Obituary - Veronica Louise McGillivray Tabor

Veronica Louise McGillivray Tabor passed away March 24, 2018, following a long struggle with dementia/Alzheimer's.

Veronica was born in Havre, Montana, Aug. 24, 1943. She was the eldest of four daughters born to Ellen Eleanora August McGillivray and William Leslie McGillivray. In her youngest years, she lived on the Montana Hi-Line in the tiny town of Hogeland, Montana. She was accustomed to the hard work and the difficult life that came with living on a farm. No heat, plumbing or electricity was a norm. The family dynamics were very difficult with the divorce of her parents. Her grandmother Della Laurie Sly took her in when she was 7 years old in Seattle Washington. She later returned to Hogeland when she was 14 years old and attended classes at Hogeland School. She graduated in 1961.

While growing up, Veronica was very independent and worked many jobs to support herself. She was working at the Texaco Station in Harlem, Montana, as the bookkeeper, when she met Walter Keith Tabor. Keith had just hired on at the gas station, after returning from the U.S. Army in 1964. Keith was a good dancer and had a gleam in his eye every time he saw her. She was also taken with Keith's dreams of leaving the Harlem/Hogeland area, to travel the country, while working big construction jobs. Veronica and Keith were married Jan. 15, 1965, in Harlem Montana. She would say often that it was the best thing that ever happened to her.

It was not long after, Veronica and Keith were on the road. She spoke often of her excitement to travel and explore. They started out with a small trailer, which was pulled behind a 1965 Impala, and moving from job to job.

Her first son, Walter Keith Tabor II, was born May 4, 1966, in Great Falls, Montana.

Their travels led them to the Flathead Valley, and once they arrived, they fell in love with the area. They settled in Kalispell and her second son, William Patrick Tabor, was born Aug. 28, 1967. Veronica doted on her sons and devoted much time to teaching them to be independent and strong.

Veronica was almost always employed as a bookkeeper and office manager. She was very good with numbers and very organized. She also had a talent to get things done. This was due to her ability to be plain and straightforward. Honesty and honor was her character, and she was devoted to compassion and imagination.

In 1975, Veronica continued her dream to travel with her husband and best friend when they moved to Valdez, Alaska. This was while Keith worked on the Alaskan Pipeline. She so enjoyed exploring and loved the adventure that Alaska provided. When the family returned to Kalispell, she partnered with her husband to start Tabor Excavation. She was the office manager and a big part of the success of this company that served in Kalispell for many years.

She also worked hard to make her two boys feel safe and teach them to be honorable and capable. She made sure that her sons were exposed to the many wonders in life. Travel, camping, fishing, boating, skiing, swimming and hunting. She also pushed hard for schooling and grades.

In 1984, Veronica had her boys off to their dreams and was ready for more adventures. She and Keith continued to follow their aspirations to journey. They again, hit the road, following the big construction jobs. Keith would work the big jobs and Veronica would work in the field offices as the bookkeeper and office manager.

Her travels spanned the globe and she eventually left Montana behind for the coastal waters and warmer climates. She ended up as a "Snowbird" with summers on the Oregon coast and winters in Sun City, Arizona. She spoke often of her love for the beaches in Oregon and the warmth of the Arizona desert.

Veronica celebrated with Keith their 50th Anniversary in 2015, and still spoke of their wedding day as the best thing that ever happened to her.

Veronica's true passion was history and truth. She dedicated much of her life researching and creating the McGillivray and Tabor family tree. She spent countless hours and much correspondence in documenting her family history. The McGillivray and Tabor family trees includes 1,500 people and dates back to the 1600s.

Veronica was a beautiful, strong, and successful woman who truly did not deserve to have to suffer with this terrible disease. She was known for her strength, independence and truth. She loved her husband, her sons and her family.

Veronica is preceded in death by her father, William Leslie McGillivray; her mother, Ellen Eleanora McGillivray August; her sister Linda Kay McGillivray and her brothers-in-law Denny Lee Johnson and Leland Lain Larson.

She is survived by her husband, Walter Keith Tabor; son Walter Keith Tabor II; daughter-in-law Linda Kay Irving Tabor; sisters Bonnie Ellen McGillivray Harmon, Elizabeth Jean McGillivray Larson, Cindy Marie McGillivray Blair and Judy Lynn McGillivray Brandon; grandsons Joseph Keith Tabor and Joshua James Tabor; step-grandson, Cole Lane VerSteegh, and great-grandsons Joseph Bentley Tabor and Brady Alan Tabor.

She is truly missed and will be remembered forever.

Per her wishes, there will be no services and her ashes will be buried in the Highland Cemetery in Havre, Montana.