Evelin Martha LaBuda

Evelin Martha LaBuda

Evelin Martha LaBuda, 93, died Saturday, April 21, 2012, at Big Sandy Medical Center of natural causes.

Her funeral service will be 2 p. m. Wednesday, April 25, 2012, at Big Sandy Methodist Church. Burial will follow at Big Sandy Cemetery. Memorials in Evelin's honor may be made to Spokane Shriners Hospital for Children, Seattle Children's Hospital, Big Sandy Methodist Church, Big Sandy Senior Center or Big Sandy Medical Center. Services and arrangements have been entrusted to Holland & Bonine Funeral Home.

Evelin was born May 26, 1918, in Big Sandy, to Anton and Pearl (Slugget) Ophus. She was raised on a farm southeast of Big Sandy and graduated from Big Sandy High School in 1936. On Jan. 21, 1938, she married Mike LaBuda in Great Falls, Mont. The couple resided on the farm southeast of Big Sandy and raised six children. Evelin loved to garden and was an excellent cook. She did beautiful seamstress work and enjoyed dancing, especially to country and western music. Her love of family was her greatest passion. She was a member of the Lone Tree Women's Club and served as a 4-H leader for many years. After she retired, she joined the Rebecca Lodge and attended all of her grandchildren's activities whenever she could. She enjoyed traveling and serving as a 4-H leader. You always knew Evelin by the manner in which she dressed, classy. Every outfit had a set of jewelry to go with it along with a pair of shoes.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Mike LaBuda; brothers, Myron, Alfred, Byron, Helmer and Ben Ophus; sisters, Jeanine Liquin and Gertrude Jenkins Underdahll; sons, Bernard LaBuda, Mike A. LaBuda and Dennis LaBuda; daughter, Jeanette LaBuda Nicholson; and one great-granddaughter, Crystal LaBuda.

Evelin is survived by her daughters, Helen Young of Lloyd, Mont., and Sharon LaBuda of Lacey, Wash. ; her brothers, Lawrence Ophus of Big Sandy, Lester (Arlene) Ophus of Havre, Vernon Ophus of Denver, Colo., and Lyle (Barbara) Ophus of Big Sandy; sisters, Ruth Pegar of Big Sandy and Loretta Murphy of Reno, Nev. ; nine grandsons; eight great-grandsons; four great-granddaughters; and two great-great granddaughters.