Elinor Falcon, 94

Elinor Beth (Baxter) Falcon was born on June 10, 1931, in Fairview to Ralph and Harriet (Glabb) Baxter. She had two brothers, Donald and Larry Baxter and two sisters, Elaine Adams and Pamela Harada. She was raised in Fairview.

Elinor had many jobs growing up, from babysitting, cleaning neighbors’ homes, making butter, stacking hay and other farm duties. She also enjoyed selling movie theater tickets and popcorn.

Elinor met her husband, Lawrence Willis Falcon, when he came to tell her the boy she had been seeing was hit by a train and killed. Elinor always said Lawrence liked her best cause she got him into the movie for free and gave him free popcorn. They were married on July 31, 1948, in Sidney, Montana. They had three sons, Daniel Lawrence, David Lee and Gary Thomas.

After the birth of the boys, Lawrence began working on road construction. They packed up their home, a trailer and moved to wherever Lawrence was sent to work. They never stayed in one place for too long. When one job was done, it was on to the next. As the boys left home, Elinor joined Lawrence in working in road construction as a flagger and a stake jumper. When asked what she thought her greatest accomplishment was, she said it was showing those men that a woman could work in road construction just as well as them. She was proud of that time in her life.

Lawrence and Elinor were in a car accident in November of 1976. It took Lawrence’s life and Elinor was in the hospital for months. She then moved to the Flathead Valley in 1977, staying there until her passing on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.

Elinor was proud to be a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. From all of her moves, she made many friends and was loved by all. She also shared her love of crocheting and knitting with many. She made hundreds of potholders, probably just as many afghans, as well as homemade sweaters and coats. 

Elinor was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Harriet Baxter; her husband, Lawrence; her partner, Eugene Hodges; her brothers, Don and Larry Baxter; her sister, Elaine Adams and her daughter-in-law, Leslie Falcon. 

She is survived by her sister, Pamela Harada, husband, Rick of Havre; her sons, Daniel Falcon, wife, Jean of Great Falls, David Falcon, wife, Teresa of Kalispell and Gary Falcon, partner, Margaret Pyette of Bonners Ferry, Idaho; grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Larry Falcon, wife, Stephanie of Spokane, Washington; Kevin Falcon, wife, Crystal and son, Kaleb of Athol, Idaho and Jessica Fausey, husband, Jake of Kalispell and numerous nieces, nephews and their families.

Elinor will be laid to rest later this Fall in Havre. Donations in memory of Elinor Falcon can be made to the Sunrisers Lions Club, P.O. Box 906, Kalispell, MT 59901, or the Montana Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation, P.O. Box 1925, Columbia Falls, MT 59912.