Jeanne (Monk) Linrude, 88
Jeanne (Monk) Linrude, 88, March 16, 1936-July 29, 2024.
Sometimes the loss is too big, and the pain too deep to put into words. We will attempt to share a fraction of this extraordinary woman’s life.
Jeanne C. Monk was born in Kalispell, in 1936, to Allyn and Lucille Monk. Her father died when she was two, leaving her and her mother to spend hard-working summers on the Monk Ranch in Pleasant Valley, cooking and cleaning for ranch and haying crews. It was there that Jeanne learned to love the cool forests, the spring-fed creeks and forever fields that she and her horse explored daily. She believed "The sun always shines in Pleasant Valley" and was an avid lover of Lady Slipper orchids and bluebirds. She suffered from curvature of the spine, which would result in several painful surgeries and lengthy hospital stays throughout her life. But these early days of carefree adventures would inspire her to turn to the wonder of nature and God’s grace in search of comfort and peace the rest of her days.
Jeanne graduated from Flathead High School in 1954. While in junior high and high school, she befriended several girls who would all become lifelong friends (Billie Jean Siderius, Ruth McKay, Shirley Tutvedt, Sharon Peters, Doris Knox, and Maxine Siderius) and were dubbed The Magnificent Seven. It was there that she also met her future husband of 63 years, Ray Linrude, whom she would marry in 1956. They had two children, Kevin and Kristyn, and she began a life where she wore many hats; Sunday school teacher at Bethlehem Lutheran, Boy Scout den mother, Brownie leader, member of Beta Phi Sigma sisterhood, homeroom volunteer "for life" and in 1967 she would help to organize and launch the Flathead US Employees Credit Union out of her home. She would later become a loan officer and manager for the next thirty years.
In 1969, she found her dream home in the country, 680 Two Mile Drive, where she would move her family to find friendship and community with the Bordens, Phillipses, Tobias/Solbergs and Vogts. Many happy years of horseback rides, snowmobile and meter maid cart races, anticipated visits from Arizona relatives, Christmas dinners and disasters, carpools, birthday celebrations, and magical summers at their cabin on Bitterroot Lake were enjoyed and committed to memory by those who were lucky enough to participate. Through all the crazy and wonderful chaos there was one constant … Jeanne. She always had the dry towel, the kind word, the candy in the candy drawer, or time to listen, really listen to a broken heart or the sorrow of a lost pet. She was the "safe zone" for so many of her nieces, nephews and children’s friends.
When Jeanne became a grandmother, it was almost like she grew ten feet tall and bulletproof. There was nothing she would not do for those babies. We asked them to add a few memories to her story, but after dozens of contributions, we needed to use a scaled-down bulleted list:
•Falling asleep to her voice
•Teaching me to drive
•Taking me fishing
•Scratching my back until I fell asleep
•Teaching me to knit and crochet
•Going to Woodland Park and feeding the ducks
•Feeding me mashed potatoes in the bathtub
•Teaching me how to play checkers and Skipbo
•Singing “I Love You, A Bushel and a Peck”
•Helping me with all my crazy dogs and cats
•Giving me the love and admiration for horses
•Getting Wendy’s Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger and a Frosty
•Introducing me to the wonder of all the beautiful trees in Kalispell
•Telling me she saw the first robin which means spring is here
•Always answering the phone
•Believing in me when I did not
•Making me think I am the most amazing person she has ever known
She was the cog in our family wheel, our North Star, our soft place to land and the first person we wanted to share our triumphs and even our failures. Once she learned to text and got on Facebook, there was no stopping her shared comments on the fascinating world around us and celebrating the achievements of all the people she loved.
She was preceded in death by her grandson, Kyle; her husband, Ray; her beloved sisters, Dorothy Stancill and Mary Lavin; and her brother, John Monk.
She is survived by her son, Kevin Linrude and his wife, Melissa, along with their children, Allix (Jordan Bowlin) and their sons, Jett and Jagger, Carsen (Winter) and their daughter, Sloane, along with Taylor and Rylie Linrude. She is also mourned and missed by her daughter, Kristyn Morin and her daughter, Jillian Lehr.
There will be a family and friend remembrance at a later date. If you would like to donate to All Mosta Ranch (a non-profit, Livestock Rescue, Adoption and Educational Center, as well as provides other community services in Marion) in her name, it would be appreciated.
