Shelley (Vanisko) Harland, 58

Shelley Harland passed away on April 17, 2014, in Kalispell.

Shelley was born in Anaconda to Victor and Gloria Jean (Nadeau) Vanisko, on Jan. 3, 1956. Along with her older sister, Marcia, she grew up in Anaconda surrounded by many aunts, uncles and cousins, and graduated from Anaconda High School in 1974.

After graduating, she went to work for the Anaconda Company delivering mail between the mine in Butte and the smelter in Anaconda. In the summer of 1978, she transferred to the Anaconda Company aluminum plant in Columbia Falls to work as a respirator technician. It was there that she met her future husband, Kevin “Happy” Harland. They were married in Kalispell on Aug. 1, 1981, and were blessed with their son, Chase, on Nov. 4, 1983.

For the next 10 years, Shelley was a devoted stay-at-home mother, homemaker and wife, before going to work at the Daily Inter Lake as an advertising representative. She was retired at the time of her death.

During the early years of her marriage, Shelley acquired the same passion for golf as Happy, and for the last 20 years she was a member of the Women's League at Buffalo Hills Golf Course in Kalispell. Not surprisingly, Chase became an avid golfer as well, and after he left home to attend college at Arizona State University, annual trips to Phoenix golf courses became regular spring break events.

Shelley loved music and singing and dancing. She loved Christmas and every year spent hours transforming her house into a decorated wonderland of lights and cheer. She loved her cats, Quigley and Luigi. But most of all she loved and supported her family with all her heart. She will be so missed.

Shelley was preceded in death by her parents.

She is survived by her husband, Happy, of Kalispell; her son, Chase, of Glendale, Ariz.; her sister, Marcia Hammon and brother-in-law, Marvin, of Kalispell; her nephew, Ryan Hammon, his wife Rebecca and their child, Paige, of Denver; and many close cousins and friends.

A celebration of her life will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 3 at Buffalo Hills Golf Course in Kalispell.