On Sunday, April 9, 2017, at 1 p.m., our mom, wife, grandma and friend “went to be with Jesus.”
She was born in Milnor, North Dakota, to Ed and Lydia Wilke on June 24, 1939, and raised in Hoving, North Dakota, where she helped her father in the Hoving Grain Company, a grain
elevator serving the area. She was one of four sisters, Alberta, Gladys and Eunice, who have all preceded her in death.
At the age of 20 she met Jerry Croymans, a carpenter from Cut Bank who was working on a local construction project. They were married in Gwinner, North Dakota, on June 20,1959, and moved to Cut Bank. In May of 1960, their first son, Ed, was born while living in Cut Bank. In 1962, they moved to Kalispell where Jerry found work in the construction business. In 1966, they welcomed their daughter, Angi, into the world. Later, in 1972, she and Jerry were divorced.
In August of 1973, she met and married Ken Hair of Great Falls. Ken came as a package deal with two beautiful daughters, Teresa and Debbie, which she helped raise.
In her working years, she started in Kalispell as a bartender, but really became everyone’s friend and therapist for some 20 years. Noteworthy, is the fact that she never drank alcohol. Around 1986 she became a clerk at Withey’s Health Food Store in Kalispell, where she made many friends while helping solve everyone’s ailments. She worked there some 25 years until retirement.
She was an avid reader, and enjoyed rock hounding and archeology. In her later years, she enjoyed word puzzles and watching “Criminal Minds” on TV.
What meant the most to her was her family. God answered her life’s main prayer to not outlast any of her children. The love she lavished on her family was without compare, always more concerned with others than herself. One of her greatest joys was spoiling her children and grandchildren with Christmas gifts.
She was a lifelong Christian and member of the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church, joining Trinity Lutheran when moving to Kalispell in 1962. She had a very active prayer life and enjoyed her son Ed’s weekly home Bible studies.
She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Ken Hair, son Ed Croymans (Julie), daughters Angi Jensen (Jack), Teresa Gregory, Deb Banzet (Mike), and grandchildren Michael (Kristina), Megan (John), Alex, Wyatt, Annie, Emma, Sara, Michael, Kenny, Kerry, Wall and Emma. Great-grandchildren include Jaxon and Kason. She is also survived by numerous nephews and nieces who were close to her heart as well.
There will be a celebration of life service at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 15, with lunch to follow at Smith Valley Grange Hall, 2902 U.S. 2 West, Kalispell