Doris Norine Sjordal Seel, 99

Doris Norine Sjordal Seel was born in Kremlin, Montana, on April 24, 1916, to May and Odin Sjordal. She departed this life peacefully and well-loved Monday, Jan. 25, 2016.

Doris attended grade school in Kremlin and graduated from Havre High School.

She married William F. Seel in 1936. He preceded her in death in 1982, as did a son, John, in 1989 and a granddaughter, Valerie Van Koten, in 1976.

She was a member of First Lutheran Church in Havre until 1974 and a member of Atonement Lutheran in Missoula since then. She was a member of OES No. 30 of Havre, as well as Women’s Club of Missoula.

She is survived by four daughters and their husbands, Barbara and Jack Van Koten of Havre, Joyce and Gary Blazek of Spokane, Judy and Wayne Mathis of White Sulphur Springs, and Carol and Terry Egeland of Missoula. Two sons and their wives also survive her, Bill and Mary Jo Seel, of Bigfork, and Jim and Peggy Seel, of Missoula.

Grandchildren are Melanie andJoe Eve, Stephanie and Brent Hinger, Lynn and Shawn Bubb, Mike and Anne Seel, Carla Blazek, Bob Blazek, Greg Kiedrowski, Mark and Shannon Kiedrowski, Erin and Jeff Fuller, Ross Egeland and Lindsey and Curt Bell.

Doris was loving great-grandmother to 16 great-grandchildren with another on the way.

A devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she was happiest when surrounded by family. She enjoyed the school, athletic and social events of her children and later, her grandchildren, and she loved the Griz. She taught, by example, the value of unconditional love as she took care of her husband Bill for many years. Family reunions and activities were important to her. She would surprise everyone with outlandish costumes. She loved to cook, bake and entertain. Maple sticks, apple pie, apple dumplings, banana bread and cookies were all her specialties. Doris especially loved holidays and decorating her home. She adored music, flowers, reading and traveling. Always surrounded by a vibrant group of friends, Doris supported everyone she knew. Even on short bus rides across Montana, she would make lifelong friends. She played bridge into her 90s – and she won. She loved classy clothes and wore high heels daily – until we hid them from her for her safety. She was active in the Lutheran church all of her life.

Doris loved Montana, the mountains and especially the cabin on Swan River. Even before there was indoor plumbing, a phone or TV, she spent summers there with her children. Her kids ate trout and pancakes for breakfast, swam in the river, climbed to the tops of trees, ate lunch in the tree house, explored the woods, and played outside after dark. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren continue these traditions that have endured for more than 70 years on the Swan.

She loved life and faced triumphs and calamities with a quiet strength. Her sense of humor lives on as we remember her hysterical one-liners. Our memories will keep her in our hearts forever. We are all blessed to have known and loved her.

The family would like to send a special thank you to the staff at Edgewood Vista who took care of Doris compassionately and lovingly for the past six years.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 31, at Atonement Lutheran Church in Missoula. Burial will take place in Havre.