Caroline Frances St. Onge

Caroline Frances Decker was born on May 14, 1941 in Libby, Montana.  The first child born to Ned and Maybelle Decker.  At the time the family was living in a logging camp on Dunn Creek for the J. Neils Timber Company.  Soon the family moved to Rexford, Montana and added three more children, Kathy, Gene and Jeannette.

Caroline attended grade school in Rexford and graduated high school from Lincoln County High School in 1959.   Caroline started dating Ronnie St. Onge her senior year of high school. Their courtship culminated with marriage on April 23, 1960.  Ronnie and Caroline moved into a small house in Stryker, Montana and soon added their first child, DeAnna.  

The family moved to Whitefish and continued to grow with the addition of three sons, Robert, Brian and Kevin.  Life was very busy with four young children.  Ron and Caroline purchased their first home in Kalispell and lived there for over 10 years.  During that time, Caroline attended classes at Flathead Valley Community College and obtained an associates degree in Accounting.  By then, Ron had started his own logging business and Caroline when not chasing around four busy children, did the books for the business.

The family moved to Ferndale in 1974, purchasing a home from Clarence and Betty Gembala.  Caroline gardened, canned and always had some type of needlework in her hands whether it was knitting, crocheting, sewing – she did it all.  After the kids had graduated from high school, Caroline took the plunge with her business partner Barb Stewart and opened a ceramic shop in Bigfork called the Bigfork Clay Shoppe.  Caroline spent many happy years at the shop and eventually bought out Barb’s interest.   Many lifelong friendships were developed at the ceramic shop – the coffee pot was always on and the business was full of good cheer.  Caroline’s friendship with Debbie Thompson started at the shop and when Caroline decided to retire, Debbie continued her love for ceramics.

Upon retirement, Ron and Caroline started traveling to Arizona during the winter months.   Eventually they purchased a park home in Casa Grande.  Over the years, the date they would depart for Arizona would become earlier and earlier but they always made a point of coming back to Montana in time for Easter.   In 2020, when returning from Arizona, Ron and Caroline were in a horrific accident in the pickup and toy hauler.   The family made the choice to sell the Arizona property at that time and sold their Ferndale home two years later moving back to Kalispell into the Buffalo Hill Terrace facility.

Caroline was preceded in death by her parents, Ned and Maybelle Decker, her brother Gene Decker and her granddaughter Veronica Rose St. Onge.  Caroline is survived by her husband of 63 years, Ron St. Onge and two sisters, Kathy (Wes) Mapston and Jeannette (Arnold) Hansen.  She is also survived by her children, DeAnna (Pat) Eisenman, Robert St. Onge, Brian (Laura) St. Onge and Kevin St. Onge.  There are 9 grandchildren, Jason (Laura) Stahlberg, Rebecca Eisenman, Baylee Eisenman, Skyler (Colby) Robbins, Shane (Carly) St. Onge, Sheena St. Onge, Carrie (David) DeCamilla, Courtney (Josh) Billings and Jessica St. Onge.  There are also 5 great-grandchildren, Emily, Logan, Jack and Katie Stahlberg and Owen DeCamilla.  Several other close family members include Lorraine Decker, Ed and Ginger St. Onge and Lowell and Betty McKee along with several nieces and nephews.