John S. Roseland, 82, formerly of Libby

John Samuel Roseland

died at home in Kalispell, Mont., on Sept. 12, 2012, four years after his diagnosis of throat cancer.

John was born Dec. 7, 1929, in Hartley, Iowa, second child of John Tobias Roseland and Floy Aurit Roseland. 

He was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity at the University of Iowa. In 1948-49 he was a gold miner, trapper and dog musher at Tanana, Alaska. 

John served with 8th Army Headquarters, Far East Command from 1951-53 and was awarded the Korean Service Medal. After his service, he graduated with a degree in pharmacy from Drake University where he belonged to Kappa Psi pharmaceutical fraternity.

He married Elizabeth Jane Doolittle in Luverne, Minn., in 1951.

John practiced pharmacy in Iowa and Montana, retiring in 1974 with the sale of Roseland Drug in Lewistown, Mont., where he served two terms as Post Commander of the VFW. 

He and Liz took time off to sail in the Florida Keys and Bahamas on the sloops Ciao and Wild Goose before returning to Montana to build and operate John’s Drive-In at Troy, which they sold in 1980. John and Liz built their retirement home on the Kootenai River at Troy where they lived happily until Liz’s passing in 2000.

John was preceded in death by his wife Elizabeth, his parents, and brother Joseph Roseland. He is survived by brother Robert Roseland of Des Moines, Iowa; sister Patricia Carrell of Clovis, Calif.; daughter Kristine Roseland (Walt) Wolf of Vashon, Wash.; Jennifer (Garry) Hefty of Manhattan, Mont.; son John “Rosey” (Lisa) Roseland of Thorne Bay, Alaska; grandson Morgan Hefty of Manhattan, Mont., and his dear companion Marlys Barr of Kalispell, Mont.

By the express wishes of the deceased, there will be no memorial service.