A Legacy of Love
David L Jam, 88, passed away of natural causes at his home in Evergreen, Sunday March 29 th 2015.
David was born in Minot, ND to his loving parents Thomas Joseph Jam and Delia Gessner Jam in March 30 th 1926. He was raised with three brothers, Bob, Mike, Johnny, and four sisters, Alice, Justine, Josephine, and Louise.
Before graduating High school in 1943 he enlisted into the Navy for the duration of the war, spending two and a half years with the Navy Construction Battalion building the first camps and runway on Guam. David then returned home to graduate in 1947 in the same class as his soon to be bride. After a year at Minot Teachers College, he proposed to his sweetheart Patricia Marie Goulet. They married February 12 th 1949. “A legacy of love,” began.
David’s jobs included driving bus in Crosby, ND, owning a small store (Jam’s Corner) in Kalispell, running a milk route up the highline (Columbia Falls, Coram and Martin City), working at the Ford garage, Firestone, and then hiring on with the Columbia Falls Aluminum Plant in 1956. He was a hard worker and well respected all 32 years of employment there.
David bought his Evergreen home and acreage in 1950 where he raised 10 healthy children. He loved to train and break horses; loving animals just like his father, letting the kids have chickens, ducks and rabbits. He was always busy doing something: tilling the garden, mowing the lawn, changing the oil, pruning his apple trees or picking their harvest. He was a self-taught carpenter, tin knocker, sparkey, plumber and mechanic who could fix anything, especially any of his ten fussy babies. When he wasn’t docking puppy tails, or teaching 7 th and 8 th grade shop class at St Matthews, he would go hunting and fishing with his best friend and lifetime hunting partner, Bob Ewing. He especially enjoyed flying in Bob’s airplane. David loved to smoke fish and make wild game into salami. He loved nature and took his family on many outdoor adventures. David was an excellent photographer and loved to teach his kids how to use his camera. He built a homemade toboggan and even had his horse Bess pull a sleigh.
David is survived by his faithful wife of 66 years, Patricia Jam and his children Patti Jammé and husband Pascal (France), Theodore Jam (Kalispell), Joe Jam and wife Vickie (Kalispell), Mary West and husband Bill (Texas), Michelle Jam (Kalispell), Theresé Jam and partner Scotty (Kalispell), Lawrence Jam and partner Nina (Washington), Andrea Jam and partner Sarah (Oregon), Kathleen Francis and husband John (Kalispell).
David is survived by his adoring Grandchildren, Jacob, Matthew, Daniel, Robert and David Lawlor, Joshua Olsen, Micah Jam and Tai Lee Jam, Amanda Schaumburg, Steven and Elizabeth West and Jesse, Isabella and James Francis. He is also survived by his seven precious Great Grandchildren, Sierra, Trae, Boston, Talon, Camden, Jaden, and Theo.
David is survived by His brother Mike Jam (Billings), sisters Louise Johnson (Minneapolis), and Justine Lubrich (Minot) and many nieces and nephews.
David Jam was preceded in death by his beautiful daughter Delia K. Jam in 1984, by two sisters Alice and Josephine, and two brothers, Bob, and Johnny.
His service will be held at 1:00 pm, Thursday April 2, 2015 at Buffalo Hills Funeral Home in Kalispell, MT.
John Francis will be officiating his service. The pallbearers are as follows, Joe and Micah Jam, Jacob, Daniel, Robert and David Lawlor. Honorary pallbearer, David’s loving grandson Joshua Olsen, was unable to attend.
There will be a brief graveside service for the family directly following his memorial at Conrad Cemetery. The reception will be held at the Moose Lodge in Evergreen.
David L. Jam leaves an incredible “legacy of love,” to his family, dear friends, neighbors, and the many other people who knew and respected him.
The family would like to send a special thanks to the deeply caring neighbors involved in his life. They were a tremendous blessing to him and were dearly loved. He was also grateful for the wonderful care he received from Home Health Options, Assist, Hospice, Kalispell Medical Equipment, all the competent and compassionate care from the doctors and nurses at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.
He was especially tickled to find out he had a “Best Friend,” in his daughter Michelle Jam who tenderly cared for him the last five weeks of his life! He loved genuinely and impacted more than can be named.
David put his whole effort into everything he did. He was a master storyteller; and here at the end, as we remember the life he lived, we are beholding his masterpiece. The best story he ever told—is the story of his life, a “Legacy of Love!”