April 15, 1944, she married Clifford Pridgeon and they farmed northwest of Chinook and raised their seven daughters. Muriel loved her family, spending many hours cooking, baking, gardening and canning, always making sure her girls were able to participate in church, music, 4-H, Scouts and school activities. She enjoyed her neighbors and friends and was active in the Lohman Loyalites Club, American Lutheran Church Women, Frantic Yantic Garden Club, Birthday Club, Senior Center Kitchen Band and was a 4-H leader for over 50 years, attending many State and Western Regional 4-H Leader Forums. Her passion for helping youth kept her active in 4-H long after her own daughters were raised.

She was superintendent of the open exhibits at the Blaine County Fair and enjoyed entering exhibits herself in the Blaine and Hill County Fairs, the Harlem Seed Show and the Northwest Montana Fair. Her hobbies included counted cross stitch, embroidery, needlepoint, dancing (especially the polka), playing cards, learning to play the piano and violin and having fun dressing up for all holiday celebrations.   

  Preceding her in death was her husband, Clifford Pridgeon, in November 1991; parents, Leonard and Hazel Klotzbuecher; and sisters, Norma Brovold and Gladys Swenson.  

  Muriel is survived by daughters, Margaret and Richard Geffrey of Kent, Wash., Dotty and Steve Denney of Gold Beach, Ore., Peggy Pridgeon of Honolulu, Marcy and Ike Flaten of Moorhead, Minn., Viola and Alan Haverfield of Kalispell, Twila and Mike Pyette of Cut Bank, and Vivian and Jeff Wright of Springfield, Ore.; 10 grandchildren, Craig Geffrey, Nicole Geffrey, Mark Denney, Karen and Larry Christensen, Michael and Sarah Flaten, Michelle Flaten, Josh and Jenn Pyette, Cody Pyette, Emma Pyette and Amy Haverfield; two great-grandchildren, Jade Billey Denney and Dylan Christensen; sister, Donna Dobson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

  The family suggests memorials to the American Lutheran Church; Blaine County 4-H; Chinook Senior Center; Hospice; Immanuel Lutheran Communities, 185 Crestline Ave., Kalispell, MT 59901; or to a memorial of your choice.