Louise LaMoose (Toppseh) Combs

ARLEE — The morning of Sunday, July 3, 2005, our beloved grandmother left us to join family members who had passed on. She had been lonesome and talked about her parents, sisters, grandparents, aunts and uncles for several months.

Two years ago, she told us that our grandfather came to get her. She told him that she wasn't ready yet because she had not prepared us for her departure. She had to prepare us before she could leave us to join him. That was Louise LaMoose (Toppseh) Combs, putting her grandchildren's needs before her own.

Grandma was born Oct. 24, 1900. She lived her entire life in the Arlee area except for the years she spent at Cushman Indian School in Tacoma, and the summer months in the late 1940s when she and our grandfather harvested fruit in the Bitterroot Valley.

Grandma was preceded in death by many, many family members, including infant son, Richard; infant granddaughter, Sharon; husband, Abel Combs; daughter, Margaret; grandson, Neil Charlo; great-grandson, Robert "Don" Sanchez; and great-great-great-grandson, Kellen McDonald.

She is survived by three grandchildren, Rose Pablo (Gil Parizeau), Joe Pablo (Melinda) and Clarice King (Rudy), all of Arlee; 16 great-grandchildren; 38 great-great-grandchildren; four great-great-great-grandchildren; nieces; nephews; and her very special friend, Oshanee Kenmille.

One great-great-grandson cannot be with us during the memorial services. Robert Sanchez is currently stationed at Fort Benning, Ga. He is in his second week of airborne training. He was advised to stay and complete his training because Grandma always told us, "finish what you start." Another great-great-grandson, Arnie McDonald Jr., is serving his second tour in Afghanistan and hopefully was going to make it to the services.

Funeral services were July 7 at the Arlee Community Center with burial in the Jocko Cemetery.