Tribute

On Saturday, April 6, 2019, Barbara June Thorson passed away at home in Cranbrook at the age of 87 years.  She was born in Spokane Washington on March 5, 1932.

Mom was a very adventurous and outgoing lady.  She enjoyed her life to the fullest.  Mom was a certified life guard and swim instructor and she fearlessly rode horses until her 40s.  She also enjoyed figure skating in Billings, MT and Invermere. She moved to Northwest Montana in early 60s, on to Billing, Montana in the late 1960s and then back to the Flathead in the late 70s.  In 1979 she moved to Invermere, BC and married George Thorson in 1980. She was widowed in 1996 and moved to Cranbrook in 2015.

Mom loved to make friends and share with people.  She loved her family and inspired each of her children and grandchildren with her courage, spunk, amazing life stories and deep soul.

Mom was highly spiritual and devoted to her studies of God, the Bible and spiritual writings. She was a seeker of and listener for the “Truth”, she was intrigued by the mysterious and unexplained. She had an adventurous spirit and walked the path less traveled.  She loved the earth, pine trees, nature, Flathead Lake in Montana and the Canadian Rockies peaks out her window in Invermere.  She studied Native American cultures through direct experience and her own research.

Her sense of humor often came in unexpected silly and prankster-like ways.

She was creative and a talented writer of beautiful and meaningful poetry and stories.  Her greatest desire was to share the beautiful words that came through her.  She was a member of the Writers Guild in Invermere for many years and joined the writer’s group in Cranbrook upon her move. Several of her poems were published in the Columbia Valley Pioneer.

Barb is survived by her sister, Janet Smith of Polson, Montana her daughter, Brenda Westwood in Kila, Montana, her son Paul Carrier and his wife Tamara in Vancouver, Washington as well as the father of her two children, Donald Carrier and his wife of 45 years, Gladys.  She has 5 grandchildren, Jason Steiner in Montana, Tabitha Chamberlin in Colorado, Paul Carrier, Jr in Japan, Brandon Carrier in Hawaii and Natasha Arrasmith in Washington, and 8 great grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at Barbara’s cozy apartment on Saturday, April 20, 2019 from 2-4 pm,  1918-C Kelowna Crescent, Cranbrook.  In lieu of flowers, donations are gratefully accepted to a charity of choice.

Take me high where eagles go –

take me high or I won’t know

the ruffled sound of eagle’s wings –

of glory when it’s done.

Gather eaglet, gather up

fierce heartbeats in your breast –

You’re not earth’s broken wings –

fling from eagle nest.

Oh eaglet – look at the sun,

flight well begun –

potential – you are king.

Come fly with me –

I’ll rest on wing.

                        BT ~ mid 1970s