Anita J. McDonald, 67

Anita J. McDonald of Eureka passed away on June 5, 2018, at the age of 67.

Anita was born in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Sept. 30, 1950. Anita’s favorite place was her grandparents’ home on the rim rock in Idaho. Anita went to school in Spirit Lake Idaho and Eureka, Montana.

Anita married her best friend and love of her life, Leo McDonald, Aug. 2, 1971. The marriage bonded together with their family of four including Anita’s daughters, from a previous marriage. When they were settled into their daily routine, they decided to add another child to complete the zoo animals they proudly called, the McDonald girls.

Anita believed there was no job she and her family couldn’t do, including logging, haying, bookkeeping, wallpapering, gardening, housekeeping, cooking and volunteering. Often, she talked her family and friends into helping with most tasks, eventually turning into charades of laughter, tears and shenanigans. Precarious ladders with strips of wallpaper, plungers and basements, tipped hay bales, road trips, and sewing forays are among the many stories remembered fondly by friends and family.

Anita loved to create with stained glass, ceramics, cook, sew, camp, hunt and fish. She was lucky enough to receive not one, but two moose tags for the Big Hole Valley. Annual trips to Dillon were often crowded with grandchildren, family and friends.

Anita stood proudly at barely five feet tall, but as her girls grew, her size was often a disadvantage.

Requests to go places, especially spontaneous requests for ice cream trips would end up with her daughters not taking no for an answer. But alas, by the time we got her dressed, combed her hair, and put her purse on her arm, placed her in the driver’s seat of her car and carefully seat belted her in, she had chosen to drive rather than have any of her unlicensed daughters.

Anita will be sadly missed by her husband, Leo McDonald; her daughters and their spouses, Susan and Tim Temple of Eureka, Charie and Floyd Carvey of Libby, and Diane and Steve Warren of Missoula.

Her greatest treasures in life were her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her grandchildren are Colter Dickinson, Jacob Dickinson and Kelsey Edwards, Timothy Carvey, Emily Carvey, Danika Schiele and Jared Incoronato, Lacey Schiele, Trenton Tempel, Kaden Tempel, Hannah Kincheloe, Tyler Warren and Brett Campbell, Zachary and Stephanie Kincheloe, Amanda Warren and Madalyn Warren. Her great-grandchildren are Zoe Schiele, Kyla Dickinson, Carter Campbell, Addison Campbell and Cole Incoronato.

Her family includes brothers Alan and Randy Dalby, and a sister AuraLee Davis, aunt, Arlene Galovic, and uncle, Bill Moore; and many numerous nieces, nephews, family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her beloved son, granddaughters and mother; Leo Allan Jr., baby girl Schiele, Danika Marie Schiele, and Susan Elizabeth Schiele, and Mary Holly, Sister Shirley Dalby, and grandparents George and Margaret Moore.

The service will be held at 1 p.m. June 12 at the Lutheran Church in Creston, Montana, 5447 Montana 35, Kalispell.