Adelia "Peggy" Oliphant

Adelia Nadene (Peggy) Smith Oliphant, 96, most recently of Joliet MT, passed away peacefully October 18th 2025, in Absarokee @ Gallagher’s assisted living, supported byThe Stillwater Hospice & surrounded by family. Peggy was born at home on May 29th 1929 in Dillon MT to faithful parents Leslie Henry Smith and Adelia Ada (Loveland) Smith who had moved from Pocatello just days earlier to establish a dry-cleaning business. Peggy was the only girl and grew up with older brothers Don and Dee. Leslie and Adelia’s first son, Leslie, passed away before the family left Pocatello. While in high school, Peggy’s family moved to Logan UT, where she graduated high school. After high school she attended Utah State for 1 year then Eastern Oregon for 1 year then back to Utah State where shegraduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. After college, she contemplated a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but young women missionaries were not commonplace at that time. She traveled to Pullman Washing for the job as a leader of the Campfire Girls’. In Pullman she shared an apartment with Gertrude Oliphant, sister to her future husband, Burt Oliphant.

Burt and Peggy were married in the Idaho Falls Temple in 1953, then moved to Dillon MT where Peggy’s bother had a law practice and where Burt followed his lifelong passion in radio.

In January 1957 KDBM AM radio went on the air. The pair also had other stations throughout the years in Anaconda MT, Boise ID and Glendive MT.

Peggy was active in Church callings and served in many Primary, Relief Society and Young Women’s capacities. With Burt & Peggy’s media experience, the pair served a Public Affairs mission with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Palmyra NY from 1995 to 1997, where they promoted the Hill Cumorah Pageant. After their mission, they bought a motorhome and traveled the country. After six years they settled in St. George UT during winters and returned to Montana for the summers.

In 1994, their sons Brent and Jeff established radio station KMXE-FM in Red Lodge MT, which became the Montana home for Burt and Peggy in their later life

Peggy is survived by her three children Jill (Randall), Brent (Teresa), and Jeff (Annette), eleven grandchildren plus spouses, eight step grandchildren plus spouses, twenty-one great-grandchildren, and three great-great-step grandchildren.

Peggy was preceded in death by her parents, husband, three brothers, and several brothers-in-laws and sisters-in-law. Funeral services will be held Friday October 24th 2025, at 11am at the Manning Wheatley Funeral Home located at 510 N. 12th Ave. Pocatello, ID 83201. A viewing at the funeral home will take place from 10 to 11am. Interment will take place immediately following the service at the Mountain View Cemetery in Pocatello ID. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Missionary Fund.

Click Here to watch the livestream of the Funeral Service