ETHEL DARNALL obituary

CHESTER - Ethel C. (Fugate) Keith Darnall, 80, of Chester died Wednesday, July 27, 2005, at her residence.

A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the United Methodist Church in Chester. Burial will follow at the Chester Cemetery.

Ethel was born June 1, 1925, at Greentop, Mo., to Oleph and Esther (Brenizer) Fugate. The Fugates moved to Washington state, where Ethel received her formal education. She graduated from Colville High School in 1943.

Ethel was working in Spokane when she met Lloyd Keith, a Montana native who was serving in the military.

They were married in 1944 and made their home in Chester. During their 24 years together, they owned and operated Keith Chevrolet and the County Fair Super Market in Chester. They divorced in 1968.

Ethel moved to Great Falls, where she worked at the Pin-&-Cue Bowling Alley and as an insurance clerk. In 1970, she met and married Robert Darnall. They lived and worked in the Kalispell community for several years. The Darnalls eventually purchased the Cedar Lodge Motel in Columbia Falls, which they operated for five years before selling it. They moved to Roundup, where they ran the Ideal Motel for a short time. Ethel and Bob then worked in motel management for the Imperial 400 chain in San Diego, Billings and Bozeman, until their retirement in 1994. They moved to Chester to be closer to family and friends.

They were active at the local senior center, where Ethel served on the board.

Ethel's hobbies included crocheting, bowling, traveling and playing board games and cards. In her quiet time at home, she enjoyed her favorite television shows: "The Guiding Light," "Jeopardy," "Wheel of Fortune," and "The Price is Right."

Ethel was preceded in death by her former husband; parents; son, James Keith; grandsons, Davey Keith and Robert Keith; and sisters, Bea Scammon, Letha Johnson, and Sarah Fugate.

Survivors include her husband of 35 years, Bob Darnall of Chester; sons, Jasper (Marilynne Black) Womach of Alexandria, Va., Donald (Lorri) Keith of Great Falls, David (Teri) Keith of Great Falls, Rodney (Inez) Keith of Chester, Kelly (Mary) Keith of Twenty Mile Palms, Calif., and Cal Keith of Great Falls; stepdaughters, Vicky Gearhart of Buffalo, Wyo., and Rhonda Jay of Waldorf, Md.; brothers, Lee Fugate of Colville, Wash., Ole Fugate of Centralia, Wash., and Glen Fugate of Salem, Ore.; 23 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.

Arrangements are by Rockman Funeral Chapel of Chester.