Dolores Gress

Margaret Dolores Gress, 86, went home to be with the Lord in heaven on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 at the Brookdale Assisted Living facility.
She was born on January 17, 1932 in Bismarck, N. Dakota, to George and Margaret Werner Job. As a young girl, she lived with her family in North Dakota until moving to Hardin, Mt. She attended school in Hardin until she moved with her family to Stevensville, where she met and married Tony Gress on May 5, 1951. Their wedding was one of the last ones that were performed at the old St. Mary’s Mission. They moved to Missoula and together they were blessed with five children.
Dolores worked as a waitress at the original 4B’s café and then transferred to the new 4B’s location as head waitress where she worked for several more years. When she decided to leave the food service industry she went to work for Empire Fish Co. in Missoula as a bookkeeper. At one point she also took a shot at owning and operating her own café in Hamilton for a while. Later, she went to work in the banking industry as a bookkeeper from which she retired at the age of 62. She and Tony moved to the Bitterroot Valley a couple of times but finally moved back to Missoula.
Mom played drums and sang in a dance band with her husband, Tony on the accordion and a friend, Ray Brager on the guitar. They played for numerous wedding dances and also played regularly at the American Legion Hall in Missoula. Mom and dad were members of the Accordion Association.
Mom also loved spending time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was a good cook and would always put food on the table when you came to visit.
Dolores was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Tony, her grandsons, Michael Kane and Ryan “Cubby” Kane. Also preceding her in death were brothers Wendelin, John, Jake, George, Joseph, Leonard, Gene, and Leo Job and sisters Betty Romine, Agatha “Mickie” Carlson, Mary Kerrick.
Survivors include her children Kathe(Kenny) Kane of Drummond, Sandy Evans of Stevensville, Vicki(Russ) Hanni of Stevensville, Patty(Bill) Hanson of Florence, Tom(Bonnie) Gress/Saxton of Missoula. Grandchildren Denny Jacobsen of Spokane Valley, Wa., Brandon(Jen) Gress of Missoula, Stefanie(Shawn) Silvan of Stevensville, Kallie(Tel) Harris of Florence. Surviving great grandchildren are Tyler and Katelynn Kane, Chase and Carson Kane, Shanna and Lacey Jacobsen, Jaiden and Hunter Gress, Samiah and Silas Silvan, Nalina and Saharra Harris, brothers Tony, Frank and Ben Job and sister Anna Kirschenman
A Rosary and vigil will be held at Garden City Funeral Home on West Broadway and Mullan Rd. in Missoula on Wednesday, July 25, 2018 at 7pm. A funeral mass will be held on Thursday, July 26, 2018 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church at 10:30 am. with Father Perry officiating. A luncheon will be served in the basement of the church following the service. Interment will follow the luncheon about 1:30 to 2:00 pm