Muriel Pridgeon, 90, passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 28, 2013, at Buffalo Hills Terrace in Kalispell, Montana with family at her side. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, January 3, 2014 at the American Lutheran Church in Chinook, Montana, with burial at Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements, and you can leave your memories and/or condolences for the family at www.hollandbonine.com. Muriel Fern Klotzbuecher was born on April 9, 1923 to Leonard & Hazel Klotzbuecher on the family homestead, 25 miles north of Chinook with neighbor, Mrs. Pankratz attending the birth. She attended Norheim School grades 1-8 and graduated from Chinook High School in 1941. Muriel worked at Buttrey's Foods and the Dime Store in Chinook and taught 1 year at the New Hope School. On April 15, 1944 she married Clifford Pridgeon and they farmed northwest of Chinook and raised their 7 daughters. Muriel loved her family spending many hours cooking, baking, gardening & canning, always making sure her girls were able to participate in church, music, 4-H, Scouts & school activities. She enjoyed her neighbors & friends and was active in the Lohman Loyalites Club, American Lutheran Church Women, Frantic Yantic Garden Club, Birthday Club, Senior Center Kitchen Band and was a 4-H Leader for over 50 years attending many State & Western Regional 4-H Leader Forums. Her passion for helping youth kept her active in 4-H long after her own daughters were raised. She was Superintendent of the open exhibits at the Blaine County Fair and enjoyed entering exhibits herself in the Blaine & Hill County Fairs and the Harlem Seed Show and the Northwest Montana Fair. Her hobbies included counted cross stitch, embroidery, needlepoint, dancing (especially the polka), playing cards, learning to play the piano & violin and having fun dressing up for all holiday celebrations. Preceding her in death in November 1991 was her husband, Clifford Pridgeon, parents Leonard & Hazel Klotzbuecher, and sisters Norma Brovold & Gladys Swenson. Muriel is survived by daughters Margaret (Richard) Geffrey of Kent, WA, Dotty (Steve) Denney of Gold Beach, OR, Peggy Pridgeon of Honolulu, HI, Marcy (Ike) Flaten of Moorhead, MN, Viola (Alan) Haverfield of Kalispell, MT, Twila (Mike) Pyette of Cut Bank, MT, and Vivian (Jeff) Wright of Springfield, OR; 10 grandchildren: Craig Geffrey, Nicole Geffrey, Mark Denney, Karen (Larry) Christensen, Michael (Sarah) Flaten, Michelle Flaten, Josh (Jenn) Pyette, Cody Pyette, Emma Pyette & Amy Haverfield; 2 great grandchildren: Jade Billey Denney & Dylan Christensen; sister Donna Dobson; and numerous nieces & nephews. The family suggests memorials to the American Lutheran Church, Blaine County 4-H, Chinook Senior Center, Hospice, or Immanuel Lutheran Communities, 185 Crestline Ave., Kalispell, MT 59901, or to a memorial of your choice.