Mary Lou McAlpin, 97

Mary Lou (Groves) McAlpin, 97, passed away peacefully at Logan Health Medical Center in Kalispell on July 16, 2026, after a brief illness.

She was born June 30, 1929, at home in Polson to Mary (Frost) and Louis Groves and was named after her parents.

She attended Polson schools and married her high school sweetheart, Ross McAlpin, on Sept. 16, 1949. They lived on the family farm on the south shore of Flathead Lake where they raised four children: Bob, Wes, Judy and Sue.

Mary Lou was a hard-working homemaker who enjoyed gardening, raising animals, baking, sewing, knitting, crocheting and many other crafts.

She was an active 4-H Leader, a member of the Polson Christian Church, clerk at a local grocery store and a summer cook for the Forest Service near Glacier Park after the 1964 flood.

In 1978, she and Ross moved to Bigfork to enjoy a quieter life where they joined Swan Chapel. After retiring they spent winters in Yuma, Ariz., with their "snowbird" friends.

Mary Lou joined Immanuel Lutheran when she moved to Buffalo Hill Terrace Retirement Community in 2017. She loved her nine years there, participating in bingo, church and many bus excursions.

Two weeks before her death, she enjoyed her 97th birthday celebration with all her family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Ross of 62 years, daughter and son-in-law Judy and Larry Fitzpatrick, grandson Sean Jackson, infant great-granddaughter Ada McAlpin, two sisters and two brothers.

She is survived by her three children: Bob (Jeannie) and Wes (Randee) McAlpin and Sue (Gary) Jackson, seven grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and sister, Joyce Pickel.

A Memorial Service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at Buffalo Hill Terrace Auditorium, 40 Clarement St. in Kalispell.

Memorials may be made to Swan Chapel, Swan Lake, Mont., or a charity of choice.