Lenore Louise McKelvey Puhek passed away on December 28th, 2024, at the age of 86. She was surrounded by family and caring members of the St. Peter’s Hospital staff.
Lenore is the fourth child of Thomas Anthony and Nora Bee Frey McKelvey. She was born April 6, 1938, in her hometown of Helena, Montana. She attended Saint Helena grade school and Cathedral High school graduating in the class of 1956. While there she wrote a daily bulletin and edited the school newspaper.
After high school she worked for a time at the Mountain Bell “Ma Bell” telephone company in Helena. She then moved to Billings, MT, where she met Steve Puhek, a Red Lodge, Montana native. They were married on April 26th, 1962, in the Cathedral of Saint Helena, Helena, Montana.
Their son, Joseph James (Joey), was born in Billings on December 31, 1963. Joey needed medical care and was admitted to the Shriner’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. They resided in Salt Lake City for five years, before returning to Helena. Joey passed away on May 11, 1981. Lenore and Steve were married until his death in 2002.
After returning to Helena, Lenore resumed her education and received a B.A. in English/ Writing from Carroll College, Helena, MT. Lenore worked in the Carroll College Learning Center helping foreign students with their English studies. One of those, from Kathmandu, Nepal, remained friends for years. She was, as she put it, an OTA (Older than Average Student). She started a club to support and encourage older classmates returning to education. She said that two people came to the first meeting but they promised to bring two more and they eventually had to find a larger room to gather. While there she was awarded the A.B.”Bud” Guthrie, Jr. writing scholarship. She became friends with Guthrie, and she said he gave her great advice on writing.
Lenore’s principal occupation was that of homemaker, but she continued to enjoy lifelong learning in the arts including creative writing, painting, stained-glass, and photography. She attended the “John C. Campbell Folk School” located in Brasstown, North Carolina at least five times. Some of the classes she attended include jewelry and silver work, mountain dulcimer building, a woodworking class, glass fusing and slumping, and basketry.
Lenore loved to travel. For some of the trips she was joined by her sister Ellen and her Mother Nora Bee. These trips took them to Alaska, Ireland, Washington D.C., and around the United States. On an extensive bus tour of Europe, she visited the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Lichtenstein.
Every two years Lenore attended writing conferences in other parts of the United States. She met Ivan Doig, Erma Bombeck, Maria Von Trappe, Richard Wheeler, Norma Ashby, and many other authors at these conferences. It was at one of them that she was challenged to “write a real story and become a real author”. That became the incentive for her first book, “The Rivers Edge”. Since then, she authored and published seven books.
A large part of her life was the affiliations and friendships in writer’s organizations. She was a member of the Montana Christian Writers’ Fellowship. That group disbanded and Lenore started “Writers of the Big Sky”. That group met weekly to support and critique one another’s work.
She was a member of the Western Writers of America, Montana Historical Society, and the State of Montana Cowboy and Western Heritage Center. She often gave talks in historical dress about her books and Montana history.
Lenore wrote numerous nominations and biographies for Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame inductees. In 2024, Lenore was thrilled to be inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame herself.
For years she attended the Cathedral of St. Helena. She worked on the cleaning of the stained-glass windows in the Cathedral, with her sister Ellen Murphy. She also gave tours of the Cathedral. She later became acquainted with staff and friends at St Cyril and Methodius in East Helena and began attending mass there.
Lenore is preceded in death by her Grandparents, Parents, son Joey, husband Steve, brother James McKelvey, sister Ellen Murphy, brothers-in-law Earl Murphy and Gary Dietzen, nephew Terry Murphy, and numerous cousins in the McKelvey, Nangle, Dietzen, and Murphy families.
Lenore is survived by her sister Sheila Dietzen of Yakima, WA, Her brother Patrick McKelvey and his wife Judy of Helena, MT, and her cousin Billie Jo (Enright) Meglen, also of Helena.
She has numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family.
In lieu of flowers those who wish to donate in her name to the organization of their choice, or to the Nora Bee McKelvey scholarship fund at Carroll College, 1601 N Benton Ave, Helena, MT 59625. Donations to the scholarship fund may be made online at www.carroll.edu/give.
The funeral service for Lenore will be held at the Ss Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in East Helena, MT at 12:00 P.M. on Wednesday, January 15th. A luncheon will follow the service in the lower level of the church. Interment will follow the luncheon at Resurrection Cemetery in Helena. Pallbearers include Conn McKelvey, Doug Manning, Chris Kiser, Mike Murphy, Todd Dietzen, and Sean Manning. Honorary pallbearers are Randy Murphy and Brady Potter.
Service Schedule
Funeral Mass
12:00 p.m.
Wednesday January 15, 2025
Ss Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church
120 West Riggs Street
East Helena, Montana
Funeral Reception
Immediately following the Mass
Wednesday January 15, 2025
Lower level of the church
,
Burial
Following the Reception Appx 2:45 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday January 15, 2025
Resurrection Cemetery
Helena, Montana
Service Schedule
Funeral Mass
12:00 p.m.
Wednesday January 15, 2025
Ss Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church
120 West Riggs Street
East Helena, Montana
Funeral Reception
Immediately following the Mass
Wednesday January 15, 2025
Lower level of the church
,
Burial
Following the Reception Appx 2:45 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday January 15, 2025
Resurrection Cemetery
Helena, Montana
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Larry Westfall says
Lenore was always a kind person, a faithful neighbor and caring friend.
Earl Sheldon says
Good memories of visits with Lenore at her visit to Sun River Valley Historical Society and arts and crafts show at Neihart. Have read several of her books, and especially enjoyed ‘Annie’. We grew up Montanan’s at the same time and had warm visits. I will make a donation in her honor.
Stevie Erving says
Lenore,
I miss you, dear friend. I miss the support and encouragement you gave to each member of Writers in the Sky. I miss how you honored each one of us with a rose when we were published. I miss editing books you wrote and watching you grow as a wonderful author. I miss tea and cookies in your home while we laughed, cried, and solved the world’s problems.
I thank you for insisting you introduce me to Dan, my terrific husband of 22 years. I miss you, dear friend.
Love, Stevie
Deb Green says
You were a friend for many years. It’s like they say people come into our lives for a season, a reason and a lifetime. Though we had not been together much in the past years, I have many memories of times with you. You were a special part of our family. I will always remember our trip to Minnesota together to visit my mom. We had such a great time together and you were always so caring with my mom. When the twins were born you were so excited and always included them and honored them at birthdays, Christmas, etc. So thankful you were a part of Christian Women’s Club and bible study for many years. You touched a lot of lives and you will be remembered with fond memories!
Deb and the Green family
Maighread Goodwin (nee McKelvey) says
Thank you to Lenores family for sharing this lovely obituary.
I think she was the person that reconnected with the McKelvey family in Donegal initially and I know that our father Josie really appreciated her information, visits and many letters. Ar dheis de go raibh a anam.