Lloyd Rueben Stevens was born Dec. 22, 1918, in Polson "when it was still in Flathead County," as he liked to say.
He died Aug. 8, 2013, in Brendan House with his family by his side.
He was the eldest of nine children born to Charles C. and Martha L. (Roof) Stevens. He was raised in the Flathead Valley, from Kila to Lakeside and Somers, including four years as a young lad living on Cilly Creek in the Swan. He remembered those times as the best years of his childhood. Lloyd worked in the woods with his dad, cutting and delivering firewood to earn money. He graduated from Flathead County High School in 1938.
After graduation Lloyd went to work for Alva Ulrich in Somers, driving freight trucks and school buses when needed. While working there he met Lois Urban, from North Dakota. She was living with her Aunt Hattie and Alva Ulrich while she finished high school at Flathead High.
Lloyd and Lois were married in Polson on July 25, 1942. They lived in Somers where he worked in the Somers Lumber Co. mill. He also worked for Kalispell Lumber Co. Their first three children were born while living in Somers. Later Lloyd was offered the opportunity to manage the Malta Mercantile Lumber Yard, so they moved to Malta for a year.
When they came back to the Flathead they settled in Evergreen. He worked for Stan Craft Boat building wooden boats and for Lee Craft as a builder of wood and fiberglass boats. Lloyd and Lois had three more children.
He worked for Evergreen School Dist. No. 50 as janitor, bus driver, and maintenance; and then for Kalispell Dist. No. 5 as district maintenance man. He retired from District No. 5 in 1980.
After retiring, Lloyd built cabinets, shelves and furniture for clients, friends and family. Over the course of his life he built or remodeled all of his family homes, including his parents' house in Lakeside. He enjoyed making wooden toys in his shop for all the kids he knew. He was a carpenter by trade but better described as a jack-of-all-trades. Lloyd and his wife also enjoyed going to yard sales as well as having their own sales.
Lloyd always enjoyed visiting and telling tales over coffee in local cafes - Cislos, Sykes, El Rancho and the Park Inn. He had good knowledge of local history and was familiar with many early settlers in the Flathead Valley.
He was a lifelong hunter and provided meals for his siblings and later his own family with the game he bagged. His Sunday morning buttermilk pancakes provided fond memories for his children.
Lloyd was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Lois; his parents, Charlie and Martha (Roof) Stevens; six brothers, Neil, Bob, Charlie, Lewie, Pete and Nute, and his only sister, Grace Nutter; and son-in-law, Don Evans.
Lloyd is survived by his three daughters, Phyllis and Tex Manus of Kalispell, Wanda Taylor of Polson, Juanita Evans of Libby and three sons, Phillip and Maureen of Ogden, Utah, Warren of Los Angeles, and Cliff and Laurie of Rockton, Ill. He also leaves behind 27 grandchildren and 45 great-grandchildren; a brother, Glen and wife Judy Stevens of Bigfork; three Stevens sisters-in-law, Helen, Shirley and Sara; and one brother-in-law, Bob Urban and wife Marian; along with several nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at Buffalo Hills Mortuary, with burial to follow in Glacier Memorial Gardens. A reception will follow at Kalispell Moose Lodge on U.S. 2 East.
In lieu of flowers, please plant a tree or donate to the charity of your choice.
The family wishes to extend thanks to the staff at Brendan House for his excellent care and love they've shown him over his last few years.
...
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Lloyd Stevens, please visit our flower store.
He died Aug. 8, 2013, in Brendan House with his family by his side.
He was the eldest of nine children born to Charles C. and Martha L. (Roof) Stevens. He was raised in the Flathead Valley, from Kila to Lakeside and Somers, including four years as a young lad living on Cilly Creek in the Swan. He remembered those times as the best years of his childhood. Lloyd worked in the woods with his dad, cutting and delivering firewood to earn money. He graduated from Flathead County High School in 1938.
After graduation Lloyd went to work for Alva Ulrich in Somers, driving freight trucks and school buses when needed. While working there he met Lois Urban, from North Dakota. She was living with her Aunt Hattie and Alva Ulrich while she finished high school at Flathead High.
Lloyd and Lois were married in Polson on July 25, 1942. They lived in Somers where he worked in the Somers Lumber Co. mill. He also worked for Kalispell Lumber Co. Their first three children were born while living in Somers. Later Lloyd was offered the opportunity to manage the Malta Mercantile Lumber Yard, so they moved to Malta for a year.
When they came back to the Flathead they settled in Evergreen. He worked for Stan Craft Boat building wooden boats and for Lee Craft as a builder of wood and fiberglass boats. Lloyd and Lois had three more children.
He worked for Evergreen School Dist. No. 50 as janitor, bus driver, and maintenance; and then for Kalispell Dist. No. 5 as district maintenance man. He retired from District No. 5 in 1980.
After retiring, Lloyd built cabinets, shelves and furniture for clients, friends and family. Over the course of his life he built or remodeled all of his family homes, including his parents' house in Lakeside. He enjoyed making wooden toys in his shop for all the kids he knew. He was a carpenter by trade but better described as a jack-of-all-trades. Lloyd and his wife also enjoyed going to yard sales as well as having their own sales.
Lloyd always enjoyed visiting and telling tales over coffee in local cafes - Cislos, Sykes, El Rancho and the Park Inn. He had good knowledge of local history and was familiar with many early settlers in the Flathead Valley.
He was a lifelong hunter and provided meals for his siblings and later his own family with the game he bagged. His Sunday morning buttermilk pancakes provided fond memories for his children.
Lloyd was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Lois; his parents, Charlie and Martha (Roof) Stevens; six brothers, Neil, Bob, Charlie, Lewie, Pete and Nute, and his only sister, Grace Nutter; and son-in-law, Don Evans.
Lloyd is survived by his three daughters, Phyllis and Tex Manus of Kalispell, Wanda Taylor of Polson, Juanita Evans of Libby and three sons, Phillip and Maureen of Ogden, Utah, Warren of Los Angeles, and Cliff and Laurie of Rockton, Ill. He also leaves behind 27 grandchildren and 45 great-grandchildren; a brother, Glen and wife Judy Stevens of Bigfork; three Stevens sisters-in-law, Helen, Shirley and Sara; and one brother-in-law, Bob Urban and wife Marian; along with several nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at Buffalo Hills Mortuary, with burial to follow in Glacier Memorial Gardens. A reception will follow at Kalispell Moose Lodge on U.S. 2 East.
In lieu of flowers, please plant a tree or donate to the charity of your choice.
The family wishes to extend thanks to the staff at Brendan House for his excellent care and love they've shown him over his last few years.
...