Simons always saw the positive

She'd catch you at Harvest Foods, Minnie's or Grocery Surplus. Some people would avoid her. Others would walk up and hug her. Either way, Jay Simons would find you, and she had questions to ask.

Judith Marlene Simonson, 80, passed away on Friday, December 20, 2019, in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. She was born November 26, 1939. She was known throughout Sanders County by her pen name, Jay Simons. A staple at The Ledger, Jay worked as a contributor for more than 35 years. She started doing the Question of the Week for more than 31 years.

Jay loved meeting people and loved doing the question of the week. She didn't get along well with technology – we were constantly showing her how to put the memory card in her camera and how to charge the battery – but she never got frustrated. She kept doing what she did best – going out and getting to know the people of Sanders County.

Jay's career with The Sanders County Ledger started with her first question of week published September 8, 1988, when she asked people if they thought the dates of the Sanders County Fair should be changed. There wasn't a question she wouldn't ask, or a person she wasn't afraid to approach.

Advertising Manager Sherry Hagerman-Benton is the only remaining staff member who was here when Jay started. "She was the reincarnation of Lucille Ball," Hagerman-Benton said. "She continually managed to be in oddly sticky situations." For instance, there was the time she climbed the apple tree to pick apples. "No one was there but her son Scotty," Hagerman-Benton continued. "She was reaching far, and shouldn't have been on the ladder anyway, and the whole ladder came down. She went flying through the tree and landed on her back, and I don't know how she lived through that without any broken bones."

Jay loved her family wholeheartedly, especially her son Scotty, who lived with her at their home on Green Mountain between Trout Creek and Noxon. She brought Scotty to work at Little Bitterroot in Thompson Falls and would take him to senior dinners and potlucks. Jay was involved in bringing the community food bank and thrift store to Noxon.

She also served for more than 25 years on the board of directors at Northern Lights, Inc., with six of those years as president and 13 as secretary. She also was director of the Montana Electric Cooperative Association for 20 years. Jay appreciated the trust the cooperative members put in her.

Former Ledger owner Bina Eggensperger remembers Jay as a great feature writer. "She always found interesting stories of people in Sanders County doing interesting things."

Sure, she was nosy, but only because she cared about everyone she met. She rarely missed community events, and when she would come in after completing the question of the week, she would beam with excitement at the new people she had met. Her positive outlook no matter what life threw at her was a quality we hope everyone can strive to achieve.

Interment will be at a later date at the Whitepine Cemetery. Details will be announced later. Messages for the family may be left at http://www.coffeltfuneral.com.