Russell "Gene" Eugene Wise

Russell “Gene” Eugene Wise fell asleep in death Nov. 1, 2020, surrounded by family. Gene was born Oct. 4, 1939, in Sandpoint, Idaho, to Russell and Gayle (Armstrong) Wise.

He grew up on the family farm, one of eight siblings in Heron. He attended school at Heron Elementary and graduated from Noxon High School in 1958. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service for a few years before starting his own logging business.

Gene was a logger, providing logs to many of the mills in northwest Montana and Idaho. Gene felt at home in the woods, he loved logging. But there was something that Gene loved even more and that was his relationship with his God, Jehovah. In 1974, Gene was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Through the years he served as an elder in both the Noxon Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses and then in the Libby congregation where he was dearly loved and respected by all. He helped many in both congregations by making time to study the Bible with them, helping them on the road to everlasting life. Gene enjoyed snowmobiling in his younger years as well as hunting, fishing, picking huckleberries and gardening. He will be dearly missed by all.

Gene is survived by his wife, Mary, of 32 years; daughters, Marie (Don) Rasmussen, Tracy (Bob) Roullier, and Wendy (Brian) Rick, all of Missoula; stepsons, Peter (Meng) Cady of Forest Grove, Ore.; Richard (Kirsten) Cady, Libby; Kenneth (Kimie) Cady of Jakarta, Indonesia; and Chuck (Denise) Cady of Scottsdale, Ariz.; sisters, Lela Wilson of Heron, JoAnne Miller of Noxon, and Betty Grigsby of Florence; brother, Harold (Mary) Wise of Libby; 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews, whom he loved so well.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Paul, and sisters, Patty (Skip) Thompsom and Juanita (Glenn) Watters.

Virtual services will be held via Zoom on Nov. 7, 2020, at 2 p.m. Meeting ID: 872 1609 9932 and passcode: 323921.

Arrangements are by Schnackenberg Funeral Home in Libby. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.schnackenbergfh.com.