Doris Moan

Doris Ann Moan, 77, died October 6, 2005 in the Eastern Montana Veterans Home in Glendive. Funeral services were held at 10:00 A.M., Monday, October 10, 2005 in the Chapel of the Silvernale-Silha Funeral Home in Glendive with Celebrant Sandy Silha. Interment was in the Dawson Memorial Cemetery in Glendive. Doris was born January 29, 1928 in Glendive, Montana, the daughter of Clemments and Grace (Almy) Zolman. Doris received her education at the Sunrise Elementary School and Dawson County High School in Glendive. Doris married Orvin E. Robson on March 18, 1944 in Glendive. To this union five children were born. He preceded her in death on April 13, 1965. On March 19, 1966 she married Lester A. Moan in Wibaux and they had one child. Lester preceded her in death on December 8, 1981. Doris worked various jobs while raising her family, her last being a housekeeper at Glendive Medical Center for nineteen years. She retired in 1996 after suffering a stroke. Doris loved to watch western movies and also enjoyed many family gatherings, her favorites being the many fish fries. Doris was preceded in death by a grandson, Kelly Robson; six brothers, Eldredge (EZ), Art, Jerry, Clem, Donald, and Howard; two sisters, Ruth Nentwig Swennes and Sabra Wolff. Doris is survived by her children, Wanda M. Baker and her husband James, Rodney J. Robson and his wife Sandy, Donna L. Dobson and her husband Dan all of Glendive, Montana, Ronald R. Robson and his wife Brenda of Roanoke, Virginia, Sherry L. Gilbertson and her husband Jerry of Bismarck, North Dakota, Jeffrey J. Moan of Leander, Texas; step children, Bonnie, Linda, Gary, Gayle, Randy and Nikki; one sister Betty Fox of Troutdale, Oregon; 14 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Many will remember mom as being one feisty lady. Eulogy by Celebrant Sandy Silha: A feisty woman, absolutely! Doris Ann Moan, in a word, was feisty. Doris was a strong, hardworking person, who got through the tough times and would take on life’s problems with her strength of will and her sense of humor. She enjoyed her Schlitz beer, her cigarettes, her chocolate, a bit of swearing, her cards and board games, which were always played by Doris’ rules, practical jokes, and her TV, including John Wayne and the westerns, her soaps, Murder She Wrote, Lawrence Welk, and wrestling, especially Bouncing Bonito. But what Doris loved and appreciated, what was most important in her life, was her family. She took care of and raised six children, five with her first husband, Orvin Robson, and one with her second husband, Lester Moan. Wanda, Ronald, Rodney, Sherry, Donna and Jeff never realized until they were grown, what their feisty mother did for them during those growing up years when cash was scarce. They were always well fed, whether it was onion or pickle sandwiches, mac and cheese and ring bologna on Fridays, venison, or Doris’ “family famous” fried chicken Sunday dinner. At Christmas there may not have been a roomful of gifts, but the house was decorated with strings of popcorn and cranberries, and miles of paper chains. Everyone got something. All her children smile when remembering Doris’ gift favorite to give them - a three-pack of peanuts. But every once in a while something would happen, and Doris’ feistiness and sense of humor couldn’t carry her through. Her son, Rod, tells of one such time before Christmas. Money was tight and Doris wanted to do something for her kids. She decided to get down a large bowl she had and make up a big batch of fudge for all the kids as a treat. She mixed up the fudge and was carrying it to the table to put in the pan when it slipped out of her arms, crashed to the floor and smashed into a huge mess of chocolate and shattered glass. The good intentions gave way to anger, frustration and tears. But for the most part, Doris would thumb her nose at the world and it’s problems and go her merry way. She loved to stir her family up and played a lot of practical jokes. Doris’ daughter, Wanda, tells of one Halloween when Doris got on a costume and mask and went over to her brother and sister-in-law’s house to trick or treat. Doris went to the back door and got her treat. Then she went to the front door and got another treat. She repeated this several times before her sister-in-law caught on to the trick. But people who play jokes on others become a victim of jokes played on them. Son, Rod and his wife Sandy, would take Doris out to dinner along with various family members on Thursday nights. This became a tradition, as did the joke they always played on Doris. Sometime during the meal someone would slip an eating utensil or a salt or pepper shaker into Doris’ pocket or purse. Usually, before leaving the restaurant, Doris would discover this and everyone would give her a bad time about trying to take these things from the restaurant. Doris did manage to turn this joke around. One Christmas, her grandson Rocky, received some of the utensils and salt and pepper shakers that had been taken from the restaurants as a Christmas gift from his grandmother. Even with all the jokes and humor, Doris had a serious side. When son, Ron, thinks about his mother, he remembers some advice that helped set the course of his life. He had just lost his dad and had signed up for military service. Ron was having second thoughts and Doris told him “Just go and don’t look back.” He took her advice and he went. Of course, her children didn’t always listen to her and if you broke the rules and got into trouble, you were certain to hear about it. Her children were sure she didn’t sleep, as it was impossible to sneak into her house. One thing she made sure her children did do, was go to church. Doris didn’t go to church herself and both her marriages were performed by a justice of the peace. She would say that she was waiting for a round church so the devil couldn’t corner her. Notice that the music selections for her life tribute today are hymns. Doris chose these songs. There was no explaining Doris. Doris never went out in public without looking her best. She would dress up, do her hair and have her Certs before she went anywhere. And she had the nicest, longest fingernails. They were all natural and she kept them looking good. Doris was born, raised, educated, married, worked and lived her entire life in the Glendive area. She hated to travel, even though daughter, Wanda and her husband Jim did get her to go a few places. Once she even went to visit son, Ron, in Virginia. Just once. Most of her travels were around Glendive. Her family talks about what a terrible driver she was. She went full bore with hard stops. They didn’t like her driving around town and they sure didn’t care to ride with her. But she did it anyway. Doris’ social circle was her family. First it was her siblings and their families, and then as her own children grew up and had families of their own, they all did many things together. Sunday morning coffee, Sunday chicken dinner, house remodeling, changing residences, holidays, white elephant Christmas gift exchanges, fishing, and her favorite, the family fish fries. Doris could eat more fish than anyone other than her son-in-law, Dan and that was too close to call. Doris was the only one who would eat Dan’s fish chowder. She really enjoyed eating fish. All of Doris’ family got full doses of her feistiness on a regular basis. Her granddaughter, Michele laughs about the way her grandmother would scheme about ways to antagonize her children. And they in turn enjoyed riling her up. Her baby boy, as she called Jeff, relates about doing this to her by sliding down the stair banister. He got chewed out every time except the last time when he caught a nail and ripped his pants and shorts. She just told him he deserved it and that was that. Jeff, by his own admission, kept his mother riled up most of the time. His sister, Sherry enjoyed this immensely as it took it got her off the hook many times. But even with being riled up and with the feistiness, the sense of humor was ever present. Treven, Doris’ grandson, loved her sense of humor and remarked how he sees much of that same trait in his mom, aunts and uncles. To Treven, even though Doris was small in stature, she always seemed large to him. Another grandson, Mike, talks about Doris being resilient. Mike admired that about his grandmother and feels it is a trait she has given him. When Doris’ family was sharing memories there was an abundance of laughter, smiles, and humorous stories. As with everyone, everywhere, there has also been sadness, hurt feelings, conflict, and hard times. When reminded that this time and this place is also safe for tears, there was a short silence. Then, Doris’ son, Rod quietly spoke about how seeing the humor in life and laughing about it was how they had all learned to deal with the ups and downs of life. This is a gift Doris has left her family. In 1996, Doris suffered a stroke. It forced her to retire from her job at Glendive Medical Center, and stop doing some of the things she enjoyed. But not everything. Her daughter, Donna, tells about her weekly grocery list being short but consistent – chocolate nuggets, strawberry jelly, Certs, orange juice, and cigarettes. And her family was still the focus of her life. She remained feisty enough to try to keep them on their toes, and her sense of humor never waned. Doris developed severe osteoporosis. The final two years of her life were spent in the Eastern Montana Veterans Home. During the last few weeks, she had a great deal of pain. Donna felt she was a bit afraid of going to sleep and not waking up again. Perhaps Doris would have agreed with Woody Allen’s thoughts about dying. He said, “It’s not that I’m afraid to die, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” Doris Ann Moan died at the age of 77, October 6, 2005. As her daughter-in-law Sandy said, “ The best tribute we can give a loved one is for them to know they are loved. Doris was much loved.” A bit later in the service, we will invite anyone who would like to share a thought or story about Doris, to come forward. We ask that you use the microphone so that all may hear. Let us now listen to the song “Rock of Ages” as we remember Doris. Song: Rock of Ages Celebrant When a loved dies, a hole is left in the lives and hearts of family and close friends. As they walk through their grief, we can comfort and support them by sharing memories and stories we may have about Doris. And we can ask that they share the many stories and thoughts they have about about her with. For it is in remembering that Doris will never be gone. Doris’ son Rod would like to share a reading and some thoughts about his mother with us. Celebrant Thank you Rod. It is an important day when we stop to bear witness to a person’s life and times among us, the difference her living and dying has made among family and community, and to take time to express our grief, our hope, our wonder, and our memories. Thank you all for being here today. If you were here earlier to pay your respects to Doris, you may have noticed several things that were placed by family members with Doris in the casket. Her grandson, Rocky, gave her a stuffed dog. Rocky had always threatened to give each of his grandmothers a pug. Doris’ reply was always a strong, “the hell you will!”. Well…yes he did. Doris’s casket has a drawer in it called a memory safe and items have been placed here by the family. Her daughter Sherry has placed some roses there. Roses were Doris’ favorite flower. Doris’s daughter Wanda and her husband, Jim, have included a picture of their puppy that Doris was so fond of. Daughter Donna put the chocolate nuggets that Donna loved there. Doris’ grandson, Mike, a sergeant in the United States Army, placed a patch he wore while in Iraq to be kept by his grandmother. The family of Doris Moan has left special items to remain with Doris, and you are invited to leave something special with Doris also…your handprint. Just as each handprint is unique, with no two the same, each of us also has a unique soul. Every time we come into contact with others, we leave the impact and significance of our soul print on them and they on us. Doris has touched each of us in a different and unique way with her soul print. As our funeral director ushers you from your seat, the family invites you to say a final good-bye to Doris by coming forward and leaving your touch on Doris’ casket, so that our handprints will remain and blend together in honor of a life that has touched us, in honor of Doris Ann Moan. Marla McCormick will play and sing “Be Not Afraid” as we leave our handprint and our good-bye to Doris.

Doris Moan

January 29, 1928 - October 10, 2005

What We Do

Flowers & Gifts

Plan Ahead

About Us

Resources

Obituaries

Grief & Healing

Contact Information

Doris Moan

January 29, 1928 - October 10, 2005

What We Do

Flowers & Gifts

Plan Ahead

About Us

Resources

Obituaries

Grief & Healing

Contact Information

365 Days of Grief Support