Charles Hansberry

Charles W. (Wes) Hansberry passed away peacefully on Aug. 22, 2015, at Home Sweet Home Assisted Living in Eureka, after a battle with lung cancer. He was born in Libby October 13, 1931, to Harvey Earl Hansberry and Helen Norris Hansberry. He was named Charles for both his grandfathers, but was known affectionately as Wesley or Wes, to family and friends.

His earliest childhood was spent in Libby, until age 11 when the family moved to the small town of Warland, along the Kootenai River just above where Libby Dam now stands. He completed his elementary education at the Warland School, and attended two years of high school in Libby before beginning to work.

Even at a young age Wes held a high standard of work ethic. He first worked with his dad Earl, cutting Christmas trees for shipment, and at age 16 began working for the Great Northern Railway as a member of the section crew. He recalled one of his duties was staying up all night in winter time beside the railroad tracks to watch for and remove fallen rocks on the tracks that might hinder the trains.

In 1949, Wes began working for J. Neils Lumber Company falling timber using a crosscut saw with his dad. That year he also met Phyllis Applegate, the love of his life. They began dating in January of 1950 and were married Oct. 27, that same year.

The couple’s first residence was in a small cabin at Warland. The stories Wes told of negotiating the icy hill to their little home were highly entertaining. In 1951, they moved from Warland to the J. Neils Lumber camp at Rexford. Their first daughter Connie was born in 1952, and they moved to the Hansberry Ranch in the spring of 1953. After moving to the ranch, they added three other children Gary, Cathy and Randy.

Hansberry’s work career with J. Neils Lumber evolved through the years. He and his father were among the first to use gas powered chainsaws in 1951, then for a few months in 1952, Wes drove log truck for the company. He returned to being a sawyer for several years, later becoming a dozer operator building roads on log sales until beginning his own business, in 1968. First contracting his own skidder, and then branching out, Hansberry Logging grew to several skidders, caterpillar dozers, a line skidding machine, 25 employees, and five log truck haulers. Through the years J. Neils Lumber Company sold, and Wes continued contracting for the subsequent owners, including St. Regis Paper Co., Champion International and Plum Creek Timber.  He was highly regarded by those companies, receiving letters of commendation for his extreme proficiency and outstanding quality of work on his logging sales.

Hansberry retired from logging in 1996, but his work was far from done. His dream was cattle ranching, and owning registered Hereford cattle. He and his dad worked building up the herd, until Earl’s retirement in the early 1970s, at which time Wes bought his dad’s share, and continued ranching. During this time he proudly owned over 100 head of cattle. In 2006 he retired from ranching, spending his remaining years tinkering on the ranch, traveling some with Phyllis, and taking a few excursions with Frank and Joan Croucher.

Family was Wesley’s pride and joy and he spent many happy times during gatherings at the ranch, and camping at the Warland property with his parents, children, grandkids and great-grandkids. Many relatives enjoyed visits to the camp up Warland Creek where the food was good, the bonfire warm with stories and laughter and the cattle gave way to the deer roaming in the meadow.

In later years Wes was thrilled to watch as herds of elk would cross his property in the spring and fall. He enjoyed the outdoors and was always in tune with animals and nature, loving his livestock and pets. He was so loved by them in return, that he could call his cattle in to the barn by yelling “come on cows” to them.

He was preceded in death by his son Gary Wayne Hansberry and his sister Colleen Woodward.

Wes is survived by his wife of 64 years Phyllis, at the ranch in Eureka; daughter Connie and Gary Barker of Kalispell; daughter Cathy and Bill Marvel, Rexford; son Randy and Teresa Hansberry, Eureka; sister Shirley and Ray Nixon of Libby; sister-in-law Mary Johnson; brother-in-law Bud and Marian Applegate, all of Libby, sister-in-law Linda Arnold of Plains; grandchildren Pamela Lemer, Kyla Ekholt, Nikki Cheff, Monica West, Anna Garza, Kelsi Hansberry and Tim Hansberry; nine great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

A viewing will be held Friday from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Schnackenberg & Nelson Funeral Home in Eureka. Funeral Services will be held Aug. 29, 2015, at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Eureka. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.schnackengergfh.com.