ESTELLE WARD obituary

AUBURN, Wash. - Havre native Estelle Beatrice (Kickbusch) Ward, 82, of Auburn, Wash., died Friday, Nov. 11, 2005, of natural causes at Auburn, Wash.

Funeral services were conducted Nov. 18 at Hobart Community Church with burial in Maple Valley.

Estelle was the second of identical twins born to August and Mildred Kickbusch on April 12, 1923, at Havre. She graduated from Havre High School in 1941, with her twin, Eleanor, and sister, Wilma, and worked as a waitress at Danny's Cafe in Havre. During World War II, Estelle was employed in a battery factory making flashlights for the military.

Estelle and Robert “Bob” Damschen were married briefly during this time and were the parents of a daughter, Marlene.

In 1947, Estelle married Lawrence Ward, of Havre. They had four children, Laurel, Cheryl, Randy and Terry. Estelle and Lawrence moved to the Maple Valley, Wash., area in the early 1950s. They divorced in 1965.

Estelle moved to Auburn in 1968, where she shared her life with Larry “Pete” Burnett for 37 years. He was her devoted caregiver for the past several years. Estelle enjoyed sewing, gardening (especially flowers), picking mushrooms and digging for clams and oysters. She also enjoyed outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting and berry picking with her family. The last few years she especially loved her three kitties, Butterball, Squirty and Spot.

Estelle was preceded in death by her son, Terry Ward, in 1979; twin sister, Eleanor Laugen, in 1980; brother, Roy Kickbusch, in 1995; grandson, Keith McMillan, in 1998; and sister, Helen Tadewaldt, in 2002.

Survivors include her life partner, Larry “Pete” Burnett, of Auburn, Wash .; daughters, Marlene (Mike) McMillen of Port Angeles, Wash., Laurel Carroll of Black Diamond, Wash., and Cheryl (Rich) Cabral of Newark, Calif .; and son, Randy (Cindy) Ward of Livingston; brother, Willard Kickbusch of Havre; sisters, Wilma Berg of Great Falls and Jean Kato of Desert Hot Springs, Calif .; 13 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; one great-great grandchild; and numerous loving nieces and nephews.

Friends and family members are invited to share memories and sign the family's online guest book at http://www.flintofts.com. Memorials may be made in Estelle's memory to the Hobart Community Church, 27524 S.E. 200th St., Maple Valley, WA 98025, or to the charity of one's choice.

Arrangements were by Flintoft's Funeral Home in Issaquah, Wash.