Roberta Anne "Bobbie" Bartlette (Granger)

Roberta “Bobbie” Anne Bartlette, 71, of Lolo, passed away on Saturday, September 11, 2021 at St. Patrick Hospital, of complications due to COVID-19.

Bobbie was born in Hayward, California on November 3, 1949 and grew up in Missoula, Montana from the age of 4. She spent weekends exploring Western Montana with her family through hunting, fishing, camping, ghost town searches, and square dancing.

She began her career with the US Forest Service in 1968, working seasonally at the Fire Sciences Laboratory in Missoula, Montana while attending the University of Montana. She held a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology and a Master’s degree in Forestry with a focus on soils and fire management from the University of Montana. Her work experience also included teaching elementary and secondary school students in sciences and assisting in programs for special needs students.

She worked in both laboratory and field settings studying physical and chemical parameters of forest and rangeland fuels, fire behavior from smoldering combustion through surface and crown fire behavior, the relationship between weather and climate to fire behavior and fire danger and the use of satellite remote sensing to assist in fire potential estimation. She developed course curricula and taught fire behavior prediction and fire danger rating courses to multi-agency land and fire managers at both regional and national levels from 1990 through her retirement in November of 2007 and beyond, as a contractor, through 2010. Involvement in fire training was extremely important to Bobbie to advance understanding of fire to help keep firefighters safe as well as to help mentor other women in the technical understanding of fire. She felt she had the best career possible: intellectually challenging, always interesting, infinitely rewarding (especially the teaching and the discoveries), and with the flexibility to be able to have time to fully enjoy her family.

Bobbie became involved with the Lolo Watershed Group initially as a participant in an evaluation of streambank erosion led by the group from 2005-2006. In 2008 severe erosion on a portion of the family’s property on Lolo Creek led to Bobbie’s involvement with the many local and Federal agencies regulating streams and streambanks. She negotiated the many permit requirements leading to a successful streambank stabilization project in 2009. Along with the streambank work came an increased involvement with the Lolo Watershed Group. She served as president of the group from 2008-2016.

Outside of the art and science of fire and water, Bobbie was involved in square and round dancing since the 1950’s. She and her late husband, Barry operated the Square Dance Center & Campground, a facility designed by Bobbie’s parents, that provides camping from May-September and offers dance and dance instruction year-round. She leaves behind a vast network of dancers and campers who loved her, many of whom have frequented the campground and dance center since its inception in the early 1970’s.

Bobbie was preceded in death by her parents Ray & Afton Granger, Lolo, MT, brother Joseph Granger, Lolo, MT, and husband Barry Bartlette, Lolo, MT. She is survived by her blended family of four adult children, Tina (Alpheus Pope) Brown, Richmond, VA, Justin (Bonnie) Bartlette, Missoula, MT, Morgen (Aleta Stelling-Jokisch) Hartford, Tucson, AZ, Dacia (Ryan Mckinley) Hartford, Lolo, MT; grandchildren Terri Brown, Missoula, MT and Jacoby Blackler, Lolo, MT; one brother, Ron Granger, Potomac, MT; nephew and niece Cameron Granger and Bethany (Derek) Harbour. There are far too many incredible cousins to list, spread across California, Illinois, Michigan, and Washington.

Memorial services will be scheduled for spring or summer of 2022. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Lolo Watershed Group at lolowatershed.org.

Arrangements are under the care of Garden City Funeral Home in Missoula.