Bernice Moen Gochanour, 92

Bernice Nora Moen Gochanour “went home to be with the Lord” on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, with family at her side. She would have been 93 on Oct. 5.

Our mother was born in Rason, South Dakota, on Oct. 5, 1922, to Marta and Engebrecht Moen. She was the fifth of seven children, all born at the family home.

At the age of 5, her family moved to Velva, North Dakota. She graduated from Velva High School where she was active in the marching band, cheerleading, writing for the school newspaper, leadership, and many other activities. She went on to attend school and became the fastest typist in North Dakota!

 When World War II began, the family moved to Sacramento, California. It was there that Bernice met her future husband, Donald Gochanour in 1945, who was serving in the Armed Forces. Several years later they moved to Anaconda, Montana, where their seven fabulous children were born. In 1956, they moved to Columbia Falls.

Mother was very active at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, where she held many responsibilities. She saw to it that we all attended church weekly and were confirmed. She was also very active in the Women’s Democratic Association. She was an officer for many years and was named the Democratic Woman of the Year in 2005. She enjoyed working at every election, helping at all Democrat functions, and campaigning for her favorite candidates.

Mother’s greatest joy, though, was raising her children. She was a dedicated housewife and mother who took pleasure in sewing her children’s clothes, baking, gardening flowers, making Christmas ornaments for her grandchildren yearly, watching Griz basketball and football games, and cross-stitching. Mother was a tremendous cook and made sure dinner was served promptly at 5! Man, she knew how to stretch a buck to feed a family of 9. Then the real fun came, grandkids!

Mother is proceeded in death by her parents and six siblings, husband, Donald, and two sons, Don Jr. and Brett “Skip.”

She is survived by her children, Cynthia Deist of Kalispell, Alanna Evans and Dean of Spokane, Denis and Deb of Graham, Washington, Denise Dickinson and Dwayne and Gail Bennett and Jeff of Spokane. Her grandchildren were bright stars in her life: Donnie Gochanour and Kory Hammond of the Seattle area, Courtney Westphal and Aaron and Lacy Schneider and Jim of Kalispell, Jayson Perrine of Spokane, and Amber Buck of Missoula, Tarah Dau and Kjersti Collins of Spokane and Kari Anna Evans, of Alaska, Kimberly Gochanour, of Graham, and Bradley Dickinson of Spokane, and 13 great-grandchildren.

A celebration of Mother’s life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Kalispell. A reception will follow at the church.