Lucille E. Combes

Lucille Combes 92, of Missoula, passed away Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, while living at Village Health Care. She was born in Malta on March 15, 1921, to John and May Violet Noordam. She knew her Lord, knowing where she would spend eternity, ready to join her husband, Gilbert.

Growing up was not an easy life, as education was not a priority. Her growing up years were difficult, starting as young as 3, when her family of 12 lived in a tent in the winter months while their father worked in a mine in Neihart, later moving to Landusky. At age 6, she and her sister had the task of tending sheep on a ranch. Later, she was able to attend school off and on. When she was 12 and her sister was 16, they had to cook for ranch hands.

Her next adventure was being head cook and bottle washer in a miners boarding house, where she again lived in a tent during the winter months.

As an 18-year-old, she met the love of her life, Gilbert Combes. When a friend, Norman Larum, told them since they wanted to get married, he would buy their marriage license, and he drove them to Malta on Jan. 19, 1939, a marriage that lasted 61 years.

Lucille always had a desire to help others and increase her knowledge. In doing so, she always took an interest in the education of those around her, and was ready at any time to help them.

When her sister passed away in the late '40s, she was there to help the large family cope with needs, always making sure meals were prepared.

She and Gilbert loved to travel, visit family, camp, fish and spend many winters in Arizona.

She was preceded in death by her husband Gilbert; son-in-law Roger Sparks; nine siblings, Violet, Johnny, Ruby, Harry, Clarence, Jess, Minnie, Bennie and Catherine; two granddaughters, Karie and Melanie Grove; and two great-grandchildren, Malia and Clarissa Grove.

Surviving are her children, Evelyn Dunwell (Jim), Ada Sparks, Doug Combes (Carol) and Dorothy Grove (Dave); grandchildren Ken, Mike (Stephanie) and Steven Dunwell, Bill (Kelly), Gary (Cindy), Larry Sparks, Angela Combes, Tina Combes-George (Tom), Bryan (Sasha), Kevin (Kelly), Daniel (Mindy), Jonathan (Abi) Grove and Rhonda Grove-Turner; 35 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson.

A memorial service will be held this summer to place Lucille and Gilbert's ashes in the area of the Noordam and Combes homesteads near Fort Peck
Read Lucille Combes's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.