We are sorry to say that Jason Frank Lapp passed away on Wednesday, January 19th. He was home and comfortable and happy, and I think he is glad to be gone, but sad to leave. We will miss our father, our grandfather and our good friend. He was born here in the valley on June 21, 1923, son of Frank and Lena Lapp. Jason was part of a large family of boys and girls growing up on a farm in Creston. He had wonderful tales of adventures and misadventures with his brothers and sisters and friends. His family included 11 brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and cousins galore. His sisters Mary Oesch, Anna Birky, and Ester Hogue preceded Jay in death. His brothers Willard, John, Clarence, George, and Wayne have also passed on.
Jason grew to manhood in the Flathead valley. He completed his education here and attended Hesston College in Kansas for a period of time. He worked lumber camps in Oregon and had tales to tell about that. We will miss our father’s stories! He served in the military out of Geiger Field in Spokane, Washington and married Louise Redd in 1945. They built and raised a family in Kalispell that included Cindy, Joyce, Garry, and Richard. The family had good fun camping, swimming, fishing, and playing in the snow together. Many good memories come from our time spent in the Swan with grandparents Buster and Leta Redd. These times took us back to the woods, taught us much and served as the fabric for many good stories. Jay worked at Kelly Main Street Furniture for 30 or more years and made many good friends there in that store on Main Street, or was it over lunch or coffee at Norm’s news? Jay and Louise divorced in 1968 and he married Angeline Woodard in 1970. Angel passed away in 1996. Jay and Angel enjoyed a happy home in Lakeside. We were blessed to share many, many fun and happy times there. Jason was a very good friend. He could fix most anything and was always glad to help his family, his friends and his neighbors. Jay believed strongly in the good Lord. He made friends easily and always had a joke to tell because he liked to laugh and he loved to fish with his friends best of all.
Jay leaves behind a sad family here in Kalispell that includes his children Garry, Joyce and Richard and Libby Lapp, granddaughter Elleson, and grandson Hunter, brothers Ed Lapp and wife Helen of Kalispell and Floyd and Claudia Lapp of Molalla, Oregon, sister-in-Laws Mary and Kathryn Lapp and many nieces and nephews. Jay’s daughter Cindy (Leta Rupp) and granddaughter Leslie Rupp preceded him in death.