Elsie De Clercq

.Elsie De Clercq, age 91, passed away August 2, 2011. She was born near Osborn, MT in a small house at the agricultural experiment station on October, 14, 1919. Her parents, Alec and Katherine Balzer farmed on the Huntley Project. She attended public schools first at Osborne, where she walked to school and then in Worden where she graduated from high school. She then attended Townsend Beauty School in Billings, MT. After nine months of training she worked at Rorex's Barber Shop. She married Henry De Clercq on November 15, 1939. They lived in a two room house and farmed east of the town of Pompey's Pillar. Over the years they acquired and expanded the farm and moved into Henry's parent's home. In 1968 they sold the farm and moved to Billings.

After leaving the farm, Henry and Elsie lived in Billings on Elm Street. Henry passed away in1995. Elsie moved to West Park Village in 2006. Appreciation is expressed to her many friends at West Park Village, also many thanks to the staff of West Park Village and Valley Health Care for their outstanding care and love for Elsie.

Elsie is survived by her sisters, Helen Kaufman and Lillian Galles (Dean) and their families, her two daughters, Darlene Felix (Bill) of Eagle, Idaho and Sharon Keller (Dick) of Worden, six grandchildren, William Felix (Yvonne), Richard Felix (Karyn), Karen Mlawsky (Alex), Jeffery Allen Koch (Shere), Jody Walter (Danny), and Jamie Lee Koch (Joleen), eleven great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and her brother (Walter).

Cremation has taken place. Graveside services will be held 11am Monday at Pleasantview Cemetery, Ballantine.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Riverstone Hospice.