Vanaye Niederhauser

CORVALLIS - Vanaye Niederhauser of Corvallis, MT passed away Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016 at 88 years of age.  She was born Jan. 26, 1928 in Logan, UT and was raised and educated in Ely, NV before moving out into the world to leave her mark.

In 1965 Vanaye and her husband Jack and family moved to Montana's Bitterroot Valley.  She always said that the Bitterroot was her “Little Piece of Heaven”.  She worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Hamilton, Darby and Missoula, MT and loved to play Bridge and Pinochle with her friends.

Preceded in death by her parents Louis and Kathryn Thompson, her husband Jack and son Rick Jr. Vanaye is survived by her two sisters, Glenna Carline of Boulder, CO, and Carol Schneidmiller of Kennewick, WA, and bothers Jerry Thompson of Elko, NV and Roy Thompson of Darby, MT in addition to her two sons, John Gray of Fresno, CA, Butch Niederhauser of Miles City, MT and daughters Jackie Thompson of Huntington Beach, CA and Carol Gran of Dickinson, ND, together with numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great, great grandchildren.

Vanaye was an avid outdoor's woman.  She loved the "Wild West" and the small ranch where she and Jack raised their children.  She will be missed.  A future Celebration of Life and scattering of her ashes is planned.