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Aubyn Ann Curtiss |
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July 1, 1925 ~ August 9, 2017 |
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August 14, 2017 |
Former Montana State Senator and Representative
Aubyn Ann Curtiss, 92, passed away August 9,
2017, at her home near Fortine, Montana,
surrounded by the love and care of her children,
relatives and friends. Memorial services will be
at the Fortine Community Church at 11 a.m.
Saturday, August 19, with a graveside service to
follow at the Fortine Community Cemetery.
Aubyn was born in Park City, Montana, on July 1,
1925. Her parents were Perry Davis Armstrong and
Ina Guthrie Armstrong, both school teachers. The
family moved to Fortine when Aubyn and her
younger sister Rosalie were very young.
It was there that her mother died of
tuberculosis when the girls were five and six
years old.
Raised by her loving father, she and her sister
travelled with him to his various teaching jobs
around the state, but Fortine was always
considered home. She graduated from Lincoln
County High School in Eureka in 1943 and then
moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA and study
journalism.
While there she worked in the shipyards as a
welder helping build the “Liberty” ships as part
of the war effort.
Following the end of WW II she returned to
Montana and married her sweetheart, David
Curtiss, in a military ceremony in Great Falls.
The two built their home on Deep Creek near
Fortine and their first child, Sue, was born
there.
The family lived an adventurous life. Dave
worked in the woods and owned a saw mill. They
moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, in the late '40s,
where their son David Marcel was born. Shortly
after that they returned to Montana for the
children to be able to attend better schools and
be close to family.
Their son Gareth was born there in 1959. David
sold the mill shortly thereafter and went to
work for the U.S. Forest Service, where he was
the District Fire Control Officer at Murphy Lake
until his retirement.
Aubyn deeply loved Montana. In the early 1960s,
she had a series of prolonged illnesses and
nearly died. Upon getting better she took a role
in helping do interviews with the people who
were to be displaced by the building of the
Libby Dam and Koocanusa reservoir.
The plight of the people in the face of a taking
by big government prompted her to begin taking
an active part in politics. A lifelong
Republican, Aubyn first served at the local
party level. She ran for the Montana State
Legislature in 1971 and was narrowly defeated.
Never a quitter, she ran again and in 1976
started her long career in state politics.
She served many years in the Montana House of
Representatives as well as in the State Senate.
She also served for a period as the State
Chairman of the Republican Party. She was a
proud supporter of Ronald Reagan and met with
him on numerous occasions. She was appointed by
him to serve on the Presidential Scholars
Commission and served there under both President
Reagan and President Bush.
Upon being term limited out of the House and
Senate, Aubyn continued to be active in Party
politics and the issues that concerned her
community. Her style in government was never to
impose her ideas upon those she served, but
instead listen closely to their needs and truly
represent their wishes.
A very humble person, she was loved by many
people. Her deep Christian faith dictated how
she conducted herself through life. Her desire
every day was to be a blessing to someone. She
was the rock of her family and her steadfastness
through personal trials and adversity is a
testimony to all who have known and been
inspired by her. She made a positive difference
in the lives of many, many people and she will
be sorely missed.
She was preceded in death by her sister Rosalie,
her husband, David R Curtiss, and her son, David
M. Curtiss.
She is survived by her daughter Sue, son Gareth,
grandchildren Patrick Nelson, David Curtiss III,
Aubyn Bluette Curtiss, Heath Curtiss and Amber
Curtiss and her great granddaughters Rachel,
Annalise and Harper.
Arrangements are under the care of Schnackenberg
& Nelson Funeral Home of Eureka, Montana. Online
condolences and memories may be shared by
visiting
www.schnackenbergfh.com. Memorials in her
honor may be made to the Missionary fund at the
Fortine Community Church, 240 Meadow Creek Road,
Fortine, Montana 59918. |
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