Esther Evelyn Shoquist

Esther Evelyn (Twedt) Shoquist, retired secretary, passed away on Saturday, December 17, 2016 at St. Luke Extended Care in Ronan, MT. Esther was born September 5, 1923 on the homestead farm on the Fairfield bench to parents George and Clara (Talifson) Twedt.

Esther attended grade school at the original East Greenfield School and also Fairfield grade school. She attended Choteau High School and later the new Fairfield High School where she graduated in 1941. She attended Great Falls Commercial College and also worked at the time for Consolidated Freightways.
While on a visit to San Diego, she decided to stay and was employed at the U.S. Naval Hospital where many wounded from the battlefields of the South Pacific war zone were treated during WWII. She returned to Fairfield to help her father on the family farm while her brother was deployed as part of the D Day invasion of Europe. She also worked at the Fairfield Ration office during WW2.

Esther married Grant Shoquist, March 1945, at St Paul Lutheran Church. Esther and Grant as infants were baptized the same day, later confirmed the same day and later married. Esther and Grant resided on the Shoquist family farm until Grants death. They raised 3 children on the farm. Esther was secretary at the Montana FWP at Freezeout Lake management area for 28 years.

After retirement she spent winters in Arizona for many years. Summers were spent at the family cabin at Seeley Lake enjoying many happy times with family and friends. She also enjoyed the deer, loons and the occasional bear that made visits to the cabin and created a few scary moments. She enjoyed the outdoors and believed everything was beautiful in its own way.

Esther was a past member of St Paul Lutheran Church, Grace Lutheran Church and currently Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Polson. She was a member of Sons of Norway Lodge, Ladies Aux. VFW and Eagles auxiliary. She enjoyed bowling, golfing and dancing.

She especially enjoyed watching her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren in all their sports activities. She was grateful and proud of her loving children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was also very proud of her Norwegian heritage.

In addition to her husband she was preceded in death by her parents, brother Orris and sister Clarice.
She is survived by her children Mike (Marylou), Darrell (Francie), and Connie (Lenny) Glenn; grandchildren, Dr. Devin (Abigail) Shoquist, Liesel Shoquist, Tim (Kendra) Shoquist, Lindsey (Jeb) Thomas, and 5 great grandchildren.

Memorial services at Grace Lutheran Church on April 22, 2017 at 1:00 pm and burial at Sunset Hills Cemetery in Fairfield, Mt. Suggested memorials may be made to the Great Falls Rescue Mission at P.O. Box 129, Gt Falls, Mt 59403 or the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital at P.O. Box 50, Memphis, Tn. 38101.