Mercedese Elnor Needles

HAMILTON - Mercedese Elnor Needles, 85, lifetime resident of the Bitterroot, passed away at Discovery Care Centre on March 10, 2010. Mercedese was born in a small log cabin on Tin Cup near Darby on February 4, 1925. Her parents were George Robertson and Ruth Whitcomb Robertson.

One of Mercedese's greatest sorrows was the loss of her mother to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Mercedese was less than a year old when her mother died and was often saddened by the fact that she never had the chance to know her mother. She was raised in the West Fork/Darby area. She attended Darby schools as a child, and graduated as valedictorian from Darby High School in 1943. For a short time she worked in the shipyards in Portland, Oregon building Liberty Ships during World War II. Returning to Montana, she began her family life.

Mercedese married Ivan E. Needles and together they raised six boys. They lived at their family home on Rose Lane in Hamilton for many years. While raising her boys, Mercedese worked as a bookkeeper at the old Taber Mill in Hamilton and the Roberts Mining Company outside of Darby.

Mercedese and Ivan especially enjoyed many happy hours of boating in the summer on Como and West Fork Lakes with their boys. As the boys grew older and moved away; Mercedese and her husband did quite a lot of traveling during the winter months, visiting their sons and grandchildren. They were able to enjoy seeing the United States and made many happy memories of times spent with their son's families. Her husband preceded Mercedese in death 18 years ago.

Mercedese was a long time member of the Rebekah Lodge in Hamilton and the VFW Auxiliary of Hamilton.

With her death, we lose a piece of our past that no one else can share with us. With her death, a little piece of our history is gone forever. We will cherish the stories she shared with us about her life and the memories of good times together. Rest in Peace Mother, Grandmother, Friend.

She is survived by her sons, Ronald Needles of Victor, Montana, Cecil Needles (Cappy) of Hamilton, Montana, James Carter of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Ivan Edward Needles, Jr. (Linda) of Lakeside, California, Donald Needles (Karen) of College Park, Maryland and Daniel Needles (Vicki) of Lake Elsinore, California; 17 grandchildren and several great- grandchildren.