Kathleen Cecilia (Nelson) Galle, 69
Kathleen Cecilia (Nelson) Galle was 69 years old. She died unexpectedly, yet peacefully, at one of her favorite places, Bitterroot Lake, on Nov 6, 2021, of what we believe to be a heart attack.
Kathy was born June 14, 1952, in Kellogg, Idaho, to Wallace and Esther Nelson. She was the baby girl to her two older brothers. Kathy grew up in Lost Creek, outside of Anaconda, and then Anaconda. She went to high school in Anaconda where she met Joe Galle, her high school sweetheart. Kathy was a beautiful woman with a smile that lit up any room. Kathy and Joe were married in Anaconda in 1970 shortly after graduation. They began their lives there together where Kathy worked at Woolworth for a short time and then went on to become the clothing buyer for Don’s Sporting Center for many years. After the smelter closed down, Kathy went to school at Butte Vo-Tech to become a licensed practical nurse, all while raising three busy children.
After nursing school, in 1985 Kathy got a job in Kalispell at Kalispell Regional Hospital. The family relocated to Kalispell where Kathy also worked at the Montana Veterans Home, Pathways, and Westmont Home Health. In 1997, Kathy and Joe moved back to Anaconda for 10 years where Kathy ran Westmont Home Health in Butte. In 2007, they moved back to Kalispell to be closer to her children and worked for Flathead County Home Health where she retired in 2018.
Kathy enjoyed the outdoors. She loved snow skiing, snowmobiling, boating, waterskiing, four-wheeling in the mountains and camping with friends and family. What she enjoyed most was attending all of her children and grandchildren’s many sporting activities and cheering loudly. She was an ever present grandmother and mother and will be greatly missed.
Kathy is survived by her husband Joe of 51 years, six days. She is also survived by her three children, Kari and Brad Elliott of Marion, Craig and Anna Galle of Wahoo, Nebraska, and Dan and Kelly Galle of Kalispell. She will be very missed by eight grandchildren, Brady and Casey Peiffer, Rylee, Grayson, Trevor, Brooks, Eva and Mia Galle.
She was preceded in death by her mother Esther, father Wallace, brothers Kenneth and Delbert Nelson, and son-in law Scott Peiffer.
A celebration of life will be on Friday, Nov. 12, at 11 a.m. at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, if you feel like doing something special in Kathy’s honor, please make a donation to Kidsports Playing Fields in Kalispell where she enjoyed many wonderful memories with her family.
Friends are encouraged to visit the website www.buffalohillfh.com to leave notes of condolence for the family. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the family.