Carole Bolme

Carole O. Bolme, 95, of Kalispell passed away peacefully Saturday evening February 1, 2020.  Born November 25, 1924, she was the daughter of Edward and Bertha Bartell.  She grew up on the family farm in Round Butte, just west of Ronan.  Carole attended school in Round Butte and graduated from high school in Ronan.  She went on to Kinman Business School in Spokane, WA.

Carole is survived by her sister Virginia Reed, daughter Karen Ridenour and husband Glenn, son Craig Bolme and wife Kathy; granddaughters Robin Sorg, Beth Brown and husband Matt, Megan Montoya and husband Stanley, and great grandchildren Rylyn, Estrella, and Kadyn Montoya.

Carole met Bernard Bolme and they married on July 30, 1944.  They spent their early life together in Seattle before returning to Kalispell.  They built their home there in 1954 where Carole lived the rest of her life.  She made their house a home caring for the family, growing food in the back yard garden and sewing many of their clothes.  Growing up during the depression taught her to save, reuse, and stretch a dollar, a life style she continued through her life.

Volunteering was very important to her and she gave her time tutoring students at Peterson school, serving as Sunday School Superintendent at Bethlehem Lutheran Church and later making quilts and running the quilters group at Bethlehem.  She also volunteered at the Terrace gift shop.  She was always ready to help family and friends with any needs.

One of her favorite activities was to go up to the North Fork to hunt for and pick huckleberries.  She was famous for her huckleberry pie.  She also had a deep appreciation for the arts and her being creative as well, learned to work with stained glass.

When grandchildren arrived, she was always there to care for or assist in any way she could, even swimming lessons with Kevin (she hated the water!).

In her later years, she gained a lot of satisfaction through gifts to the Mas Sae girls School in Africa, the Ray of Hope, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, and many others.

Carole was preceded in death by her husband Bernard, parents Edward and Bertha, brothers Donald and Edward, and grandson Kevin.

The family thanks the caregivers at Comfort Keepers and Edgewood Vista for their loving care and compassion for mom in her final days.

Memorials may be made to Special Olypics Montana, 710 1st Ave. N, Great Falls, MT, 59401 and Habitat for Humanity of Flathead County, 275 Corporate Drive, #550, Kalispell, MT, 59901.

A memorial service will be February 28, 2020, 11am, at  Buffalo Hills Funeral Home.  Memories may be shared online at www.buffalohillfh.com.