Louis Walter Marshall

POLSON - Louis Walter Marshall, 81, of Polson, died of emphysema and went home to be with Jesus, on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2004, at Evergreen Health & Rehab Center in Polson.

He was born Feb. 9, 1923, at Caraway, Ark., to Earl Lee and Estella (Vest) Marshall, one of six children.

When he was four years old, he and his other brothers and sisters went to live with his grandparents, Roger and Claudia Marshall. Lou went to school in Lake City, Ark., but by the fifth grade he was out working, the need of money was great. He worked on farms, doing whatever was needed to be done. He picked cotton, corn, and soy beans. Later he got into logging and cutting timber.

Lou was drafted into the Army and served from May 25, 1943, until Jan. 28, 1946. After leaving the Army he worked in a glass factory in Ohio. He then enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, serving from 1947 to 1949 and then re-enlisting from 1949 to 1953.

Lou was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.

While still in the service, he cooked in the evenings and went to barber school. When he was released from the service he moved with his family to Missoula, and owned his own barbershop. He owned the Post Office Barber Shop for 32 years.

Lou retired from barbering in November 1988. He married Claudia Duncan on Feb. 14, 1990, in Las Vegas. In August 1990 they moved to Polson, where they bought a home and loved living in the area. Lou and Claudia loved traveling and camping. They were members of the Flathead Lake Good Sams.

Lou is survived by his wife Claudia of Polson; his children, Linda Lou Marshall of Chimacum, Wash., Ron Duncan and his wife Julie, and Doug Duncan and his wife Kelly of Polson, and Clifford Duncan and his wife Debbie of Missoula; 10 grandchildren; two great- grandchildren; his siblings, Henry D. Marshall of Belton, S.C., Oma Simpson of Newark, Ohio, James D. Marshall of Coldwater, Mich., and Ruby Brinar of Albany, Ore.

Funeral services were held at the Polson Community Church on Sept. 20, with Pastor Rod Benner and the Rev. Richard Widerholdt co-officiating. Burial with military honors followed at Lakeview Cemetery.

Arrangements were by Grogan Funeral Home, Polson