Lolita "Lita" (Bratton) Plenger, 65, a native Montanan, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, at her home in Bigfork, after a long illness.
She was born on Jan. 5, 1947, in Missoula, to Arthur E. and Alice S. (Stephens) Ringstead. In 1949, her mother married Neil A. Bratton Jr., who adopted Lolita and her older sister, Lorie, and became the only father they ever knew.
Lita grew up in both Ennis and Missoula. She loved the outdoors and enjoyed swimming, camping and vacationing with her siblings and cousins at Lake Mary Ronan. What mischievous shenanigans they all got into! She was a past Worthy Advisor of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls and graduated from Sentinel High School in 1965.
She married Roger B. Plenger in 1965; they had two daughters and were married for 37 years. She loved to have a good time and was most definitely a spunky little lady, who had a wonderful sense of humor and a stubborn streak that endeared her to all who knew her.
Her daughters will miss her desperately.
"We will love you forever, Mom. Thanks to both you and our dad for teaching us to be so self-sufficient and for instilling in us such a strong work ethic. Also, Mom, thanks for trying to teach us to cook from scratch and to care for plants like you did. We are still trying."
Lita adored animals, especially her dogs, and even named the hummingbirds that dined at the feeders in her yard. She had a green thumb, like her mother before her, and was an artist in her own right, showcasing her work by decorating and landscaping her beautiful homes. She collected Precious Moments figurines and ceramic and pewter pigs.
It must be said here that she loved to fish and to eat Alaskan king crab; even better, she loved to cook the fish she caught and to entertain. It must also be said that she hated spiders more than she loved king crab, and her brothers and sisters now regret, but not really, the many times they tormented her with them.
"It was all in fun, sweet Lita. We will smile when we remember you, and we savor every memory and know that we have been blessed to call you our sister. You were a beauty."
Her parents, a brother, Douglas Bratton, and a stillborn sister preceded her in death.
Survivors include her devoted husband, John Krenn, of Bigfork; two daughters, Traci Walker and Jeff, and Wendi Crigger and Justin, of Spokane; four grandchildren, Kelsi and Derek Walker, and Mitchell and Lindsey Armitage; two sisters, Lorie Parke and John of Phoenix, and Terri Holt and Hans of Minneapolis; two brothers, Neil Bratton and Deborah of Red Lodge, and Richard Bratton and Song Yon of Billings; former husband, Roger Plenger, of Missoula; several cherished cousins, nieces, nephews, and other family and dear, faithful friends.
The family extends heartfelt thanks to Home Options Hospice/Brendan House of Kalispell and to all who cared for her over the last six months of her life, especially her hospice nurse, Ronda Adams. The gentle care they provided permitted Lita to experience a beautiful passage filled with compassion and dignity.
Buffalo Hill Funeral Home of Kalispell handled the arrangements.
Friends and neighbors attended a wake for her on March 3 at the family home. Her family will host a celebration of life at her home on the Swan River this summer, complete with a barbecue and big bonfire. King crab will be on the menu.
Contributions may be made to Home Options Hospice, 275 Corporate Drive, Suite 600, Kalispell, MT 59901; and the Humane Society of Northwest Montana, P.O. Box 221, Kalispell, MT 59903
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She was born on Jan. 5, 1947, in Missoula, to Arthur E. and Alice S. (Stephens) Ringstead. In 1949, her mother married Neil A. Bratton Jr., who adopted Lolita and her older sister, Lorie, and became the only father they ever knew.
Lita grew up in both Ennis and Missoula. She loved the outdoors and enjoyed swimming, camping and vacationing with her siblings and cousins at Lake Mary Ronan. What mischievous shenanigans they all got into! She was a past Worthy Advisor of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls and graduated from Sentinel High School in 1965.
She married Roger B. Plenger in 1965; they had two daughters and were married for 37 years. She loved to have a good time and was most definitely a spunky little lady, who had a wonderful sense of humor and a stubborn streak that endeared her to all who knew her.
Her daughters will miss her desperately.
"We will love you forever, Mom. Thanks to both you and our dad for teaching us to be so self-sufficient and for instilling in us such a strong work ethic. Also, Mom, thanks for trying to teach us to cook from scratch and to care for plants like you did. We are still trying."
Lita adored animals, especially her dogs, and even named the hummingbirds that dined at the feeders in her yard. She had a green thumb, like her mother before her, and was an artist in her own right, showcasing her work by decorating and landscaping her beautiful homes. She collected Precious Moments figurines and ceramic and pewter pigs.
It must be said here that she loved to fish and to eat Alaskan king crab; even better, she loved to cook the fish she caught and to entertain. It must also be said that she hated spiders more than she loved king crab, and her brothers and sisters now regret, but not really, the many times they tormented her with them.
"It was all in fun, sweet Lita. We will smile when we remember you, and we savor every memory and know that we have been blessed to call you our sister. You were a beauty."
Her parents, a brother, Douglas Bratton, and a stillborn sister preceded her in death.
Survivors include her devoted husband, John Krenn, of Bigfork; two daughters, Traci Walker and Jeff, and Wendi Crigger and Justin, of Spokane; four grandchildren, Kelsi and Derek Walker, and Mitchell and Lindsey Armitage; two sisters, Lorie Parke and John of Phoenix, and Terri Holt and Hans of Minneapolis; two brothers, Neil Bratton and Deborah of Red Lodge, and Richard Bratton and Song Yon of Billings; former husband, Roger Plenger, of Missoula; several cherished cousins, nieces, nephews, and other family and dear, faithful friends.
The family extends heartfelt thanks to Home Options Hospice/Brendan House of Kalispell and to all who cared for her over the last six months of her life, especially her hospice nurse, Ronda Adams. The gentle care they provided permitted Lita to experience a beautiful passage filled with compassion and dignity.
Buffalo Hill Funeral Home of Kalispell handled the arrangements.
Friends and neighbors attended a wake for her on March 3 at the family home. Her family will host a celebration of life at her home on the Swan River this summer, complete with a barbecue and big bonfire. King crab will be on the menu.
Contributions may be made to Home Options Hospice, 275 Corporate Drive, Suite 600, Kalispell, MT 59901; and the Humane Society of Northwest Montana, P.O. Box 221, Kalispell, MT 59903