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Lillian Opal Clough Davis, 92, passed away Saturday afternoon,
December 22, 2007 at St. Luke’s Convalescent Center where she
resided for the past 3 ˝ years. Lillian was born in Okmulgee,
Oklahoma on August 28, 1915, to Bertha & Fred Clough, the youngest
of their 3 daughters.
 She
graduated from high school in Okmulgee. Shortly after, while working
in a local department store, she met the love of her life, George
Tansil Davis. Following a short courtship, they were married at 9 AM
on June 1, 1932 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Lillian and George lived a
full and happy 55 years together. In pursuit of George’s
professional career as an animal science and poultry genetics
professor, they lived in Oklahoma, Kentucky, Wyoming, and in 1958
moved to Bozeman, Montana, where George headed the Poultry
Department and taught genetics in the animal science department at
Montana State University for 9 years. During a one year sabbatical
in 1963, the family moved to State College, Pennsylvania where
George was a professor at Penn State. Lillian was the
consummate wife and homemaker, and her cooking skills and gourmet
recipes brought many folks eagerly to the table. Give her a chicken
and she could make any number of delectable dishes with it! Every
summer, they hosted a large chicken BBQ with their special sauce
recipe. In 1967, George was offered an opportunity to work
with a team of professionals under the Colorado State University AID
program. This adventure took Lillian and George to Nigeria, Africa
where they lived for a year, helping teach the Biafran locals how to
raise better poultry. When civil war broke out in 1968, they were
forced to flee the country, leaving most of their personal
possessions behind. They settled in Vancouver, Canada, briefly
before returning to Bozeman. George retired in 1972, and he
and Lillian moved to Laguna Hills, California and settled in Leisure
World there where they spent many hours on the golf course. A
consistently good golfer, Lillian was most proud of her “hole in
one”, and liked to tell about the bottle of champagne they always
kept cold in the refrigerator “just in case” that elusive hole in
one occurred. They made many wonderful friends, and travelled all
over the world in their retirement, leaving Antarctica the only
continent they didn’t set foot on. George passed away in 1995,
and in April of 1999, Lillian decided she wanted to live closer to
her son, Ronnie and his family, and she moved to Polson, MT.
As the onset of dementia stole the memory and the language of this
wonderful, most accomplished wife and mother, she moved into St.
Joseph Assisted Living in Polson, followed by Edgewood Vista in
Missoula, and St. Luke Convalescent Center in Ronan. Her family
wishes to express their thanks for the caring, professional care
afforded her by those fine institutions. Lillian is survived
by her two sons, Larry Lynn of Hemit, California, and Ronnie Ray
(Linda), of Polson, MT; and grandchildren Ryan Davis of Missoula,
Bradley Davis of Livingston, and Jill (Taylor) Walker of Missoula.
At Lillian’s request, no services will be held. Memorials are
suggested to St. Luke Foundation in Ronan. Cremation has taken place
under the direction and care of Grogan Funeral Home & Crematory in
Polson.
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