Clare Yvonne Courville Rogers

| August 25, 2004 12:00 AM

RONAN -Clare Yvonne Courville Rogers, 55, joined the ancestors Aug. 19, 2004, at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula while surrounded by her large extended family.

A member of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribe, she was born into a large family on Feb. 21, 1949, in St. Ignatius, to Alexander Courville and Elsie (Bisson) Courville. As a child, the family moved extensively and she was raised in the Pacific Northwest.

Clare married Billie Carl Rogers in 1969. A devoted husband, through thick and thin, Bill loved and cared for his wife unconditionally. When Clare married Bill she knew that she was marrying a career Navy (Seabees) man and she enjoyed living throughout the world as they raised their family. Upon retirement, the family made their home in Ronan and Clare worked for Joe's Jiffy Stop in Pablo for the past 10 years until her health forced her into retirement.

Clare was a well-known practical joker and she was never afraid to pull a good one on a close friend. In fact, keep an eye out, she may be pulling one now. She also enjoyed Bingo and Keno. When time permitted she crocheted and would always find time for her family and those friends who she called her family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Alex Courville and Elsie Bisson Courville Brooks, her sisters Delores and Marlene, and a granddaughter, SuzieQ.

Survivors include her husband Bill of Ronan; her children, Mary Adele Rogers and Jason Rogers, all of Ronan; her brothers, Fred of Polson, Henry (Tammy) of Ronan, Kenneth (Cindy) of Pablo and Alex (Judy) of Missoula; sisters, Leona of Ronan, Connie Carns of Yuma, Ariz., Laura Villegas (Mike) of Wapato, Wash., and Donna Lee (Wade) of Albuquerque, N.M.; a sister-in-law, Sharon (Mike) Burns of Polson, as well as a large extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends she considered family.

Mass was celebrated Aug. 23, in the St. Ignatius Catholic Mission. Interment was in the Ronan Cemetery.

Foster & Durgeloh Funeral Home of St. Ignatius was in charge of arrangements.