Penelope 'Penny' B. Black
August 14, 2006
Penny Black, 63, Troy, Montana, passed away August 10, 2006, at the extended care facility at Boundary Community Hospital, Bonners Ferry.
A memorial service was held August 14 at Wellspring Community Center, Bonners Ferry.
Penny was born February 25, 1943, in Northampton, Massachusetts, to Mason and Shirley Belden (Pond). She attended elementary school and in 1961 gradated from RHAM high school in Hebron, Connecticut. She then moved to Marietta, Ohio, where she graduated from Marietta College with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics in 1965.
A never-ending spirit of adventure led her to California, where she worked at Humboldt State University in Arcata. It was there that she met and married William "Bill" Black on December 21, 1978. Wanting to escape the hectic lifestyle of California, they moved with their family to a rural 20-acre parcel outside Troy, Montana, in 1979. At that time, they had no idea of the adventure that lay ahead of them.
Penny enjoyed the challenges of clearing land, building a house (where she lived for many years without the conveniences of electricity and running water), and raising her two daughters.
To summarize her life with one word is not difficult, as those who knew her always referred to her as a servant. This was very evident in her involvement with Praise Church, 4-H, AWANA, the Troy School Board and AFS. She could always be found volunteering, organizing pot lucks, teaching kids to cook, quilt and sew, bringing meals to those in need, and filling in as a mother to kids who frequently surrounded her. Penny's life revolved around meeting the needs of others above her own.
Given the choice, she always preferred to be outside rather than in the house. Her summers were filled with overflowing gardens, extended camping trips to the Yaak River, and participating regularly in Bloomsday. If the weather prohibited her from being outside, she could be found quilting, sewing, cooking, reading, crocheting or teaching others to do the same.
Penny's greatest joy was serving and spending time with her family and friends. She will be greatly missed by her husband, family and her many friends.
She is survived by her husband of 27-years, Bill; daughters Krystina and husband Matthew McNeil, Davao, Philippines, and Jennifer Black, Bozeman, Montana; mother Shirley Belden, East Woodstock, Connecticut; brother Charles and wife Mary Belden, Eastford, Connecticut; sister Mary and husband Frank Rival, Lebanon, Connecticut; and granddaughters Josie and Jessica McNeil, Davao, Philippines.
Memorials may be made to Boulder Creek Academy, account number 02606952, Panhandle State Bank, P.O. Box 1479, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805.
Originally published on the website - Kootenai Valley Press - August 14, 2006
www.kvpress.com/obituaries/2006/0810black.htm