Family Receiving Friends & Prayer Service: Thursday, December 20, 2007 from 5:00 to 7:00pm with Prayer Service to follow at 7:00pm at the United Community Church in Colstrip, Montana
Funeral Service: Friday, December 21, 2007 at 11:00am at the United Community Church in Colstrip, Montana
Graveside Service: Friday, December 21, 2007 at 3:00pm in the family lot of the Forsyth Cemetery in Forsyth, Montana
Clarice Merle Dolly FandrichMarch 11, 1926-December 15, 2007
Dolly passed away peacefully in her sleep after a long illness in Butte, MT.
Dolly was born in Swan River, Manitoba, to her Canadian mother and American father, Pearl (Tibble) and Clarence Preller. Being a beautiful little baby earned her the nickname Dolly. Her family moved back to the family ranch in the Pine Hills, east of Miles City, MT when she turned three. Throughout her life, she shared stories of fun and adventure of ranch life. At age five, in the middle of winter, she and her brother Bud, one year younger, put their little sister Lorraine into their wagon and headed for town. They made it about one mile down the road before their parents found them. Dolly watched her mother change her little sister, Dorothys, diaper. Inspired, she took a diaper out to the pigpen and attempted to put a diaper on a baby pig until the sow objected. Her mother cleared the fence as she jumped into the pen to rescue Dolly. Dolly loved to share the ranch Christmas story. Their family opened their one gift on Christmas Eve after a visit from Santa. They enjoyed traditional Christmas pudding, fruitcakes and oyster stew with their bachelor friends. She attended elementary school in a country school a few miles from the family ranch. She moved into Miles City to attend high school. Dolly dreamed of becoming a newspaper woman while she worked part-time jobs throughout school. She married Nolan Fandrich on December 22, 1946. After honeymooning in Billings, they moved to Colstrip. She lived there for the next sixty years.Family was very important to both Dolly and Nolan. They raised their four daughters, Peg, Kay, Pat and Jane in Colstrip when it was very small. The girls have wonderful memories of growing up in Colstrip. Dolly participated in many activities in Colstrip. She and Nolan became charter members of Colstrip United Community Church; Dolly served on the board many times. She supported her childrens involvement in school, 4-H, music lessons, sports, and Sunday School, often serving as teacher or leader. Her skill as an artist grew each time she participated in traveling artists workshops given in the Colstrip area. Dolly and Nolan helped establish the local pictorial history at the Schoolhouse History and Arts Center.
In later years, Dolly enjoyed Senior Citizens and served on the county and local Library Board. Dolly loved spending time with her grandchildren; she enjoyed plays, concerts, camps and many other activities with them. Dolly blessed her family with unexcelled cooking, growing flowers and a love of reading. After Nolan died, Dolly lived alone; she moved to an Assisted Living facility in Butte following a serious stroke on July 4, 2006.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Nolan; daughter, Kay; brother Bud Preller and sister Dorothy Elliott. Survivors include: daughters, Peg Fandrich, Pat Fandrich, Jane Gardner (Roger); grandchildren, Josh Ensign, Rachel Ensign, Dan Ensign, Jacob Ensign, Gabrielle Fandrich, Elisabeth Fandrich, Emily Gardner; great-grandson, Bob Tyson; sister Lorraine Miller (Bud) and brother, Louis Preller (Marlene).
Memorials include: Colstrip Bicentennial Library and the United Community Church. Condolences can be sent to the family by visiting www.stevensonandsons.com
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