Sidney "Bruce" Switzer

A lifetime Libby resident, Sidney Bruce Switzer, passed away on January 19, 2023, at the Libby Care Center.

Bruce was born on December 17, 1934, in the old Libby Hospital on Second Street with Dr. Kairns attending. His parents were Earl and Waneta Switzer of Libby, who lived in the family home of his grandparents on Louisiana Avenue, built around 1912.

There were two older brothers, Don and Roger and two sisters, Shirley and Norma.

Bruce started school in the old grade school building located on the corner of Louisiana and Lincoln Boulevard and graduated from the old high school in 1954.

Bruce was on the high school track team running the 440, and he played football on the football field where the Legion Baseball Field is now located. He sang with the high school choral group as well.

Bruce also participated in the local boxing club at the basement of the Kootenai Mercantile building.

He worked at the St. Regis Mill and later the Champion Mill in between his tours of duty in the Army. Bruce did basic training at Fort Ord, California as a National Guard soldier and then on to Paris, France.  Another tour of duty started at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and on to Giessen, Germany, in the regular Army.  He did three tours in the Army altogether.

He also worked for the US Forest Service, fighting forest fires and at one time had a job delivering mail for the US Postal Service in downtown Libby.

Bruce tried his hand at mining by going to Wallace, Idaho, working for US Antimony Corp. and Bunker Hill Mining Corp, where he developed a real love for underground mining. Bruce constructed his own mine shaft on a claim up Flower Creek with two partners and named it the Flower Creek Mining Company, but never hit pay dirt as the miners called it, even at 80 feet down in solid bedrock.

Bruce also traveled to Australia one summer to try the life down under, but decided Montana was a better place.

Bruce was a member of the old Presbyterian Church on Lincoln Boulevard, which later moved to Mahoney Road. He sang in the church choir. When the Presbyterian Church closed their doors he attended church at Christ Lutheran Church with his friend Larry Knight.

He was also a very active member of the Odd Fellow Lodge with his friends, John and Teddye Beebe. Bruce was a long-time member of the Montana Historical Society.

After retiring, Bruce enjoyed coffee time in the morning at Rosauers with friends and he especially enjoyed Thursday morning breakfast with the Christian Church men and good friends, John Knudson and Bill Armstrong.

Bruce was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Waneta Switzer; brother Don Switzer and (Lydia), Roger Switzer of Coeur D’ Alene, ID; sister Shirley Mason of Bellingham, WA, Norma Karnes; and good friends Larry Knight and Fritz Vignali.

Bruce is survived by several loving nieces; sister-in-law Helga Switzer; and nephews.

Thanks go out to Ed Cosgriff, Bruce’s roommate who patiently put up with his daily routines.  We wish to extend our thanks to the good people of Boundary County Community Restorium in Bonners Ferry, ID, Libby Care Center, and the Christ Lutheran Church, for the care they extended to Sidney Switzer, better known as Bruce.

There will be a memorial service for Bruce at the Christ Lutheran Church on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. with a military burial to follow at the City of Libby Cemetery.  Arrangements are under the care of the Schnackenberg Funeral Home of Libby.  Memorials and condolences may be shared online by visiting www.schnackenbergfh.com.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.