Aug. 17, 1938 - Jan. 21, 2024
LuciAnn C. Manz of Seeley Lake, Montana passed away on Jan. 21, 2024, at Continental Care and Rehabilitation, Butte, Montana of natural causes. She was born on Aug. 17,1938 in Missoula, Montana; the first born of three children to Lucien Joseph and Mary Lucille (Smith) Croonenberghs.
LuciAnn, in her early years of life, grew up between Missoula and Seeley Lake where the extended family had a cabin on the lake, a place she truly enjoyed in any season. After beginning elementary school in Missoula, her eighth grade graduation was in Butte. The family moved regularly due to her father's employment as a master mechanic with Mannix International. Her high school years began in Butte and then on to Missoula and Winnipeg, Canada. Her senior year culminated in graduation from Hopkins High School in Hopkins, Minnesota in 1956.
LuciAnn began her career in banking in 1957 with the First National Bank in Minneapolis as a messenger and then transferred to the Hopkins branch as a transit clerk in 1958. She moved back to Missoula and began working for the Western Montana National Bank in August of 1958, moving up through the ranks from messenger to regular teller and then commercial teller. She resigned in February 1966 to marry her naval aviator husband, Captain John W. Manz USMC. They married on Feb. 12, 1966 at the Congregational Church in Missoula upon John's return from Vietnam.
Life as the wife of a Marine reconnaissance pilot at Cherry Point, North Carolina was exciting and filled with adventure and travel. She accompanied John for the 12 week Aviation Safety Officer training course at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in early 1967. The curriculum for John was rigorous and the study hours long but LuciAnn reveled in the sun, sea and beauty of the California coast coupled with shopping and dining out in Monterrey.
Upon their return to Cherry Point, John resumed duty in Marine Composite Reconnaissance Squadron 2 flying missions as assigned which often left LuciAnn alone. However, volunteer service filled her time coupled with training their rescued North Carolina Mountain Dog. She was instrumental in helping John recover his health from a forced low altitude, high speed ejection after a predawn take off in an RF4B Phantom II. The subsequent disabilities resulted in her husband's medical retirement in August 1968 and return to the forest products industry in forest operations.
The next 32 years saw LuciAnn focus on the family, her continuing education and avocations of weaving, knitting and quilting. She attended multiple colleges in her pursuit of education: Centralia Community College, Washington; Carl Abert Junior College, Oklahoma; Eastern Oklahoma State College, Oklahoma; Highland Community College, Washington; Garland County Community College, Arkansas. Through all the moves and changes that came with nurturing her family, she earned her associate in arts degree at Garland Community College in 1985.
Their only child, Thomas Daniel Manz, was born Aug. 10, 1970. She guided and nurtured him through schools in Oklahoma, Washington, Arkansas and Texas with all the experiences that come with a son growing up. Four of the experiences she was proudest of were pinning the Eagle Scout badge on her son, watching him take the oath of office as a 2nd Lieutenant U.S. Army on his graduation from New Mexico Military Institute, his graduation with a Bachelor of Business degree from the University of Arkansas, Conway, and welcoming him home for a long visit in Seeley Lake when he retired as a Lt. Colonel in 2014.
Travel, which LuciAnn loved, took her to Canada, Korea, Germany, Austria, Sweden and 48 of the 50 U.S. states. A lover of horses and a great rider in her own right, a highlight in her life was watching the Lipizzaner horses perform at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. LuciAnn visited Korea to spend ten days with her son increasing her interest and knowledge of the history, art and culture of the Korean people.
LuciAnn and John bought their retirement home in her beloved Seeley Lake in 2000. She arrived in August 2000 after supervising the sale of the home in Auburn, Washington, and the entire move as John was in Australia and Uruguay on business at the time. On his return to the United States John did not retire until Dec. 31, arriving home on New Years Day.
LuciAnn is survived by her beloved husband of 57 years, John; son LtCol. Thomas D. Manz U.S. Army (ret.); brother, Jeffrey Robbin Croonenberghs; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. She is predeceased by her father, Lucien Joseph Croonenberghs Jr.; mother, Mary Lucille Croonenberghs; brother Lucien Norman Croonenberghs.
Arrangements for an outdoor celebration of life for friends and family are in progress with a likely date in mid-April or May in Seeley Lake. An announcement will be made when arrangements are complete.
Please visit axelsonfuneralhome.com to offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of LuciAnn.
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