John W. LAROQUE

MISSOULA - John W. "Bill" LaRoque, 95, a former Libby resident, died Thursday, Dec. 30, 2004, at his home in Missoula.He was born March 8, 1909, in Dodson to Toby and Louise Kline LaRoque.He started working on a cattle ranch in Farenough at the age of 14. He then started working construction. He worked on the Fort Peck Dam, and this is where he learned to operate heavy equipment.He married Clara Beaudry on Nov. 23, 1936. He continued to work at Fort Peck and he then began working for the civil service. He was involved in numerous projects, such as dams, prisoner of war confinement camps and military airstrips.After the war, he returned to the construction industry as an ironworker. He worked on the Boeing plant, the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the Space Needle and his last major project before retiring was the Libby Dam.Five sisters; eight brothers; a son, Charles; and three grandsons, Calvin, Linc and Tom, preceded him in death.Survivors include his wife, Clara LaRoque of Missoula; four children, Lena "Sissy" LaRoque of Missoula, Joy Scott and husband Lloyd of Libby, Carol Jean LaRoque of Missoula, John LaRoque of Missoula and Jack LaRoque and Barbara of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; 12 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.Services have been held in Libby.