Jack Prier, 56, died homeless, with his beloved dog, Ziggy

Jack Prier, 56, served his country but he died a sick, homeless veteran along with his tiny dog Ziggy after rolling his car off Whitefish Stage Road on Nov. 8.

According to police reports, the road was dry and alcohol was not a factor. His car just left the road and rolled down a 20-foot embankment.

A person who knew Prier, Leslie Gray, was heartbroken. Then, she became angry that a veteran ended up living in such dire circumstances.

"There are vets out there who are really trying," Gray said. "They need help."

Although Prier apparently had no family here, the coroner's office got a flood of phone calls from concerned friends as the news of his death spread. According to Buffalo Hill Funeral Home, Prier's ashes were sent to relatives in California.

Gray described Ziggy as a 13-year-old, nearly blind dog, "just about as big as a minute" that looked like a tiny lion. According to Gray, Prier adored the dog.

"Everywhere he went, Ziggy went," she said.

Gray described Prier's living quarters as a slide-in pickup camper set up on the ground in the middle of a field. An extension cord provided the power to keep his oxygen equipment operable.

"It was unbelievable," she said.

Gray said Prier was ill with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well as coronary artery disease. He also admitted to her that he suffered from bouts of depression.

She described him as well-spoken and very clean about his hygiene. Prier also kept his camper orderly.

"It was neat, the flea trap that it was," she said.

With winter coming on, Gray worried that the ill veteran and Ziggy would freeze to death. Gray said she shared her concern about Prier with the congregation at Lakeside Baptist Church.

As a result, he received donations of warm clothing and even a coat for Ziggy. A young couple from the church had decided to share their home with Prier and his dog.

According to Gray, he was supposed to move the week when he and Ziggy died.

"This was a man who had absolutely nothing," Gray said.

Although his material wealth was small, Prier was cared for by more than just Ziggy and Gray. He received food, help with laundry and friendship at the Northwest Montana Veteran's Food Pantry.

Allen and Linda Erickson, who run the food pantry, said Prier always had a smile and a joke when he dropped in to the food pantry on Montana 35. Linda Erickson said he was typical of the vets they help.

"The vet population is a unique population," she said. "They won't ask for help. They don't feel they need charity."

Allen Erickson said they relate to the concept of veterans helping veterans. After receiving food or a shower, Prier would ask if he could help with lifting boxes or other chores around the facility.

For the last four years, Peggy and Bob Christensen at Ray of Hope in Kalispell also helped Prier survive.

"What we did was what we could do for him," she said.

She agreed with Gray and the Ericksons that Prier was not an isolated case as a veteran living on the fringes of society.

"We have taken in a lot of angry vets here," Christensen said.

She said two veterans now reside amid the homeless living in tents or other modest dwellings surrounding Ray of Hope's facilities on Appleway Drive. One is 73 years old.

Christensen said many of the homeless, like Prier, have mental health issues which keep them from complying with shelter rules. She said many of these end up at Ray of Hope.

Bonnie Parrett, case manager for Montana's homeless veterans program, said Christensen does a wonderful job helping out. She said surveys estimate Montana's homeless veteran population at 360.

According to Parrett, the state has enough beds in local shelters like Samaritan House to take in these people. But the veterans have to accept rules regarding sobriety and other behavior restrictions.

"The problem is a lot of veterans just aren't ready to come off the streets," she said. "We work with them but they must be willing to stop drinking and go through treatment."

Many of the veterans have mental illnesses compounded by substance abuse. Parrett said some have a paranoia about living in a group environment.

She works to get these people on medication that helps them overcome that problem. Even if she can't get them into shelter, Parrett gets them medical, psychological, substance abuse and other help.

"There is much, much help out there," she said.

Parrett takes referrals at (406) 447-7309. She said she can get immediate housing for those willing and able to accept the shelter rules.

For those who refuse, Christensen and her husband serve as a last stop for people banished from other organizations for combative behavior or other liabilities. Prier's problem was a short fuse.

"He didn't play well with others," Christensen said.

As a result, she and her husband found the little camper insert in Evergreen for Prier. It wasn't much but it was a roof over his head.

"People say, 'You should have better facilities,'" she said. "I agree."

Along with a place to live, Christensen gave Prier his best friend in the little Pomeranian named Ziggy. The dog came to Ray of Hope like some of the residents - disabled, old and out of friends.

"That dog really blessed him," she said.

The love of Ziggy, she said, made all the difference in the world. Christensen said she baby-sat the dog when Prier recently went to the VA hospital in Helena for tests.

When he returned, she said he was nearly frantic looking around Ray of Hope for Ziggy. The moment he found his friend remains etched in Christensen's memory.

"He was just hugging on Ziggy and Ziggy was pressing his head into Jack's shoulder and wagging his tail," she recalled.

She said some people at Ray of Hope feared Prier's temper but she has learned how to work with disenfranchised veterans.

"We just love and respect them," Christensen said.

Keeping veterans and other homeless people housed and fed hasn't been so simple. Ray of Hope, a nonprofit organization, survives on donations of cash, food and other goods and sales at the thrift store.

The Christensens dream of finding a permanent place for Ray of Hope to take in the people they find on their doorstep.

Prier also had a dream of finding a decent home. His friend Leslie Gray said he had grown excited when she told him of the offer of a warm room for himself and his dog.

Upon learning of Prier's death, Gray was haunted by his statement that Ziggy had come to him so that he wouldn't die alone.

"How tragically ironic that they died together," she said.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com