Joleen Joyce Lively
Joleen Joyce Lively passed away on April 19, 2020, at her home in Yuma, Arizona.
Joleen Joyce Johnson was born on April 22, 1942, to Francis Stuart Johnson and Lenora Winifred Negley in Hartford City, Indiana. She grew up in small farming communities in Indiana, Missouri and Iowa where as a young girl she drove a tractor and helped with the family dairy cows to help earn income for the family. She graduated high school in Stewartsville, Missouri.
In November 1982, Joleen married the love of her live, Jack Lively, and they built a tremendous life together. They were together for over 42 years and married for almost 38 years. Joleen was proud of all they accomplished. From owning the cabin in the woods, long haul truck driving, supporting Jack while he worked at Somont Oil, and working countless catering and food truck events and sales, they did it together and she was very proud of Jack and the life they built. Her passion included participating in and actively supporting Elks Club, Shriners, and submarine reunions.
Joleen worked hard all her life and was a skilled manager, cook, bartender, florist, dump truck driver, painter and sales person. “Jack-of-all-trades, master of none,” she would say. The truth is she was very skilled and became an expert at everything she did. She made everything taste good, enjoyed catering events, and was always the first to help plan meals to bring people together and spend time with friends. She was an experienced bartender and worked and managed many bars in Iowa, Montana and California. Some of the notable locations were Casey’s, Whitefish Golf Course in Whitefish, Snow Slip Inn in Essex, The Park Bar in East Glacier, Pete’s Cocktails in National City, California, and the Elks Club in Shelby and Kalispell. She was an employee for Montana road construction and was proud that she was a card-carrying union member. She lived a nomadic life while working construction in Montana including Broadus, Miles City and Ashland and near the Yogo Sapphire Mines. She managed the Kevin Senior Citizens Center in Kevin, where she planned activities and prepared and served meals for the residents and shut ins. She was a skilled salesperson and was a top distributor of Princess House Crystal in Lubbock, Texas, and Hobbs, New Mexico. Jack and Joleen would snow bird south to Yuma. The Flathead Valley in Montana was a favorite location for her and where she called home.
Joleen loved to knit and work with her hands. She was extremely creative and could learn stitches and patterns with ease. Want to know how long and how many miles it takes to knit a king size bedspread with shams? She could tell you ... it was about six thousand miles. She enjoyed the long haul truck driving with Jack. The times they shared on the truck seeing the country together and later working regional routes in New Mexico and Texas were some of the best experiences of Joleen’s life. She hand made dolls, slippers, cross stitch and canvas art ... all unique and specially crafted.
Joleen loved jewelry and collected jewelry her entire life. Wearing a ring on every finger and multiple diamond earrings, the bigger the better, was a trademark of hers. When she could not afford expensive jewelry, she made beaded jewelry and would at times trade her paycheck for gemstones and other jewelry. Always a collector, she loved Whitefish Winter Carnival pins, art, porcelain figurines and dolls, flowers and old coins. She loved being surrounded with beautiful things.
Joleen loved her pets and kept them close as constant companions. Jock, her beloved poodle, first captured her heart. She owned everything from llamas to cockatiels, and a miniature horse that she won and took home from the Northwest Montana County Fair. But, it was her beloved dogs, Fancy, Princess and little Sassy that were always close to her and rarely left her side.
She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her!
Joleen is survived by her husband, Jack Lively, of Kalispell; her son Jeff (Jeanette) Jergens of Shelby; her daughter Dawn (Timothy) Schmidt of Layton, Utah; and granddaughters Kayla (Darren) Colwell of Riverdale, Utah, Kristin Schmidt of Salt Lake City, and her grandson Owen Schmidt of Layton; and granddaughters Shadee (Tyler) Kapus of Denver, and Clary Jergens of Great Falls; and many great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters, Deborah (Charles) Hoisington of Chariton, Iowa, and Kristine Johnson of Des Moines, Iowa; and two stepdaughters, Cindy Patterson of Port Orchard, Washington, and Kathleen Arrant of Charleston, South Carolina.
She was preceded in death by her baby brother Charles “Chucky” Negley Johnson, her mother Lenora Winifred Negley Johnson, her father Francis Johnson, her sister Jeri Willhite, and her brother Martin “Butch” (Beverly) Johnson.
A celebration of life service is to be held at 2 p.m. on June 24 at the Kalispell Elks Lodge No. 725, 1820 Hwy. 93 S., Kalispell.