Archie Bon Kirkland, 94

Archie Bon Kirkland, 94, of Kalispell, passed away Sept. 21, 2015, in Kalispell.

He was born Oct. 8, 1920, in Sidney to Archie and Phoebe (Lester) Kirkland. Archie moved to Kalispell, the Lower Valley, in 1928, and served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945, seeing duty in North Africa as well as Italy.

He worked in the woods and Somers Lumber Company for several years and met the love of his life, Shirley Wilson, of Kalispell in 1945. They were married in 1947.

Archie also served as a fire fighter for the city of Kalispell from 1951 to 1965, and retired from the department. From 1964 to 1999, he became the owner/operator of Kirkland school buses. He also drove for the U.S. Forest Service.

Archie was a member of the Somers Saddle Club, Eagles, Bus Drivers Association, as well as the Retired Firemen Association.

He enjoyed horses, vacations in the back country, fishing, hunting, boating, camping, potluck dinners, flying airplanes, and trips to Alaska to visit his brother Clifford and friends.

Archie was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley; parents; six brothers, Clarence, Lawrence, Tom, John “Bud,” LaVern and Clifford; and one sister, Margart Troxel.

Archie is survived by his two daughters, Karol Kirkland Haupt, of Kalispell, and Karen Kirkland Ivers and husband Jerry, of Conrad and Fort Mohave, Arizona; grandchildren, Theron Haupt, Frances Ivers, Rhonda Miller, Malcolm Ivers and Brenda Ivers; as well as several great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

An urnside service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, at C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery, with a memorial service to be held following the urnside service at Calvary Lutheran Church at 1 p.m. A luncheon will follow at the church. Honors will be provided by United Veterans of Flathead Valley.

Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for the Kirkland family.