Julie Jane Shadle

Julie Myers Shadle

Was born Julie Jane Myers, the daughter of Milo and Lucille Myers, in Eldora, Iowa on March 1st, 1941. Julie left the bindings of mortal life on December 2, 2023, in Libby, Montana.

Julie grew up in Eldora, Iowa and graduated from high school there in 1959. She was active in many music groups, both instrumental and vocal as well as thespian activities. Her music included piano, organ, clarinet, and baritone saxophone. She played the piano and organ for the church and the clarinet in a band as well as small groups and pep band. She played the baritone sax in a dance band.

Julie attended Iowa State University and graduated in 1963 with a degree in home economics education and a minor in music. While in college she participated in many music activities including the concert band, the Iowa State University orchestra and was a member of Sigma Alpha Iota music honorary.

Julie married Jim Shadle in 1962 and, after completing her college degree, lived in Washington, D.C. San Diego, California, Newport, Washington, Orofino, Idaho and Libby, Montana. In many of those communities she was active in the church as an organist and pianist and used her musical talent to accompany students in solos or small groups. In Libby Julie was an assistant librarian at the middle school, taught home economics at the high school for a short time, taught music to elementary students and taught nutrition to WIC clients until retiring in 1995.

After retirement Julie and Jim traveled to various parts of the world, and enjoyed a few winters in Tucson, Arizona. They played golf and skied together until dementia interrupted those activities and eventually ended Julie's life.

Julie was preceded in death by both parents and her brother, David Myers. Julie is survived by her husband, Jim; by her daughters, Stacy Christie (Tom), and Stephanie Paradee (Jeff); son, Eric (Jolene); six grandchildren, Jerren Paradee (Audrey), Anna Paradee, Brian Paradee, Devin Christie, Calvin Shadle and Cole Shadle; one great grandchild, Joanna Paradee.

You have just read the timelines of Julie's life but, Oh my, the life between those lines! Put on your comfortable reading glasses, get a cup of tea or a glass of wine and read about a lady who did not set the world on fire or even light the match that would have done it. She just did the right thing all the time, every time. Here we go.

Julie was one of the earliest AFS exchange students. She was in Germany in 1958, attended school part of the time and was early enough to see some remainders of World War 2. Jim always accused her mother of encouraging that adventure, hoping the separation might halt the early romance. Julie's mother never denied the accusation. That exchange shaped Julie's view of the world and acceptance of all people.

On Halloween night in 1957 there was a dance at the Eldora, Iowa high school. Jim picked Julie up at her house and discovered she was dressed as a ghost and was covered head to foot with a sheet and, strangely, would not talk during the 5-minute ride to school. Jim thought this

behavior was odd but escorted her in none the less. And then...... and then saw Julie on the
dance floor with a buddy of his. Julie and her best friend, Polly, had traded places and got away with it.

You read in the obituary that Julie played, among other things, the baritone saxophone. She only played it in the dance band that toured some of the Midwest schools for their dances. By then Jim and Julie were an "item." When offered the chance to play the very large and heavy barry sax she said, "Sure, Jim can carry the sax and I'll carry his trumpet."

On July 4th, 1978, it was 100 degrees in Orofino, Idaho. The city pool was closed for the holiday.

Julie determined that was unacceptable, so......... she hired 2 lifeguards, rented the pool from the
city for a day and opened it. Not sure how many folks swam but there were 28 people at the after-swim potluck.

She taught Jim to play bridge. Jim taught her to play cribbage. Julie won most of the time. Not only that but the Julie and Alvira Jones team beat the Jim and Tom Jones team most years and collected a dinner each year as a result.

Jim liked golf so Julie took golf lessons and got to the point where a stroke a hole handicap was an even match with Jim. Julie even won the grandmother’s tournament one year.

Her early summer activities included one summer at Pike's Peak Inn in Colorado. That experience gave her an especially soft spot for the service industry.

After Jim left active duty with the Navy, he remained in the naval reserve which involved 2 weeks of active duty each year. One year Julie accompanied him, and they went to Long Beach, California. Jim unexpectedly found himself at sea leaving Julie to entertain herself, and she did. She took a tour of Universal Studios, got in a line to see the Art Linkletter show, was chosen to be interviewed and in the ensuing contest on national TV, won a fur coat. That coat had a life of its own and you will have to ask a family member for the rest of the story.

On a Sunday, while on a cruise, Julie was asked to replace the church service pianist who was apparently ailing. So, Julie found herself the accompanist for a church service on a cruise ship passing through the Panama Canal. Oh yes, it was Easter Sunday.

Seems like Julie was always in the right spot when music was needed. While visiting Marge Stewart in Germany it was discovered that the Grafunwehr army base needed a pianist for the Sunday protestant church service. Julie fulfilled that need. From the Panama Canal to the U.S. Army.

In Newport, Washington Jim and his friend, Francis, fished together now and then. One evening they were trolling flies in a rowboat on a small lake called North Skookum. Julie had arranged for a babysitter so she could join them and just sit in the boat and enjoy the summer evening. Neither Jim nor Francis were catching fish. Julie is passing time looking in the box of assorted flies. "What about this yellow one?" she wondered but was told it was just part of the collection and never worked. She asked if she could try it. She was allowed one rod and the yellow fly. By now you probably know what happened. She caught all the fish. That magic fly never caught another trout no matter how hard Jim tried.

One of Jim's passions is gardening. For Julie.................. not so much, but she recognized the value

of fresh and canned vegetables. One year Jim was weeding and Julie and a lady who shared that year's garden were picking bush beans. Periodically Jim would hear "YAY!" followed by a few minutes of quiet and then again, "YAY!" Jim, assuming the cheers were a result of some special harvest surprise investigated. Turns out the ladies were fed up with bean picking and, when the act of pulling a bean from the vine resulted in the whole plant coming out of the

ground to produce no more beans....... ever...... they cheered.

Julie really didn't like heights. She never crossed the swinging bridge, but she didn't like not being with her family even more. So, she learned to ski, gritted her teeth, probably closed her eyes on the high parts and rode the chair lifts at many northwest ski areas.

She made her mark in Libby fairly quickly. She moved here in late 1978 and was named "Woman of Distinction" in 1983.

P.E.O. was important to Julie. When she discovered that there was no chapter in Libby, she helped start one and was the first president of chapter BJ, P.E.O. in Libby, MT.

Julie drew spiritual strength from the prayer groups she belonged to through the years. One group started in Orofino, Idaho and, although all the members moved to other communities, that group held an annual reunion each and every year.

Julie took instruction in and practiced the art of therapeutic touch. Her liaison for that practice was Julie Barcomb, known as TOJ (Tahzz) or T — 0 —J -. The Other Julie. They were Tahzz to each other from then on.

She had a favorite salmon recipe that called for steamed salmon. She steamed the salmon by running it through the rinse cycle in the dishwasher.

The Shadle and Snyder families headed to the woods on the day after Thanksgiving every year to each find their perfect Christmas tree. Julie always marked that event with some new and appropriate item of apparel for each of the girls. It might be a flashing pin, a scarf or even a red and green crown, and the girl's car always got the Stan Kenton Christmas tape.

That same family group would spend a portion of spring break at some ski area each year. The gathering was called "EAT — SKI" because, besides sleep, they only did those two things. One year the male participants realized, as they rode up the chair lift, that the females all had cookies to eat during the ride up. Turns out Julie was fortifying the distaff side with pocketsful of cookies each morning.

One year the Kootenai River went into near flood stage and the water was up in the back yard of the Shadle home. Jim was in Fort Collins, Colorado. Julie organized a crew of scouts; the county staged a pile of sand on their property and Tom Fennessy provided a truck to haul the filled sandbags. Jim arrived home to a wall of sandbags in the backyard, no water beyond that point and a calm Julie who said, "Another day, another sandbag."

Julie joined Mitzi Smart and a large group of other ladies to form the 1941 club. The year they formed the club was the year they were all eligible for their social security. A truly good reason to celebrate together.

These memories and events are much more descriptive of Julie than an obituary could ever be.

So, this is Julie........ the lady who lived, said and believed: "At death the light doesn't go out.
The lamp is extinguished because dawn has come."

Julie's life will be celebrated at: Christ Lutheran Church 200 West Larch St.  Libby, MT 59923 at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 25th. Memorials may be directed to: P.E.O. Scholarship Fund. C/O: Leslie Crooks: 310 W. Oak St. Libby, MT 59923.

Arrangements are under the care of Schnackenberg Funeral Home of Libby, MT. Online condolences and memories may be shared by visiting www.schnackenbergfh.com.

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