Daniel Goyen

Daniel Robert Goyen, 65, died Friday, July 21, 2006, at his home on Libby Creek at the foot of Trainer Hill, a mile downstream from where he was born.

He was born Nov. 19, 1940, at Libby to Harry R. Goyen and Hazel Cline Goyen. Danny spent his first 10 years with his siblings playing and fishing in Libby Creek, in winter playing on the ice-covered creek and sledding down Trainer Hill. He and his brothers and sisters spent many enjoyable days roaming the countryside, eating serviceberries, chokecherries, and, in the spring, wild onions.

Danny lost his father in January 1943, not long after his second birthday.

In 1951, the family moved to Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Danny didn't like living in town but got a job working for a veterinary clinic, cleaning kennels and taking the dogs for walks. He started to spend summers at an older sister's ranch north of Bonners Ferry and later moved back to Libby to live on another sister's ranch, followed by a bigger ranch on Swamp Creek. After his mother died in 1957, he made his home at the Schneider Ranch as a foster child.

Danny graduated from Libby High School in 1959. He spent two years in Korea as a helicopter crew chief with the Army. After being discharged, he moved back to Libby and worked on local ranches. He worked for the Forest Service during fire season, then went to work for J. Neils Lumber Co. followed by St. Regis, Champion and Stimson, working in the woods or running machinery at the mill yard. He retired in 2002.

He married Rose Marquardt in 1968. They had three children, Carita, Teresa and Robert. He married Lindy Mellem in 1994.

Survivors include his wife Lindy of Libby; children Carita Lisell and husband Terry of Brooklyn Center, Minn., Teresa Fajotina and husband Peter of Libby, and Robert Goyen of Helena; brothers and sisters Earl Goyen and Mabel Beebe and husband John of Libby, Margaret Neu of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, Eunice Boeve and husband Ron of Phillipsburg, Kan., Larry Goyen and wife Pat of Torrington, Wyo., and June Garetson of Jacksonville, Fla.; grandchildren Kammi Leigh McClain and Autumn Rose Fajotina; foster brothers Bill Schneider and wife Theresa of Libby, Harry Schneider and wife Sue, also of Libby, and Jim Schneider of Arizona; foster sister Anna Miller of Kalispell; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Services were held Thursday at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home Chapel; interment with military honors followed in the City of Libby Cemetery.