Lori L. Micken

Lori Micken was born September 29, 1932, in Cut Bank, Montana, to Tessie Micken Weed and Gehris D. Weed. She was born Loris Lillian Weed, but as her maternal grandparents, Pat and Lillian Micken, raised her, she legally changed her name to Micken.

She graduated from Cut Bank High School in 1950 and went to Northern Montana College in Havre to earn a two-year teaching certificate. She obtained a B.A. in Science from Eastern Washington College in Cheney Washington through summer schools and correspondence courses. She then went on to get a Master of Science degree in Zoology from Bozeman, what was then Montana State College, doing her fieldwork on the axolotls in Virginia City.

 She taught in Livingston all but three of her 35-year career, going a year each to Libby, Missoula and Kalispell. For the last 19 years she taught high school biology in Livingston.

 Lori’s avocation was building construction. In 1959 – 1960 she built a small cabin at the head of the Swan Valley in western Montana. This was a haven for her family and friends. She furthered her carpentry skills by finishing the interior of a Boise-Cascade home south of Bozeman, laying oak floors, hanging doors and cabinets, putting up wood paneling etc. She also roofed the house and garage with cedar shakes and built a small horse barn. She returned to Livingston where she built a log home west of town, again doing all the interior finish work.

 Her final home, starting in 1977, was 10 miles west of Livingston at the base of the Bozeman Pass. For 24 years she and Linda Stewart raised cattle, sheep and poultry on the acreage plus all their fruits and vegetables. She built a deluxe chicken coup and another barn there.

 For 40 years Lori successfully hunted deer, antelope and upland game birds and did her own butchering.

 After retiring from teaching in 1988, Lori turned to another interest of many years, which was writing. She wrote and performed cowboy poetry for a dozen years and published three booklets of poetry. Her mother, Tessie Micken Buckley wrote a column for a Cut Bank newspaper. Lori edited and made these into an illustrated book, Homespun Talk. She next wrote a fact-based historical novel, Rachel, a western novel, Scattered by the Winds, and two autobiographies, 80 Years in Montana and 90 years in Montana. Montana Magazine, Falcon for Kids and Wild Outdoor World published several of her science articles.

 Throughout life, dogs were a great love of hers, from Irish Wolfhounds and Great Pyrenees to an Australian Sheperd, mutts, dachshunds, and corgis. Horses and riding were another special love of hers.

 She hiked in Glacier National Park every summer in her 30’s through her 60’s. She said this beloved area was what kept her young.

Lori passed away at her home on August 21,2024. Services will be held in the spring of 2025. Her ashes will be interred at her place, along with those of her dogs, in a private ceremony.

 Lori is survived by her cousin Lee Micken of Bozeman, MT and her children; Rob (Sandra) Micken of Helena, MT, Kelly (Bill) Bernard of Seattle, WA, Brian (Staley) Micken, and Sean (Erin) Micken all of Bend, OR, Maguerite Micken of IL and her daughter Maria Leis of MD.

 In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Stafford Animal Shelter of Livingston, Heart of the Valley shelter in Bozeman or your local shelter.

 To offer condolences please visit below.