ANN FREEMAN obituary

INVERNESS - Martha Ann (Bickle) Freeman, 82, died in her sleep at a Bigfork nursing facility on Wednesday, July 16, 2003.

Graveside services and burial will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Highland Cemetery in Havre with the Rev. VaunDalee Delong officiating. Special vocal music by Marcus Jochim will include "Amazing Grace" and "The Lord's Prayer." Family members will share scripture readings and special remembrances.

Ann was born in Havre to Hiram Bickle and Martha Green on April 7, 1921. She grew up in Havre where she received her education, graduating from Havre High School in 1939.

Ann married Archie E. "Bud" Freeman in September 1940. They made their home in Inverness, where they farmed and raised a family of four. In addition to being a homemaker, Ann worked part time as a CNA at the Liberty County Hospital and Nursing Home in Chester for several years.

Ann and Bud enjoyed spending their summers in the Flathead Valley. In 1956 they built a home on Whitefish Lake, where Ann loved to entertain family and friends. In 1974 they semi-retired and moved to their Whitefish home. They divorced in 1985. Ann remained in Whitefish until 1989, then moved to Kalispell. In 1998 she fell and broke her hip. She transferred to the Liberty County Nursing Home for extended care, where she lived until January 2003. She moved to the Lakeview Care Center in Bigfork to be near her daughters.

In her younger years Ann was affectionately called "Mugsy." She loved to dance, especially square dancing. During their early married years, they spent most Saturday nights dancing at the Inverness Bar & Steak House. Ann also enjoyed bowling in the Hi-Line mixed and women's leagues and attended many tournaments throughout the state in those early years. She liked to play cards with friends and was especially fond of bridge. She like to play the piano. She loved her home and was an excellent housekeeper. She had a green thumb for African violets and she always enjoyed working in her yard. Over the years she collected china, teacups and coffee mugs. In recent years she accumulated a large collection of stuffed animals. In her retirement years her favorite pastimes were circle work puzzles, keno and bingo.

Ann was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brothers, Tom Bickle and Robert Bickle; granddaughter, Annie Nell Diemert; great-grandson, Conner Paul Stevens; son-in-law, Jim Orcutt; and nephew, Jim Osburnson.

Survivors include her son, Gary Freeman of Thompson Falls; daughters, Karen (Lanny) Morton of Bigfork, Brenda (Vince) Pernicano of Missoula, and Marcia (Ed) Diemert of Lothair; 11 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; sisters, Winnie Osburnson and Jo Marsden, both of Missoula; and several nephews and nieces.

Arrangements are by Rockman Funeral Chapel in Chester.