Louise Mittower Langton, 97, of Victor, crossed the Great Divide on Tuesday, May 12, 2015, at her home north of Victor of natural causes.
Louise was born April 19, 1918, at the Mittower Ranch north of Victor to Harry and Grace (Duffield) Mittower. The ranch was established by her grandparents Abe and Bertha (Williams) Mittower in the 1880s.
She graduated Victor High School in the Class of 1936 and graduated Northwestern Business College in Spokane in 1938. Louise worked at Caterpillar Tractor Company before moving to Sitka, Alaska, where she married her college sweetheart Richard L. Langton, on October 23, 1940. Together, they lived in Sitka for three years before moving back to the Bitter Root with their infant son Brian. In 1943 she and Dick purchased the Big Creek Ranch adjacent to the Harry Mittower Ranch. Their daughter Linda arrived in 1944 and son Jeffrey in 1953.
Raised as an only child living in the country, Louise was always close to her many pets and farm animals, local wildlife and the natural world in general. From a young age, she cultivated a large vegetable garden, fruit trees, and flower beds, and for many years canned produce for the family table. She always had a flock of chickens and enjoyed bird-watching.
Louise was a devoted wife and mother and greatly enjoyed her vast network of family and friends from all walks of life. She encouraged each of her children to read, attend college, have goals, face adversity head-on, carry through, and do so with a positive attitude.
She was active in civic life as a community leader and founding member of the Victor Garden Club, founding leader of the Big Creek
4-H Club, and was also active with Victor PTA, Victor Civic Club, Bitterroot Historical Society, and the Victor Heritage Museum.
Louise delighted in a lifelong love of music and dance, spanning several generations and styles of music dating to the 1920s. She especially enjoyed live music and helped many musicians to obtain work when possible. She organized the entertainment for Chief Victor Days for nearly two decades.
She was a reporter of local news and authored feature articles for the Ravalli Republic, the Missoulian, the Bitterroot Star, Montana Farmer Stockman, Western News and NorthWest Tribune. In 2010, she was interviewed about her life in the Bitterroot Valley by Montana Public Radio. Louise was a consummate people person and always regarded strangers as friends she hadn’t met yet.
Louise was preceded in death by her beloved husband, parents, and granddaughter Jill.
She is survived by her son Brian (Karen), daughter Linda (Dave), son Jeff, her grandchildren, Gretchen, Kristy, Sarah, Julie, Matthew, Melanie, Stephen and Thomas, as well as great-grandchildren, Drew, Luke, William and Lily.
Louise’s remains were interred next to her husband at a family service at Big Creek Ranch on Sunday, May 17, 2015. A community celebration of Louise’s life and legacy will be announced at a later date.
The family suggests, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to the Bitterroot Humane Association, 262 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton MT 59840, or the Victor Heritage Museum, P.O. Box 610, Victor MT 59875.