Ned L. Decker

Ned L. Decker passed away Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007 at his son's home in Libby.

He was born April 28, 1916, in Ironton, Mich. to Fred R. Decker and Martha R.(Spencer) Decker. When he was 6 months old, his mother brought him to Augusta, Mont. on the train where his father and his father's twin brother, Frank, were logging with horses.

They later moved to the Libby area where Ned and his two brothers grew up.

Ned graduated from Libby High School in 1934 and hand logged with his father until1936.

He married Maybelle I. Hall April 6, 1940 after a courtship at church functions and youth groups.

He started working for J. Neils Lumber Co. in 1938 pulling a crosscut saw. He sawed logs until he began operating a dozer in 1945 and was then drafted into the Army where he served as a nurse on the hospital ship USS Hope Liberty until 1946. Upon discharge, he moved back to Libby and worked for J. Neil's Lumber Co.

Ned moved to Rexford in 1950 where the last permanent logging camp was set up on the river. He worked for J. Neils and St. Regis at Rexford as dozer operator, skid crew foreman and road foreman until his retirement in 1962.

Although Ned enjoyed work and spending time outdoors, his focus and love in life was his acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord at 16 years of age. That relationship overflowed into every aspect of his life.

He enjoyed meeting people and was always interested in knowing aspects of all working fields and was a good student of many wide and varied subjects. He had an excellent memory for people, places, dates and the Bible.

He enjoyed serving on the R.E.A. Board at Lincoln Electric, Church boards, Gideons, the Rexford School Board, as a Boy Scout leader, youth leader, and an adult Sunday School teacher. He always tried to give his best helping others.

Often when visiting with anyone it wouldn't take long for him to talk about almost any subject and people were amazed at the depth of knowledge Ned had stored in his head.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Maybelle; twin sons; his parents; his sister, Frances Cadis; and his brothers Perry Eldon Decker and Harold Montana Decker.

He is survived by daughters, Caroline and her husband Ron St. Onge of Bigfork; Kathryn and her husband Dan Emerson of Ronan; Jeannette and her husband Arnold Hansen, Jr. of Libby; and son Gene and his wife Lorraine, also of Libby. He had 26 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Viewing will be from 1-8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5 at the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home in Libby. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5 at the funeral home.

Services will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6 at the Christian Church, 100 Kootenai River Rd. in Libby. In lieu of flowers a donation in his name to the St. John's Home Health and Hospice Care or the Gideons would be appreciated.