Dixie Peltier

Dixie Lois Brock Peltier, 80, died Friday, May 19, 2006, in Kalispell.

She was born to Roy Brock and Kathryn Gaertner Brock at Ione, Wash., on April 3, 1926.

Dixie moved with her parents back to the family homestead on the West Kootenai in north Lincoln County. Because Dixie was bedridden with asthma for 10 months at age 6, the family placier-mined gold on Wolf Creek for a short time to get her out in the sunshine.

She graduated from Lincoln County High School in Eureka in 1945.

Dixie married Richard Peltier on April 9, 1949, while he was serving with the U.S. Army at Fort Ord in California. They resided in Eureka, Condon Ranger Station, Kalispell and then in Libby for 33 years before retiring and moving to Kalispell.

In Libby, Dixie was a salesperson for several companies including Avon; she had been a Boy Scout den mother and had served on the district roundtable as well as serving as publicity chairperson for the area Girl Scouting program. She had a great love of embroidery work, and sending cards and letters to friends. She had been an active, donating member of the food pantry and friends of the Animal Shelter for Libby and Eureka.

Best known in the area for her writing skills, Dixie had been a member of the MIA Libby Writers Group and later, the Authors of the Flathead. She had produced numerous articles, stories and short stories in many magazines and books. Most recently a work she submitted will be published in "Focus On The Family" magazine.

While in Libby, she had attended the Episcopal Church and after moving to Kalispell, had attended the Nazarene Church. She had been a longtime member of the Minerva Minions home demonstration club and an active volunteer at the Heritage Museum in Libby.

Surviving her is her husband of 57 years, Richard (Dick) Peltier of Kalispell; daughter, Kathy Peltier, of Kalispell; sons, Larry Peltier of Trego, and Marty Peltier and his wife, Carol Ann, of Libby; her grandchildren, Christina, Kyle, Nathan, Jona and Karl; and many cousins and lifelong friends.

Services were Tuesday, May 23, at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Eureka. Visitation was from 9 a.m. to service time. Interment was in Tobacco Valley Cemetery under the direction of Nelson and Vial Funeral Home.