Lucille Marcia Gibson

Lucille Marcia Gibson, 86, of Columbia Falls died on Nov. 26, 2008, from natural causes.

She was born on April 22, 1922 in Columbus, Neb., to Sutton and Martha Woods. She graduated from Marshall (Mo.) High School, attended Missouri Teachers College at Warrensburg and taught in a rural school.

In 1943, she worked for the U.S. Weather Bureau in Huron, S.D., and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy Waves in May 1944. She was then stationed at the Navy Weather Central in Seattle, Wash. While there, she met the love of her life, Albert O. Gibson, and they were married on Sept. 26, 1946 in Superior, Mont., and became parents of four children.

Mrs. Gibson loved teaching school as a substitute teacher. She never drove, so she caught the bus to school with the kids. She was an avid reader and loved sharing her knowledge with children of all ages.

The couple started traveling after retirement and was fortunate to have visited 49 states. She loved Alaska – “the land of the midnight sun” – because she could read all night.

She was preceded in death by her dad and mom, Sutton and Martha Woods.

She is survived by her husband, Al Gibson, and her four children, Steven and Merry Ann Gibson of Newport, Wash., Jeanne and Pat Burk of Trout Creek, Mont., Marcia and Chad Trenkle of Columbia Falls, Mont., and Mike and Carolyn Gibson of Columbia Falls; a sister, Barbara and husband Howard Ranes of Missouri; 17 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life for Mrs. Gibson is Saturday, Dec. 6 at 1 p.m., at the North Valley Community Center in Columbia Falls.