Beulahmae Marchbanks

July 13, 1917 - July 30, 2008

KALISPELL, Mont. — Beulahmae Marchbanks, age 91, former area resident, passed away July 30, 2008 at Kalispell Regional Medical Center in Kalispell, Mont. Beulahmae was born July 13, 1917 to Rinehart Fredrick and Eva (Guthrie) Winters in Milford, Iowa. She spent her childhood in Milford, Iowa; Wert, Minn.; Pryor, Mont.; Eureka, Mont.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Ouray, Colo.; and Denver, Colo., and was a graduate of West High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, with Post-graduate training in accounting, writing skills and music. Beulahmae's occupation was an accountant, Administrative Manager, Musician, Published Author and Poet.

Beulahmae married Hubert Charles Marchbanks on Sept. 26, 1937 at the Broadway Baptist Church in Denver, Colo. Hubert preceded her in death on Jan. 17, 2004.

Beulahmae was a long time resident of Colorado. Following her marriage to Hubert in September 1937, the couple farmed at Menoken and then east of Montrose. She moved to Olathe in 1946, when Hubert purchased the Red Glow Coal and Transfer and built a home adjacent to what is now known as Aspen Court. They later leased a ranch below Lake City, and Beulahmae worked as an Office Manager for the Ute Mining Company. In 1953, the

family relocated to Uravan where Beulahmae accepted employment with the U.S. Postal Service. In 1958, her family moved from Uravan, Colo. to a ranch they purchased along the Kootenai River near Rexford, Mont., and worked as an Office Manager in the Naturopathic Clinic at Eureka. To make way for construction of the Libby Dam on the Kootenai River, the ranch was subsequently purchased by the U.S. Government, and the family relocated to Eureka where she resided until retirement in 1977. Following retirement, Hubert and Beulahmae purchased a home in Hot Springs where she resided until his death in 2004.

Beulahmae was a very talented singer, songwriter, musician, author and poet. At the age of 12, she could sing 'like beautiful songbirds' and in 1936, she began singing and playing guitar professionally on South Broadway in Denver, Colo., under the name 'Yodeling Sally.' Beulahmae taught private piano and guitar lessons for many years and was a very accomplished accordion and mandolin player. Throughout her life, she continued to sing and brought music enjoyment to many nursing homes, senior centers and other social functions

throughout the region. In 1981, Beulahmae also published a 130-page collection of song lyrics, poetry and prose titled 'The Hidden Stream.' She continued to write and subsequently published 'Rapid River ripples - A Collection of Woodland Meditations and Other Writings' in 1993.

Survivors include two sons, Bert Marchbanks (Maralene) of Eureka, Mont., and Keith Marchbanks (Ruth) of Mesquite, Nev.; five grandchildren, Barbara Riley (Russell) of Columbia Falls, Mont., Leslie Barry (Todd) of Bozeman, Mont., Teresa Sovine (Bret) of St. Augustine, Fla., Stephanie Marchbanks of Rochester, Mich., Katie Beckman (Eric) of Mount Pleasant, Mich.; five great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild.

Beulahmae was preceded in death by a son, Garland Charles Marchbanks (June 20, 1940-Sept. 12, 1951); brothers, Rex Foy Winters (May 4, 1915-Feb. 20, 1963), Theodore Guthrie Winters (ca 1920-died at birth), sister, June Estelle Winters (April 18, 1916-Feb. 20, 1918).

Visitation for family and friends will be held at Crippin Funeral Home Chapel in Montrose, Colo. on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008 from 3 to 5 p.m. A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008, at 1 p.m., at the Olathe Cemetery in Olathe, Colo. A second memorial, a 'Celebration and Remembrance for the Life of Beulahmae Marchbanks' will be held on Tuesday, August 19, 2008, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Mountain View Manor, Eureka, Montana. Memorial contributions may be made to: Mountain View Manor Van Fund, in Memory of Beulahmae Marchbanks, c/o Mountain View Manor, P. O. Box 327, 10 Mountain View Drive, Eureka, MT 59917.

Arrangements are under the direction of Crippin Funeral Home, 802 E. Main, Montrose, CO 81401 (970) 249-2121.