Carmen A. Draine (Knie)

Carmen A. (Knie) Draine passed away at her home in the early morning hours of Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013, from lung and liver cancer just weeks after her diagnosis. The second child of eight, she was a Christmas Eve baby born Dec. 24, 1930, to Forrest and Beulah Cole of Broadus. Carmen had to quit high school in her sophomore year due to illness and then didn't go back when her mother became ill.

In her early years, she worked as a waitress in Broadus and later as a grocery checker at the IGA there. At age 16, she married Robert Knie, also of Broadus, in May 1947 and together they raised three children. While they lived in Broadus, Mom took in ironing and housed an extra boarder to help make ends meet. On Saturday nights, we would sit in front of a black-and-white TV with her parents and watch shows like "The Ed Sullivan Show," "The Lawrence Welk Show," "Have Gun Will Travel" and such.

In 1962, Mom and Dad moved their family to Missoula, where Dad was working at the Phillips 66 gas station on Brooks Street at that time. Mom did the bookkeeping for the gas station and also worked at the Shamrock Motel when the owners went on vacation. She was never idle and seemed to find her niche in cleaning things. One could eat off her floors. Mom enjoyed her quiet, peaceful surroundings, but she also enjoyed lunches with her church and nursing friends and her card-playing nights.

After her youngest daughter graduated from high school in 1971, at the age of 41, Mom went back to school to earn her high school diploma, then took nurse's training to become an licensed practical nurse. She was employed at Community Medical Center for 20 years. Many people have told us she was the best nurse they ever had – she was very caring of her patients and she treated them with respect. She also stood her ground with some of the doctors she worked with.

Mom and Dad divorced in 1989 after which Mom became reacquainted with an old high school friend, Don Draine. They were married in July 1990 and Mom moved to California, where she resumed her nursing duties at a hospital in Auburn. A year or two later, they moved to Gillette, Wyo., so she could help care for her aging mother who was in a nursing home there. They lived in Gillette until Don passed away from cancer, then Mom moved back to Missoula in 2004.

Mom was a loyal and true friend to many and she was known for sending cards and notes to those people. She never forgot a birthday, and even in her last two days she reminded her daughter to put some money in a birthday card for her stepdaughter's son. She kept thinking of things to tell her daughter and son to take care of. She was a very private person in many ways and didn't like for anyone to make a fuss over her. Well, Mom, you can be sure the angels in heaven are fussing over you now. We've lost our mom and card-playing buddy, but heaven has gained another special angel.

Almost every night anyone could look up at her apartment window and see a light shining because she would read her Bible into the wee hours of the morning, completely oblivious of the time. Mom loved God with all her heart and she raised her children to do the same. She will be missed more than words can say, but she was done with this life and ready to go home. God was merciful in that she did not suffer long. He called her name and she didn't look back. She didn't even wave goodbye. Mom knew almost to the day when God would call her home and she was only off by one day.

She was preceded in death by both her parents, both of her husbands, two brothers, one sister and her youngest daughter. Her remaining family members include her oldest daughter, Carmen Entzel (Gene) of Missoula; her only son, Ken Knie (Shelley) of Arizona; and four grandchildren, Keven Knie, Kory Knie (Brittany), Kristen Knie of Missoula and Kayce Kennelly (Ryan) of Chicago. She also leaves nine great-grandchildren, Jordan, Kelsey, Alyssa, Katie, Kayla, Robert, Addy, Lincoln and Kendl; two sisters; two brothers; two stepdaughters; and numerous nieces and nephews across the country.

We, her family, wish to express our deepest gratitude to the hospice nurses at Partners in Home Care who attended her the last few days of her life, Danielle, Pam, Wendy and Nancy. They are the best as they not only took care of Mom's needs but they were very kind and considerate of us as well. We would also like to thank her friend and neighbor, Don Sherlock, for checking on her and doing things for her over the six years she lived in her apartment.

A celebration of Mom's life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Christian Life Center, 3801 S. Russell St. Arrangements are under the care of Cremation and Burial Society of the Rockies. A private burial of her ashes will be arranged at a later date

Read Carmen Draine's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.