Frances A. Garnett

Frances Adelene Garnett passed away Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012 at Discovery Care Center. She was born October 25, 1915 on her father's first ranch north of Victor. Frances was the daughter of Eli Downing and Mary LeDeau (Le Doux) Downing. Her father Eli was an early settler in the Bitterroot Valley and her mother Mary was born in Frenchtown. She was preceded in death by three brothers: Clare (Bill) Downing, Franklin (Bud) Downing, Ralph (Dick) Downing and four sisters: Minnie Burnett, Hazel Holt, Kate Blood and Grace Moffett.

Frances was raised on the second Downing Ranch east of Victor attending Etna School and later Hamilton High School. As a young girl she loved horses. Her first horse was Casey. She always spoke of Casey with a smile. On the ranch she had a nanny from Mexico who taught her Spanish. Frances would sing you a Spanish love song if you knew to ask.

She married George Herbert (Herb) Garnett in 1934 in La Habra, CA. Herb was also born near Victor. They had two children, Donna Lou Garnett and George Garnett. Her husband Herb died with his brother Wilbur in an accident while working on the construction of Hungry Horse Dam east of Whitefish, MT. Aug. 10, 1949. Her daughter, Donna Garnett Ryman and her son-in-law Bob Ryman died 11 years later in an aircraft midair accident south of Hamilton in December of 1960. They had owned and operated Ryman Flying Service at the Hamilton Airport. Following the accident Frances raised Donna's daughter Jennie Lee on her ranch. Her grandson, Donna's newborn baby Bobby Ryman was raised by the Ryman family in southern California.

For many years Frances owned a portion of her father's ranch, raising sugar beets and operating a Grade-A Dairy until finally selling the property in 1972. At age 27, in April of 1943 she became part of the war effort working as a certified pipe welder in the shipyards at Tacoma, WA. She belonged to the International Brotherhood of Boiler Makers, Iron Ship Builders and Helpers of America. She was also the first appointed Chairperson on the Montana Milk Control Advisory Board in Helena.

Frances loved fishing and horseback riding. She journeyed time and again into the Bitterroot Selway wilderness on her horse Babe to hunting camps and lodges. On occasion, she would accompany her daughter and son-in-law on flights in their Cessna 180 into the backcountry.

In the mid 1980s she moved to Austin, Texas to live with her son George, helping him operate an aircraft sales and training business. They then moved to Prescott, AZ before finally returning to the Bitterroot Valley in 1991

After retiring Frances lived at the Clark Fork Manor in Missoula. Each morning she would walk about downtown and often up the river-walk to the University of Montana. She sometimes attended Grizzly football and basketball games.

Frances is survived by one son, George Herbert Garnett IV of Lolo. Two grandchildren, Jennie Ryman Bailey of Hamilton and Robert Herbert Ryman of Chino Hills, CA. Four great grandchildren Steven Bailey, Kevin Bailey, Joel Ryman and Jacob Ryman and six great great grandchildren.

Private family interment will take place in Victor Cemetery north of Victor.