James W. Holley

POLSON — James W. Holley, 83, died on March 4, 2005, in Polson after a long illness. He was born April 8, 1921, in Terry, to James and Mary Walker Holley. He graduated from Lodge Grass High School in 1938 and attended Montana State College (now University) in Bozeman.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942 and was stationed in Italy where he served until 1945. He graduated from the University of Montana in Missoula in June 1947.

He worked for General Motors until he bought and operated Flathead Bowl in Polson with his brother-in-law Bob Kenyon. There he met Myrna Farrell, whom he married on Nov. 4, 1950, in Polson. They moved to Seattle in 1953, where he worked for Boeing for 32 years. After James retired in 1985, he and his wife moved to Surfside, Wash., on the Long Beach Peninsula. They returned to Polson in 1995.

James is survived by his wife; their children and spouses, Alyson and Jim Stogsdill of Soldotna, Alaska; Jim and Lisa Holley of Seattle; and Michael and Marte Holley of Los Angeles; granddaughter, Holley Stogsdill of Anchorage, Alaska; siblings Mabel Fuller of Rochester, Minn., Fern Kenyon of Bellevue, Wash., Helen Thompson of Auburn, Wash., and Keith Holley, of Rochester; and many nieces and nephews.

The family thanks the staff of Evergreen Health & Rehabilitation Center and Dr. David Gorman for the exceptional care James received.

A memorial service will take place at a later date. James was an avid reader and the family suggests donations to the Polson Public Library, Box 820, Polson, MT 59860.