Jewel Louise Weber

Jewel Louise Weber, former 35-year resident of Polson, died at the Evergreen Hospice Center in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, Wash., on Dec. 22, 2007, following a courageous and dignified battle with cancer.

Jewel was wife of the late Jerome P. Weber of Polson. She was born in Milnor, N.D., on Dec. 4, 1931, to Rudolph and Louise Fangsrud. Following her graduation as valedictorian of the nearby Cayuga (N.D.) High School class of 1949, Jewel was married and began her family of 12 children in the town of Cayuga. In 1968, the Weber family moved to Polson, where Jewel lived until 2003, when she moved to Port Angeles on Washington's Olympic peninsula to be closer to her children living in the area. She returned to the Seattle area for cancer treatment, assisted living, and hospice care.

Jewel was predeceased by her late husband, Jerome, who died on Dec. 22, 1995, and by her daughter, Mary Louise Weber, who drowned at Turtle Lake, near Polson, at the age of 6 in 1970.

Jewel is survived by 11 sons and daughters and seven grandchildren: son Philip Weber of Missoula; daughter Patricia Weber Salemme, son-in-law F. Raymond Salemme, and grandsons Patrick Salemme and Bruno Salemme of Yardley, Pa.; son David Weber of Evanston, Wyo.; daughter Lisa Weber of Spokane; son Tim Weber of Bainbridge, Wash.; son Nicholas Weber of Indianapolis; son Warren Weber, daughter-in-law Connie Coles Weber, and grandson Coles Jerome Weber of Bothell, Wash.; son Guy Weber of Seattle and grandsons Paden Weber and Ian Weber of Henderson, Nevada; son Cletus Weber, daughter-in-law Elizabeth Peng, and grandchildren Vienna Weber and Edison Weber of Mercer Island, Wash.; daughter Colette Weber of Sydney, Australia; and son Julian Weber and daughter-in-law Jaidee Forman Weber of Seattle.

Jewel is also survived by eight brothers and sisters: James Fangsrud of Ronan, Beatrice Fangsrud Weber of Danvers, Minn., Roger Fangsrud of Missoula, Armand Fangsrud of Missoula, Marvel Fangsrud of Portland, Ore., Henry Brickzin of Plains, Frances Brickzin O'Connell of Missoula, and Sandy Brickzin of Ronan.

Jewel was a long-time nurse's aide in Polson, and upon earning her B.S.N. degree at Salish Kootenai College in Pablo in 1993, she became a registered nurse, continuing to work in Polson and Ronan. Following her retirement as a nurse, Jewel worked several years in the crafts department at Wal-Mart in Polson and then Port Angeles, where she also volunteered at St. Vincent de Paul charities.

Throughout her life, Jewel loved gardening, pottery, quilting, painting, and other arts and crafts, teaching her children and grandchildren as well. One of her quilts won the Folk Art Division at a juried show in Williamsburg, Va., in 1995, and her pottery was featured at galleries in Polson, Missoula, Park City, Utah, and Minneapolis.

The initial memorial service for Jewel was held at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Bothell, on Dec. 26. A subsequent private viewing and prayer service will be held on Friday, Dec. 28 at the Grogan Funeral Home in Polson at 11 a.m., followed by a 1 p.m. burial ceremony at Lakeview Cemetery in Polson, where Jewel's body will be laid to rest next to her late husband and near her late daughter Mary Louise.

Memorials in Jewel's name should be made to the Nursing Endowment Fund at Salish Kootenai College, Pablo, MT 59855.