Vida Winkley
Vida Winkley, 98, of Polson, MT passed away on Sunday, February 7, 2010 at St. Joseph Medical Center, Polson.
Vida was born on February 19, 1911 in Kellerton, IA, the 6th of eight children born to the late Bill and Martha Hackett Vail. At the age of 2, the family set out to homestead in Andes, MT, on the eastern side of the state. After 10 years, the family traded the homestead for a place in Rollins, MT. Later, they then moved to Couer D’Alene, ID where the Vida finished grade school and entered her first year of high school. After a move to Vancouver, WA, she finished high school and attended the Vancouver Business College where she later worked as receptionist in a doctor’s office.
In 1933, she married O.E. “Kim” Kimball in Camas, WA. They were blessed with four children, the fist of whom only lived for 11 months, and son, Jim who passed away in 2007. After many moves, they settled in Montana and started a freezer plant that is now M&S Meats. They later divorced in 1958 and Vida moved to Portland, OR where she took a refresher course at the local business college. Afterwards, she returned to Montana and took positions working at Kalispell Hospital, the Lake County Health Department in Polson, and then for several doctors in Missoula.
Vida married Jack Winkley in 1964. Jack passed away in 1995. Together, they lived in Rollins for 31 years. She enjoyed playing bridge and those who knew Vida knew not to ask her to do anything on Wednesdays, as that was her bridge day. Growing flowers, looking at the beautiful mountains and lake, reading, or having lunch or dinner out, these were some of Vida’s favorite things. Vida loved her family including her bridge and church families and genuinely cared about each and every person. Vida enjoyed her life and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
Those left with cherished memories are her two surviving children, Ted Kimball of Spokane, WA and Gail (Sonny) Herreid of Polson; her brother, Jim Vail of Camas, WA, 13 grandchildren, a number of great-grandchildren, and several great great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held this spring, on Saturday, May 1, 2010 at Polson Community Church, Polson. Additional details will be announced as the date draws near. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy can be made as a donation to the Polson City Library, or to the charity of one’s choice. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family online at www.groganfuneralhome.com. The staff at Grogan Funeral Home and Crematory, Polson considers it a privilege to care for the family of Mrs. Winkley.
Aunt Vida was a wonderful person and will be missed greatly by all of her friends and family. My family and I extend our most sincere condolences.
Vida was the definition of a genuine lady, living her life with such grace. She had a wonderful sense of humor and was a joy to know!! We will all miss her!!
Amy
Great Grandma Winkley had such a loving spirit. I would always write her letters and she was a quick responder. She was always smiling and even though living 12 hours away I felt very close to my Grandma Winkley. I love you Grandma and you will be greatly missed by us all!
Love you Grandma…Will always have great memories of time spent at Flat Head Lake…Tell dad hi for me and that I am sorry…He will know what it means…
We will miss Grandma/Great-Grandma’s wonderful smile and incredible laugh. She was a beautiful person inside and out. We will miss her dearly!
Darron, Carmie, Kendra, Kellie and Davis Kimball
Graham, WA
AS MY SON WYATT PUT IT- GRANDMA WINKLEY WAS AN AMAZING PERSON
AND A WONDERFUL MOM AND GRANDMA AND WE WILL ALL MISS HER.
Very Sorry to hear of Vida’s passing. Was looking forward to celebrating her 99th Birthday with her. I am one of the gals that has played bridge with Vida on Wednesdays for the past 20 years. I did get a chance to see and visit with her the Wednesday before she passed away. She will be missed.
I am so sorry to hear of Vida’s passing. She was a good friend to my mother, Esther, and they played bridge together. I have enjoyed playing pinochle with her a few times at St. Joes.
Vida was so full of life, so vital, with a twinkle always in her eye. She will certainly be missed by many people.
I’m so sorry I didn’t see Vida’s announcement in the paper and just found out about her passing.
Vida was a wonderful woman and one of my mom’s dear friends. They enjoyed many a bridge game together over the years and spent their final years at St. Joseph’s together. Your mom was a spot of sunshine in the day of anyone who met her and my mom was so thrilled she was there. I loved Vida’s smiling eyes and my sister and I enjoyed visiting with her and Sylvia, whom we also recently lost.
My thoughts and prayers are with all of your family. Please know how much joy your mom brought to others each and every day. She was truly a bright spirit and lived up to her name, which always made me think of “LIFE!”
Sincerely,
Mary Howard (Daughter of Esther Warford)
I always wished that I would have known grandma better, too many miles between us. I know she is still close to us and will always be. I will miss you alot grandma and will think of you often. I cherish being named after you more every day. Love you lots.
Most kids get to really know their grandparents, but the many miles prevented us from getting close. I feel sad about that. I will miss the phone calls,.. Right in the middle of the conversation Grandma would thank me for calling and be done! There are good memories of her visit to Arizona with Jack….lots of steps to climb at Pertrified Forest and of course a few trips to Flathead Lake. I remember all of the pictures of family in her home and I am most grateful to have the special one of my dad. When I think of her I will smile and recall that infectious laugh.
I regret that I wasn’t able to visit Grandma Vida in recent years but I will always cherish the trips to Flat Head Lake, both as a child and as an adult. She was a wonderful lady with a fantastic spirit and will be greatly missed by all of us.
Vida, it was always pure JOY to be around you for a good bridge game — you knew how to keep us “youngsters” on our toes! Thanks for your friendship and for the wonderful memories.
I have many lovely memories of time spent at Flathead Lake with Grandma Vi and Grandpa Jack. When I visited, I would pretend that I lived there, and that the room upstairs with the slanted ceiling was mine and I would read a book at the window and look out at the lake. I learned to fish there … rode my first horse … shot my first gopher… and played hundreds of Yahtzee games. Most importantly, I learned to embrace the quiet that was all around, and have carried it with me ever since. I have always loved you, Grandma, even though I wasn’t able to see you very often.