Lucille Virgina Shotwell, 93, a longtime resident of Kalispell, passed away on Feb. 8, 2014, in Plains. 

She was born Oct. 13, 1920, to Henry and Katherine Hofferber in her parents’ home in Laramie, Wyo., where she would eventually marry the love of her life, DeForest Norris Shotwell, who passed away in December of 1971. They were married Nov. 21, 1941. After her husband was discharged from military service as a meteorologist at the end of World War II, he became a music teacher in public school systems with stints in Deaver, Hanna, Rawlings and Douglas, Wyo.

 While in Douglas, DeForest, Lucille and daughter Kathy all ran the weather station for Douglas out of their home. The entire family was active in 4-H with projects in gardening, sheep and chicken rearing, sewing and cooking. They moved their six children to Kalispell in 1964. 

After DeForest's death, Lucille went back to school and got her education degree from the University of Montana, at the age of 54. She spent many years teaching at the Kalispell Junior High School working with special needs children. After she retired, she then tutored many children out of her home for several more years. Many a child turned adult today still has fond and grateful memories of Lucille turning their lives around. 

Lucille loved to knit and cook. She would make a big fuss about making cookies for when her children and their families would come to visit. Life for Lucille was not easy after DeForest's death and she became a very independent hard-working, fiesty woman; and at the same time very loving to those who mattered to her. 

She was preceeded in death by two of her three younger brothers, Ken and Edward Hofferber. 

Her surviving brother, Donald Hofferber, and his wife Billie, currently reside in Laramie, Wyo. She is also survived by her six children, Kathy Preble and her husband Jim of Cheney, Wash., Lynne Shotwell of Paradise, Mont., DeForest Norman Shotwell and his wife Eleonore of Monroe, Wash., Carol Giamario and her husband Jeff of Mountain View, Hawaii, Susan Lepore of Seattle, and Mary Storaasli and her husband Mark of Cheney. She has 10 grandchildren, Carissa Gipe and Jenny Preble (Kathy), Nathan Shotwell and Molly Klindt (Lynne), Michelle Gallik and Ryan Burgess (DeForest), Carmel Lepore and Layla Lepore (Susan), and Hannah Storaasli and Amanda Storaasli (Mary). She also has 10 great-grandchildren, with one on the way. 

A memorial service is planned for later in the spring.