Hamilton – Our beautiful Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother, Evelyn Christina Spoonheim, was born June 30, 1920 on her Grandfather Anderson’s homestead to Arthur
C. and Gladys (Lester) Anderson at Judith Gap, Montana. She had an older sister, Myrtle Bernice and younger sister, Mae Lurene, born in Broadview, MT where they all started school. When Evelyn was in 7th grade they moved near Helena, MT and in 8th grade moved to Hobson, MT. When she was a junior in High School her family moved to Tunis, MT and went to school in Fort Benton where she graduated.
Evelyn received a scholarship to Great Falls Junior College which was associated with Great Falls College of Education.
She married Ralph Arthur in 1940 in Great Falls where daughter Linda Lurene was born in 1941. They then moved to Helena where son Clifford “Skip” was born. After living in Helena, they moved back to Great Falls and then to Havre, MT. Evelyn and Ralph divorced.
On June 1, 1957 she married Carl W. Spoonheim. Evelyn worked as a secretary to the Dean of Students at Northern Montana College (U of M North). On January 1, 1961 they moved to Hamilton where Carl managed the Gamble store and Evelyn worked as the executive secretary at Citizens State Bank (now First Security Bank).
In July 1977 Evelyn and Carl bought a store in Salmon, ID which they called “The Salmon Home Center” and in 1987 sold the store and moved back to Hamilton.
Evelyn and Carl belonged to the Hamilton Golf Club all those years (even while living in Salmon, ID). The course still had sand greens when they joined and they both enjoyed golf, pinochle and dancing at the Golden Age Club. Evelyn played a lot of bridge and belonged to three bridge clubs and a couple of bridge marathons.
Carl passed away May 21, 2014 and Evelyn sold their home and moved to Sapphire Lutheran Homes at their Remington complex.
Evelyn was a member of the UMAB Federated Church, American Legion Auxiliary, Golden Age Club and Hamilton Senior Center.
Mom was welcomed into heaven on February 12, 2021 (100 years and eight months). She is survived by daughter and husband, Linda and Jim VanSickle, son Clifford “Skip” Arthur, all of Hamilton and step son Richard and Michelle Spoonheim of Keizer, OR, grandchildren, Mike (Lisa) Langston, Missoula, MT, Tim (Molly) Thole, Seattle, WA, Craig (Tracy) Thole, Newtown Square, PA, Heidi (Reuben) Silva, Keizer, OR and Aaron (Alaina) Spoonheim, Keizer, OR, and Great Grandchildren, Madi, Tess, Taylor, Braden, Saudre, Lily, Zoey and Ronin, also several nieces and nephews. She will also be missed by her many friends at the Remington.
We would like to thank Marcus Daly Hospice and Remington Assisted Living for the loving care they provided to Mom the last two months of her life. They were all angels in disguise.
A celebration of life service will be held at a later date. Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com
