Obituary available at this link: https://hungryhorsenews.com/news/2010/sep/30/kenneth-friske-10/∼Kenneth F. Friske passed away Sept. 15, 2010, in Columbia Falls. He was born Dec. 23, 1921, in Polson, to Fred and Gunvor Friske, the eldest of eight children. Ken grew up in Columbia Falls and Troy, and graduated from Flathead County High School. Being highly proficient in shorthand, upon entering the service he would become a master sergeant chief clerk while serving in Italy and North Africa for the brigadier general. Service to our country was one of Ken s and his brothers greatest accomplishments. His disciplined skills of neatness, organization and work ethic were carried out his entire life. In March of 1948, Ken met and married his wife, Mary Ann, and the same year moved to their beloved state of Alaska. It was in Alaska that they built their lives, enjoying 51 years together. They enjoyed long drives and putting their boat in Harding Lake, taking cruises, and traveling extensively around the world. Kenneth would become the manager of the Alaska Motor Inn, VP of transportation for Westours, living in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Seattle. He played a major role in the construction of the Fairbanks Inn, owning a restaurant in Whitefish, and managing a motel in San Jose, Calif. He became a partner in the Pipeline Transportation Co., and worked in management during the pipeline years. His final employment would be working for Aurora Motors, starting in sales, moving to sales manager and then in charge of fleet purchases. Ken always enjoyed nice cars, always owning a top line model; everything from a T-Bird, Mark III, Jaguar XKE, and a Chevelle Super Sport. Of course, when he went to work for Aurora Motors he always had a nice demo at his disposal. Ken stayed with Aurora Motors until his retirement in 2000 at the age of 80, a year after losing his wife. Ken was very skilled, building intricate models, working on home maintenance repair, electrical, carpentry and especially painting. Two weeks after his retirement he moved to Montana to be close to his remaining siblings, Forrest, Barbara and June, and brother-in-law, Dick Gaertner. It was at this time that Ken and Forrest made up for lost years of being apart from each other. They enjoyed each other s company every day of their remaining years, taking long drives, trips back to Alaska, visiting Mount Rushmore, mini-vacations around the state of Montana, and just visiting at each other s home. Ken and Forrest were history buffs, exchanging books, history magazines, and talking about the wars of the past and the important history they held. Ken s life was full of staying busy even at his young age of 80-plus. Everything had a place and his home in Montana showed what an impeccable man he was throughout his life. He remained at his residence until 2008 and then lived at the Montana State Veterans Home after a radical surgery trying to remove a benign acoustic neuroma tumor. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ann; brothers, James and Forrest; and sisters, Joyce, Margie and Wilma. He is survived by his sisters, Barbara and Dick Ott of Kalispell, and June and Dale Barr of Columbia Falls; grandson, Mike Leonard, of Fairbanks; brother-in-law, Dick Gaertner, of Whitefish; and numerous nieces and nephews. His niece Tanna would like to say a special thank you to those in Alaska that stayed in contact up until his recent hospitalization of pneumonia and death. Your friendship meant so much to him! To the staff and caregivers at the Montana State Veterans Home, you are all wonderful and caring people; you became a part of his family. He could not have been in a better place during this trying time of his life. Thank you to Frontier Hospice for your support during his final days. A private interment will be held in Fairbanks in early summer of 2011.( The Daily Inter Lake, Sunday, September 26, 2010)