Charles Eugene Plummer, 95

After a weekend surrounded by loved ones, on Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, handheld by his daughter Kim, and sleeping nearby his wife, Charles Eugene Plummer passed peacefully into eternity.

Chuck, as he was known to most, was born Sept. 5, 1926, in Missoula to Charles Plummer and Olive Price. The oldest of three, Chuck grew up on property along the Bitterroot River outside of Lolo, Montana, with his brother, Ted, and sister, Gail. His early years were spent adventuring with his siblings — hunting, fishing, camping, and raising animals. Growing up, Chuck and Ted worked together alongside their father, at different times harvesting ice from Plummer’s Slough behind their house, haying for the neighbor, or running telephone wire for the U.S. Forest Service. In 1944, at 17 years old, Chuck enlisted in the United States Navy, serving during World War II on the USS Rowan in both Hawaii and Japan. He turned 18 on the Gearing-class destroyer at sea in Japan, before returning home and being honorably discharged in June 1946.

Sometime after returning from the war, Chuck earned his high school diploma in Missoula and then began working at a meat shop in Stevensville called Livergood’s. As a budding meat cutter, he began to develop the craft that eventually became his lifelong career. Across the street was a diner named Smiley’s where he frequently went for lunch. In 1949, Chuck met Sylvia Fern Mitchell, a waitress, who was “prettier than a palomino in the moonlight” according to him.

Married on May 28, 1950, at a little church in Stevensville, Chuck and Sylvia began their 71-year marriage, marked by love, loss, family, hard work, and adventure. In July 1951 their firstborn, William “Bill” Russell was born in Missoula. The young family moved briefly to Helena, where Chuck worked at a grocery store meat counter, before moving to Kalispell where their second child, Patricia “Patty” Ann was born in July 1953 and Chuck worked on a crew building the Hungry Horse Dam. After moving to Bozeman to work for Montana Fish and Game at a fish hatchery, their third child, Sylvia “Kim” was born in December 1959. In 1960 the growing family moved back to Kalispell, where Chuck and Sylvia would purchase 40 acres of land along Church Slough, fed by the Flathead River, for their 10-year anniversary. Their fourth child, Wesley “Wes” Greg was born April 1962. For the next couple of years, Chuck worked at the nearby aluminum plant, before starting as a meat cutter at Sykes Market.

Falling closely behind their incredible marriage, raising four children and traveling the world, Chuck and Sylvia’s most notable achievement was opening Lower Valley Meat Processing in 1974 out of their three-car garage. As it grew into a premier meat processing plant, Chuck never really retired, greeting customers with his signature smile and heartfelt wave until November 2020, when he would be reunited with Sylvia at Lake View Care Center in Bigfork; well-loved and well cared for by the compassionate nurses and staff.

It should be noted that Chuck was a man of many talents. He and Sylvia maintained a large garden and orchard, as well as raised bees for honey. They enjoyed cooking and canning, sharing with anyone who would indulge their gifts. They were talented dancers and loved traveling, visiting all 50 states and 19 countries. Their favorite pastimes, camping and fishing, took them to Wrangell, Alaska, several times, as well as Lake Mary Ronan most summers of their marriage. More than anything, Chuck delighted in his family, never passing up the opportunity to share a bowl of ice cream or rum and coke together. He will be missed dearly, though his legacy of hard work and having fun remains.

Chuck was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Olive Plummer; brothers-in-law, Glen Derrickson, Larry Mitchell, Jim Mitchell and George Mainwaring; sister-in-law, Virginia Mitchell; children, Bill Plummer and Patty Perry.

He is survived by his wife, Sylvia; siblings, Ted (Joyce) Plummer and Gail Derrickson; daughter, Kim (Joe) Lavadure; son, Wes (Sue) Plummer; grandson, Jeremy (Janell) Plummer and their kids Sam, Ione and Sadie; granddaughter, Amy (Eric) Gardner and their kids Walter, Charlie, Norman, Stanley and Clyde; grandson, Grant (Jaima) Hughes; and granddaughter, Patty Hughes.

The Plummer family would like to thank the community for the outpouring of support they have received and will announce when funeral plans are finalized, which are being made for spring. If you would like to send Sylvia a card, you may address it to her at Lake View Care Center, 1050 Grand Drive, Bigfork, Montana, 59911.