Margaret ‘Dottie’ Feist, 92
Margaret “Dottie” Feist, 92, passed away April 26, 2020, peacefully with her sons by her side.
She will be laid to rest next to her husband Irvin Feist, her parents James J. and Margaret M. Byrne, and sister Francis Poole at Fairview Cemetery in Creston.
Dottie came from humble but proud Irish roots and grew up with her sister and brother on the family farm in Montana’s Flathead Valley. Aunts, uncles and a large group of tight-knit cousins gathered often at the farm for celebrations, fun and laughter. The farm and the cousins formed a wonderful family core that expanded over the years as spouses and children joined the mix.
Dottie enjoyed the outdoors and was a hard worker, preferring outdoor work over traditional housework, though there was plenty of both on the farm. She milked cows and rode a horse with her brother to a one-room school for grades one through eight. Her autograph book is filled with friendly and amusing poems written by her school chums from those days. She loved animals, especially the whitetail deer that live to this day in “the woods” on the farm.
Dottie graduated in 1946 from Flathead County High School where she was a reporter and editor for the school newspaper. She completed training at Sacred Heart School of Nursing in 1949 and became an instructor and administrator at the nursing school. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education from Gonzaga University in 1952 and her master’s in education - counseling and guidance from Gonzaga in 1974, while working and raising her family. She capped off her working career as a nursing care consultant for the Washington State Department of Health and Human Services.
Dottie met her beloved husband Irvin while they were both at Gonzaga, and they were married at St. Aloysius Catholic Church shortly after graduation. They settled in Spokane and raised four children, threw wonderful bridge club parties and hosted huge holiday family gatherings. She organized countless family camping outings and was a dedicated daughter that made frequent trips “home” to help on the farm and later care for her parents. Dottie was ahead of her time in the 1960s and ’70s, with advanced degrees and a challenging professional career.
After Irvin’s passing in 1985, Dottie left Spokane to return to her roots in Montana. She built a home in the woods on the family property. She earned her Forest Stewardship Certification from Montana State University Extension and wisely managed her forest with selective lumber harvesting that has preserved the forest as a beautiful home for the deer she loved.
Dottie was a lifelong learner and traveler. Her favorite overseas excursions were with her cousins to the homeland in Ireland. She also traveled solo in her truck and RV through the American West, often visiting her precious grandchildren and wintering in Arizona for many years.
Dottie gave generously to many charities, and she was recently recognized by Gonzaga University for “50 years of giving.” She was a Gonzaga Bulldogs basketball fan long before their Cinderella streak began 20 years ago. Her sons will sorely miss joining her to watch the games, but take comfort that she’s reunited with Irvin and imagine them cheering for Gonzaga together in heaven.
Dottie is survived by her brother, William K. Byrne of Bozeman; sons, Kevin (Liz Kehr) Feist; Greg (Deb) Feist; Sam (Andrea) Feist; and daughter Christine Feist. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, two great-grandsons and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Gonzaga University.
