Kathleen Meagher, 101

Kathleen Meagher died peacefully June 2, 2018. She was 101 years old.

She was born Kathleen A. Conlon on Nov. 18, 1916, in Eckelson, North Dakota, the fifth of eight children. Kay moved to Montana to attend college in Bozeman where she graduated with a degree in home economics.

Kay lived in Montana the rest of her life. She taught home economics and married a Montanan, Kenneth Meagher, in 1949. Kay and Ken lived in Libby and Havre before settling in Kalispell where she worked many years for Kalispell Feed and Grain.

The depth of Kay’s knowledge of the Flathead Lake area came from years of camping and fishing and exploring with Ken. From watching the construction of the Hungry

Horse Dam to the growth of the Flathead Valley, Kay was a witness to many changes.

After moving to Columbia Falls, Kay volunteered many hours to the Klothes Kloset, the Montana State Veterans Home and St. Richard’s parish where she was a sacristan and anonymous donor of the church’s beautiful piano.

Kay was a wonderful cook and generous with her recipes and she was known for her jams and jellies made from wild berries and local produce. She finally stopped making jams well into her 90s when the canner finally got too heavy to lift.

Kay was a fiercely independent woman who lived and died by her terms. She had a large, loyal and loving network of friends in Columbia Falls and Kalispell who helped her accomplish this. She will be missed.

Kay is survived by her sister Eileen (100 years old) and 18 nieces and nephews and their children.

A memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 12, at St. Richard’s Catholic Church in Columbia Falls.

Columbia Mortuary is caring for the family.