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Carole Ann Whipple

Carole Ann (Oderman) Whipple, 71, died Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013, in Helena. She battled breast cancer a few years ago and last spring she discovered that she had metastatic bone cancer.

She was a wonderful mother, grandmother, sister and friend. We will hold her in our heart with great love.

She was born Feb. 5, 1942, in Great Falls, Mont. Her parents were George and Palladia Oderman. They moved to Glasgow, and that is where she was raised. She graduated from Glasgow High School. She married Frank Hopwood in 1960, and they had four children. In 1980 she moved to Helena with US West Telephone Company. She lived there for a few years and then transferred to Salt Lake City, Utah, where she worked and eventually retired from Qwest. In 2003, after the death of her oldest daughter, she moved back to Helena to live and take care of her two grandsons. She has been in Helena close to family and friends ever since.

She enjoyed many activities through the years. She was always actively involved in a pool league and has many trophies to prove her success, not to mention many friends met in the process.

She was an avid reader and had accumulated a large library. She was always ready to give advice on a good read. She loved playing cards and would always have a game going with her sister and brothers when they were together. She taught her grandchildren a multitude of card games and they always looked forward to playing with her. She had a weekly ritual of "out to lunch" and card games with her good friend Sharon. She enjoyed going to watch her granddaughters in dance, her grandsons in ball games, and going to plays and shows with her cousin, Donna.

She has been a source of inspiration for her children and grandchildren. Holidays and birthdays were always a large family celebration and that tradition continues. She was always there with words of wisdom and common sense. She was strong in her faith and has passed that on to all of her family.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and one daughter, Joni Tapp.

Survivors include three daughters, Janet Fisher and her husband, Brad, Janeen Eckert and her husband, Brad, and Julie Kump and her husband, Rick; five grandsons, Cody Tapp, Kyle Tapp, Derrick Kump, Harrison Fisher and Wyatt Eckert; six granddaughters, Chelsea Beery and her husband, Brett, Brianna Fisher, Emily Fisher, Katy Eckert, Deanna Kump and Hadley Eckert; two great-grandchildren, Judith and Lennon Beery; one sister, Linda Hoffort and her husband, Jerry; two brothers, Tommy Oderman and John Oderman; and many extended family and friends.

A vigil service was held at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, at Retz Funeral Home Chapel, 315 E. 6th Avenue. A Mass was celebrated at 12 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 19, at the Cathedral of St. Helena, 530 N. Ewing Street, in Helena, followed immediately by a reception in the Brondel Center in the Cathedral. The burial was at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, at the Highland Cemetery, 319 3rd Street South, in Glasgow.

 

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