Barbara Joan Singer, 80

Our beloved mother Barbara Joan Singer passed away in the arms of family from a rare cancer on Sunday, March 2, 2014, in Mesa, Ariz.

Joan was born in Denver on March 29, 1933, to Carl and Beulah Shelby. She graduated from Cut Bank High School and Montana State University-Northern in Havre with a degree in education. She married Dale J. Singer in 1953. They spent 10 years in Havre before moving to Missoula where Joan taught at Clinton.

Joan was a member of the Orchard Homes Women’s Club and the First Presbyterian Church. In 1973, Dale and Joan moved to Bigfork and built a home on the Swan Highway. They went on to found the first newspaper in the area, “The Bigfork Eagle,” and Gateway Nursery, where everyone in the community loved to purchase their tomato plants as well as many of their flower varieties. Joan was active in Eastern Star and the Swan River Extension Homemakers Club in Bigfork.

In 2007, Joan and Dale sold their beautiful Swan home and moved to the Hamilton area. Joan loved being a member of the Grantsdale Ladies Aid, Presbyterian Women’s Association and choir. For the past several years, Joan wintered in Mesa at The Resort. She sang in the choir, acted in theater and designed gourds. She was a wonderful mother and the picture of grace right up to the moment she took her last breath.

Joan is survived by daughters, Melodee and Doug Burreson of Missoula, and Heidi Stiff of Mesa; son, John and Sheri Singer of Billings; brother, Jim and Sandy Shelby of Washington; sister, Marlene and Floyd Hooley of Missouri; 16 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren and one on the way.

A memorial was held in Mesa on March 8. On June 28, a second memorial will be held in Hamilton at the First Presbyterian Church. Memorial contributions in her name may be made to Marcus Daly Hospice Services, 1200 Westwood Dr., Hamilton, MT 59840.