Twila Nygaard, 65, of Trout Creek

Twila Nygaard of Trout Creek passed away July 5, 2013, at the home she shared with Richard Nygaard for 46 years. 

During the last few years of her life, and until she took her last breath, Twila was surrounded closely by her loving family.

Twila was born Nov. 11, 1947, to George A. and Kathleen Brown. She was the second child born and the only girl of six children. She held her own with five brothers growing up, which is what made her the fighter she was until the end.

Twila attended grade school in Trout Creek and high school in Noxon. Shortly after high school, she met Richard Nygaard, married him twice to make sure he understood and settled down in Trout Creek to raise three children, Teresa, Traci and Rory.

Twila and Richard built a wonderful home and farm together during the years and their children couldn’t have had a better or more loving place to grow up. In fact, it was on the family farm where they learned an unprecedented work ethic.

Twila and Richard worked from sun up to sundown, whether doing housework, gardening, logging or haying. No one stopped until the job was done — and done right.

Twila had a garden the size of a football field, canning much of it in her earlier years. She also helped with the haying all summer, and could stack hay bales in the back of the truck tighter than anyone could. You could hit a ditch at full speed and those bales wouldn’t even sway.

She was blessed with a knack for storytelling, just like her father and grandfather, and kept everyone in stitches as she relived a childhood memory or any other event. Throughout her life Twila had a love of reading, starting with every Zane Grey or Louis L’Amour that was ever written, and in her later years she expanded her choices to include nearly every book in the Thompson Falls and Missoula libraries.

Twila spent just shy of 20 years working for U.S. Forest Service in Libby and then in Trout Creek until her retirement in 2008. She was an active lifetime member of the Order of Eastern Star for 30 years, and keeping her coveted cosmetology license current all these years was important to her as well.

Twila was happiest when Richard and her children were near, and during the  last few months of her life, she reflected on what she called a very “full” life. She said she did everything she wanted to do, and had no regrets. 

She leaves most in complete awe at what a selfless, courageous and strong person she was throughout her life and especially at the end.

Twila was preceded in death by her father, George A. Brown; her grandmothers, Nellie Melnrick and Armour Brown; and her grandfather, Clinton Brown.

She is survived by her loving and devoted husband, Richard; her loving and devoted mother, Kathleen; her loving and devoted children and their families, Teresa and Myron and Teresa’s daughter Heather, Traci and her children, Stephanie and Tyler, Rory and Deanna and Rory’s sons Rick and Jake, her five brothers, Clinton, John, George C., Zane and Webb, who she loved very much, along with their spouses and children. 

Also surviving is her mother-in-law, Elsie, who came to live with them at Twila’s insistence; her three sisters-in-law and their families.

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Friday, July 12, at Trout Creek Community Church, followed by a graveside service.