Aletha 'Mae' Moore, 77
Daily Inter-Lake | UPDATED 2 days, 8 hours AGO
Aletha "Mae" Moore, 77, passed away peacefully at home with family by her side after enduring a long battle with corticobasal degenerative disease (CBD) on Dec. 25, 2025.
She was born on Feb. 6, 1948, to James and Ida Moore. Mae lived her entire life in the Flathead Valley where she raised two sons, Kipper and Corey Knote.
She had an entrepreneurial spirit, which led her to buy the Shortbranch Lounge in 1985, and later Van Allen Tax Service Inc. in Columbia Falls. Through these businesses she developed countless friendships and deep connections with the people she served.
Mae accepted everyone for who they were and treated everyone as if they were family. She had a passion to lend a helping hand to anyone in need, especially young adults trying to find their way in life. Her boys would come home from school for the summer and find they didn’t have a room to stay in, as Mae had given them away to one of the nieces or friends' kids who needed a place to get their feet under them.
She loved entertaining her family and friends; everyone was always welcome at her house, including dogs. Kids and dogs got the run of her house; she absolutely loved seeing the kids and dogs get wound up; she might have instigated a few of them getting in trouble with their parents a time or two. Mae loved life and always had time for you during the off-season. If you stopped by her house, you were going to drink, eat and be happy!
Mae was preceded in death by her parents, James and Ida Moore, sister, Darlene and brother, Leland.
She is survived by Marc Johnson, her longtime companion and caregiver; two sons, Kipper and Cory Knote; Kipper’s spouse, Arlene Anderson and their daughters, Addison and Lizzy; Cory’s spouse, Traci Knote and their daughters, Staci, Megan and Emma and five great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters, Betty Bertelsen (Roger), Pearl Carstens (Tom), Myrna Wade (Mike) and Sadie Stowell (Bob); her brothers, Lyle (Elaine), Ordean, Donald (Francis) and Jerome Moore; sister-in-law, Darlene Moore; as well as many nieces and nephews who loved her dearly.
Mae will be forever remembered for her big heart, love of life, family and friends.
A celebration of life is being planned for late spring 2026, and details will be posted as they are finalized.