Fern Kirley, 99, died on May 14, 2015, of complications from a fall. She was born on March 4th, 1916, to Theora and C.C. Boyd, who ranched on the Big Hole River near Twin Bridges. When Fern was fourteen, they moved to a larger ranch near Silver Star.
Fern and her sister Ruth divided up the chores, with Fern gladly taking on the role of ranch-hand so that she could be outdoors and wouldn’t have to cook. Younger sister Wayve came along when Fern was 10.
After high school in Twin Bridges, Fern took nurses’ training at the Deaconess Hospital in Great Falls, graduating from the three-year program in 1937.
In April 1938, she went to Townsend to interview for a nurse position and started work the next day. The hospital was so new that construction wasn’t yet finished, and she met Floyd Kirley, who was laying linoleum in the hallway. They married on May 3, 1939, and had four children, two girls in the first years of their marriage and two boys much later. Floyd died of cancer in 1965, and Fern raised her two young sons by herself.
Fern worked at the Townsend hospital for 50 years. She was a surgical nurse for the first half of her career, and she loved working in surgery. Not usually one for bragging, she would acknowledge that in her 20+ years of running the surgery room and sterilizing the equipment, part of it before antibiotics, there was only one case that might have involved a surgery-related infection. After Dr. Nash died in 1963, fewer surgeries were performed in Townsend, and in the mid-1960’s, with the advent of Medicare, Fern transitioned to medical records. After retiring on her 50th anniversary at the hospital, she served on the hospital’s Board of Directors for over ten years.
At age 87, she left her beloved garden and raspberry patch and relocated to Helena to live with sons Bill and John. After leaving Townsend she missed her many friends from the hospital and Holy Cross Parish, but she returned to Townsend for her bridge club every two weeks right up to the week of her death.
Fern also became part of the family of Susan and Jim McGrane, and their children, Kim (Jeff) Beaver and E.J. (Rainee) McGrane. Susan and Jim have provided a loving home for Fern’s son John for thirty-six years.
Fern was preceded in death by her sister Ruth Miller of Silver Star, and very recently preceded in death by her daughter Mary (Kirley) Clow of Edmond, Oklahoma, and her sister Wayve Boyd of Dillon.
Fern is survived by her daughter Pat (Vance) Lusetti, Oceanside, California, son-in-law Jimmy Clow of Edmond, Oklahoma, sons Bill and John Kirley, both of Helena, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Her funeral mass will be at Holy Cross Parish in Townsend, at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20, with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery. A reception lunch at the church will follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the WestMont Foundation, 2708 Bozeman Ave., Helena, MT 59601, or to the Broadwater Community Health Foundation, P.O. Box 1215, Townsend, MT, 59644.
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Meredith Tobel Saylor says
Fern was a remarkable lady. I worked with Fern at the Broadwater Hospital and Clinic in Townsend 30 some years ago. I still remember her kindness and her smile. Rest in peace great lady.
Meredith Tobel.