James Aldrich

Longtime Troy resident Earl James Aldrich, 92, of Shelby, died Sunday, July 31, 2005, at the Pondera Medical Center Extended Care in Conrad.

Cremation has taken place and no services are planned.

Earl is survived by his wife of 58 years, Elsie Aldrich, Shelby; daughters Ella and her husband Buck Kidder, Troy; Earlene and her husband Steve Jellesed, Kaysville, Utah; Eloise Aldrich, Troy, and Eillen Richards and her best friend Steve Kramer, Shelby; 10 grandchildren and several great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, granddaughter Jackie Downey, great-granddaughter Shannon Kidder, sisters Gladys, Bessie, Vivian and Alice, and a brother, Cale.

Earl was born on Dec. 17, 1912, to Cale M. and Nellie Sullivan Aldrich in Madoc, where he attended school.

The family moved to Thompson Falls in 1930, during the depression.

Earl joined the U.S. Army during World War II, serving mostly in the Mediterranean Theater from 1942-1945.

He married Elsie Hale on March 31, 1947, at Missoula.

The couple settled in Troy, where he worked first as a logger and later as a tail sawyer, lumber puller and lumber grader.

Earl retired in December 1974 and they moved to Shelby in 1995.

He enjoyed fishing, camping, gardening and hunting, but his greatest joy was spending time with his family.