ALVIRA FOLDEN obituary

GILDFORD - Theodora Alvira Wade Folden, 90, died Saturday, Nov. 22, 2003, at a Chester nursing facility.

Cremation has taken place. A memorial service with burial of ashes in Glasgow is being planned for the spring.

Alvira was born on July 23, 1913, in Hendricks, Minn., to Knute and Clara (Johnson) Dixon. She grew up in eastern Montana and received her education at Opheim. She graduated from Opheim High School in 1931.

Alvira married Lyle Wade on Nov. 1, 1934. They lived at Glasgow, where she worked as a homemaker and mother. He died on June 11, 1947.

She married Olaf Folden on Oct. 1, 1949. They made their home at Joplin for 11 years. In the late 1950s, Alvira worked as a clerk at the Joplin Post Office. In 1960, they moved to Gildford, where they owned and operated Folden's Garage. Alvira worked as a secretary for a few years at the Gildford School system. Following Olaf's death on Nov. 7, 1980, Alvira sold their Gildford home and business, and moved to Havre. In the late 1980s, she moved to the Eagles Manor, where she lived until her health began to fail. She moved to the Liberty County Nursing Home in Chester in October of 2002.

Alvira was a confirmed as a Lutheran at Opheim in 1929. During her retirement years, she attended the St. Paul Lutheran Church. She as a member of the Jolly Jane's Home Demonstration Club in Gildford.

Alvira loved her life as wife and mother. Her hobbies included sewing, knitting, oil painting and gardening. In her younger years, she enjoyed playing cards, especially pinochle and whist.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands; daughter, Belva Jean Stratton in 1996; sister, Hilma Johnson; and brothers, Harris, Kenneth and Elton Dixon.

Survivors include her children, Leslie Wade of Cut Bank, Bruce (Patti) Wade of East Helena, and Diane (Don) Miller of Gildford; stepchildren, Neil (Linda) Folden of San Jose, Calif., and Ann (Gale) Thielman of Great Falls; sister, Esther Honrud of Bellingham, Wash.; 15 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren.

Arrangements are by Rockman Funeral Chapel