Kenneth Lavern Frost

On Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016, at the age of 77, Kenneth Lavern Frost, our beloved husband, father and grandfather passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

On Aug. 12, 1939, Ken was born the seventh child of Floyd C. and Edna Greene Frost at the family home on Sinclair Creek near Eureka. He spent his childhood on the Sinclair Creek home, attending the nearby Glen Lake one-room school and then graduating from Lincoln County High School in Eureka with the class of 1957. While in school, he met and fell in love with Geraldine Krueger.

On June 15, 1958, Ken and Gerry married in Eureka. Their marriage was blessed with two daughters, Becky Jean in 1960 and Jill Yvonne in 1962. Ken and Gerry initially made their home in “old” Rexford. After construction of the Libby Dam and the eventual flooding of “old” Rexford, Ken and Gerry, along with many friends and neighbors, relocated to a bench overlooking the newly-minted Lake Koocanusa and established the town of “new” Rexford.

Ken spent most of his working life in the forests of Lincoln County as a logger. At 12, he began his apprenticeship at his father’s gypo saw mill, working as a tail sawyer. He also spent time hauling cants with his truck for other local mills. After his marriage, Ken took a job with the J. Neils Lumber Company (which later became St. Regis) with its Rexford logging outfit. Ken worked as a choker setter, sawyer and scaler, and also operated a skidder and road grader.

In 1981, after Champion shut down the old St. Regis Rexford crew, the family moved to Libby, and Ken took a position at Champion’s Libby mill site, working at the loading docks and running heavy equipment. Champion, too, ultimately closed its doors, and Ken finished his working days with the City of Libby’s road maintenance department. In September 2002, Ken, grinning from ear to ear, retired.

Outside of work, Ken had a life-long passion for horses. Ken was a champion O-Mok-See racer, a member of the Libby Roping Club and the Backcountry Horseman. Some of Ken’s most treasured memories were of backcountry pack trips with his wife and friends into the Bob Marshall Wilderness and his many trail rides in the Kootenai National Forest and the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness. He was also a skilled wood carver and outdoor photographer, leaving many pieces for his family to share and cherish.

Indeed, Ken was devoted to his family. He was especially proud of his beloved grandsons, often remarking that they were his most prized reward on this earth. He was particularly thankful his second grandson, Derek, finally gave him a granddaughter when Derek and M’Lynda were married.

Ken is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Gerry; daughters Becky and her husband Brent Miller; and Jill and her husband Joe Sark; grandsons, Kyle Elliott (Nelson), Derek Elliott and his wife, M’Lynda Elliott; Alexander Luce and Braeden Miller; great-grandson, Samuel Elliott, and two step-grandsons, Lee Luce and Jeremy Miller; three sisters, Vivian Purdy, Jacqueline Holder and Roberta Johnson, a brother Stanley Frost and many other nieces, nephews and other friends and relatives.

Ken was preceded in death by his parents, Floyd and Edna Frost, two brothers, Floyd Frost, Jr., and Wayne Frost, one sister, Helen Riebe and five nephews, Keith Purdy, Gary Purdy, Larry Frost, Barry Frost and Dan Riebe.

A celebration of life service will be announced at a later date. Arrangements are by Schnackenberg & Nelson Funeral Home in Eureka. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.schnackenbergfh.com.