Elva M. Greil

Our beloved mother and grandmother, Elva Mae (Thomas) Greil, 80, of Missoula passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on a beautiful Thanksgiving afternoon, November 27, 2014.
Elva was born April 30, 1934 to Harry Arthur Thomas and Velma LaVerne Warren on the family farm outside of Decatur, Nebraska in the same house in which her father was born. Though Elva grew up an only child, working and playing on the farm, countless friends and relatives enriched her childhood. She loved her mother and father dearly, and was saddened by the untimely loss of her father when she was only 14. After her father's death, Elva and her mother moved to the nearby town of Tekamah, Nebraska. Elva excelled both as a student and as a varsity cheerleader at Tekamah High School. One of only two girls from her state, Elva was selected to represent Nebraska at Girls Nation in Washington, D.C., where she was honored to meet President Harry Truman. Elva graduated early from high school, and at the age of 17, enrolled at Colorado Women's College in Denver. One fateful evening while attending CWC, Elva's roommate failed to appear for a date with a handsome young airman stationed at nearby Lowry Air Force Base. Elva took advantage of the opportunity by taking her roommate's place on the date, and met the man who would become the love of her life, Richard Philip Greil. Not long after meeting, Elva and Richard (Dick) were married on March 14, 1952.
Elva and Dick soon moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, where he was stationed. Elva enjoyed fond memories of her time living in what was then the Territory of Alaska. She worked both on the air base and as a stewardess on a DC-3 passenger aircraft, operated by Wien Airlines, the first major commercial air carrier to serve the Alaskan frontier. Elva loved being a stewardess, and often related many stories of the golden age of the airlines, flying into all points around Alaska to gravel landing strips and truly remote Eskimo villages. Elva also saw the eastern coast of Siberia a few times during the Cold War, and had the opportunity to witness the Russian MIG fighter aircraft, which would escort her plane back to Alaska after "accidental" forays into Soviet airspace.
After Dick's honorable discharge from the USAF, the couple moved to Tomahawk, Wisconsin for a short time, and then, in pursuit of work, on to Berkeley, California, where Elva briefly attended college at the Berkeley campus. The two then relocated to Bend, Oregon, where they both found employment with the US Forest Service, but they soon decided to move to Oregon City in order to start their own business hauling logs. While in Oregon, their first son, Robert, was born in 1957. Chasing another business opportunity, the couple traveled to Salida, Colorado, where their second son, Thomas, was born in 1960. Nearly broke but full of ambition, the couple left Colorado for the wilds of Montana, following after more opportunities in the logging industry. They lived temporarily in several locations around the Missoula area, but Elva and Dick finally set their roots on the bank of the Clark Fork River near Bonner in 1964. After settling in, the couple's third son, James, was born in 1968.
With her husband, Elva raised a family and built several businesses, which continue to this day, most notably Triple Tree Inc. Business became the family's life. Whether it was truck hauling, logging, road construction, or one of their other various pursuits, Elva stood beside her husband, and worked tirelessly. She helped to build the companies, organize the work, dispatch the trucks, handle emergencies, and see to the endless paperwork. Triple Tree Inc. employed hundreds of people throughout the years, several of whom became close family friends. Many would ramble into the office to see Elva working behind her desk, adjacent to her longtime friend and bookkeeper, the late Vurl Springer. Always in the office, Elva served as a sounding board for impromptu visits by friends, neighbors, tenants, and employees over the years. Always in the know, Elva dealt with the day to day details of business and life at home.
Known as a kind person, Elva was immediately liked by all she met. She was a good listener, and could discuss topics rationally and intelligently. Those attributes, however, did not keep her from speaking her mind, and sometimes her bluntness, strong emotions, or fervent opinions would take people by surprise. Elva found pleasure in discussing the latest political issues and pop culture stories. Everyone enjoyed and anticipated off-the-cuff, heated conversations around her kitchen table. When not working, Elva loved spending time with her family, relatives, and friends, hosting or participating in get-togethers, weekend card parties, and occasional horseshoe matches. Elva earned the respect of those who knew and worked with her. She was a devout, loyal friend to those with whom she was closest. Elva never forgot her roots in Nebraska, and would make periodic summer trips home to visit relatives and to care for her loved ones, especially her grandmother Tressie. Although the family business kept her busy nearly all the time, she actively raised her three sons, and taught them resilience, fairness, and to remember what was important in life. She would never back down from a debate with her sons, and made it clear that she was their mother and not their peer, but she always supported her sons' endeavors. Elva's greatest treasure in the end was her love for her family, especially her eight grandchildren. In 2008, the death of Elva's beloved husband of 56 years cast a pall over her heart. Being the tough farm girl she was, however, Elva remained stoic and persevered, never allowing her grief to impede the things she needed to do or diminish the person she was.
Elva leaves behind her three sons and their families: Bob and Marlene and their children Christopher, Nicholas (and his wife Malia), and Jennifer (and her longtime boyfriend Max Ammons) of Missoula; Tom and Mary and their children Benjamin and Katheryn also of Missoula; and Jim and Heather and their children Kirsten, Alaric, and Maximus of Helena. She also leaves behind numerous in-laws, including Raymond Greil and Phyllis Osterbrink, and several dear friends and relatives in Nebraska, including Bill Beard, Jean Worley, and Sally King. Elva was also expecting the arrival of her first great-grandchild in mid-December. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Velma; her grandmother, Tressie; and her loving husband, Richard.
Mom, we will miss you with all of our hearts. Your passing has left a hole in our lives that will never be filled, except with the memories of your time with us and the promise that we will see you again. You have lifted off, and your flight plan is open. Your heading is Heaven and your altitude is that of the angels. Your checkpoints are those people, places, and times you hold dear, and your flight plan will never be closed. Godspeed, Mom!
A private family service is planned at Elva's request. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to the donor's choice. The family wishes to express their sincerest gratitude to the staff and residents at the Village Assisted Living Care Facility in Missoula for their enormous support and care.
Garden City Funeral Home is assisting the family. Condolences and memories may be left for the family at www.missoulafuneralhomes.com


Read Elva Greil's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.