JENNY M (BLAZ) VOTAPKA Obituary (1951

A loving and courageous woman, Jenny Votapka, went to the arms of the Lord July 14, 2016 after battling cancer for four and a half years. She joins her son Peter there. She was a devoted mother, wife, sister and cousin and good friend who helped or listened to others. Jenny had a soft heart for anyone in need and fought to correct injustices, wherever she saw them. She was an eight-year member of the board of directors for the Northwest Community Health Center fighting for healthcare for the underserved. She served one term as its president. She also volunteered for many of her sons' organizations including the high school band and Boy Scouts. Jenny was born in Anaconda, MT on October 6, 1951. She grew up in Anaconda as the daughter of a smelter man and graduated from Anaconda High School. She had been a member of 4-H excelling in sewing and cooking. As was the tradition in Anaconda, kids earned nicknames from their friends. She was given the nickname "Flower" by the neighborhood boys because of her nice disposition and caring manner. She met her husband Frank at Eastern Montana College where she graduated with a degree in Business. They were married on March 18, 1972 in Anaconda. She followed Frank as he transferred to various cities in Montana and Idaho with his career. They had two sons, Peter and Ryan, and visited many places around the United States. Jenny especially enjoyed visiting the Votapka farm and spend evenings in the south bedroom watching prairie storms dance across the Kansas sky. After 32 years, Jenny retired as a Purchasing Agent for the Forest Service, serving on the Beaverhead, Nez Perce, and Kootenai National Forests and with the Farm Bureau State Office in Bozeman. Some of her favorite memories were as a Forest Service Fire Buying Team assigned to various fires across the nation. After retirement, she took up quilting as well as making specially designed pillowcases to fit her friends' and family's interests. Jenny is survived by her husband Frank of Libby and son Ryan of Bozeman, her mother Elva Blaz of Butte and her sister Bonny Rouse (Bill) of Powell, Wyoming. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews, grand nieces and nephews, her mother-in-law Betty Votapka and her brother-in-law Gary Votapka (Sue) of Fallbrook, CA, sister-in-law Carlen Hennington of Starkville, MS, several aunts, uncles and cousins. She was preceded in death by her son Peter and father Bill Blaz. Services will be held on August 6, 2016, at the Libby Christian Church at 10:00 A.M. Interment will be at a later date in Butte, Montana. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Northwest Community Center, the Cabinet Peaks Hospital Foundation or Shriners' Children's Hospital. Arrangements are under the care of Schnackenberg & Nelson Funeral Home of Libby. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.schnackenbergfh.com.