Morris Calvin Gardner, 81

Morris Calvin Gardner, 81,passed away peacefully at his home in Corvallis on Thursday morning, March 3, 2005. His wife Arthella and longtime friend Ron Wolsky were at his side.

Morris was born Nov. 4, 1923, at Grant, Idaho, the sixth child of Francis and Rosa Gardner. He spent the early years of his life living in a number of small Idaho communities farming with his father. In 1939 the family moved from Fort Hall to Nyssa, Ore. It wasn't long before Morris found out there was a livestock auction in Nyssa, so one afternoon every week he would skip school to work at the auction yard. At the end of the auction they would let Morris sell the wiener pigs and the baby calves. This was the beginning of his life long passion ... auctioneering.

While attending high school in Ucon, Idaho, Morris met Arthella Ferguson and on Dec. 19, 1942, they were married. In the spring of 1943, Morris and Arthella moved to St. Ignatius, where they continued to farm. The next year they moved back to Idaho where their first child, a son, Davar, was born. In 1946, Morris was drafted into the Navy. At the conclusion of the war he was honorably discharged.

After returning home from the Navy he began farming again and working in the potato warehouses. On Nov. 10, 1948, Morris and Arthella attended the Idaho Falls LDS Temple where their marriage was sealed for time and all eternity. On July 13, 1949, their first daughter, Valene, was born.

In 1950, Morris and his family moved to the Bitterroot Valley, where he purchased a farm just north of Woodside. In 1952 he went to work for the U.S. Soil Conservation service conducting snow surveys in the winter and engineering work in the summer.

On April 17, 1956, a son, Kevin, was born and on Jan. 26, 1960, their last child, a daughter, Vickie, was born. In 1960, Morris saw the realization of his life long dream when he opened his own auction business, Gardner Auction Service. Morris continued to work a 40- hour-week for the SCS and in the evening he would accept consignments, haul furniture and set up for his weekly auction. Because of his hard work and dedication his auction business continued to grow and prosper and in 1972, he retired from the SCS to devote all of his time and energy to the auction profession.

In 1971, son Davar opened his auction business in Kalispell and 1974, son Kevin opened his auction business in Missoula. From small beginnings with a weekly consignment auction, Morris built his business to include farm and real estate auctions plus auctions for the SBA, GSA, banks, and other government agencies. He was also co-owner of the Hamilton Livestock auction. His greatest auction was without question the one he and his family conducted to liquidate the contents of the Marcus Daly Mansion in 1986.

Morris served as president of the Montana Auctioneers Association and was a lifelong member of the National Auctioneers Association. He was the Montana State Bid Calling Champion in 1979. He was inducted into the MAA Hall of Fame in 1994. He was very proud of his two sons, one son-in-law and two grandsons, also auctioneers.

Morris was a man of the highest character and integrity. He was a generous person willing to help anyone in need. He conducted hundreds of fund raising auctions. Last September he received a special award from the Bitterroot Chapter of Trout Unlimited for 25 years of volunteer service.

He was preceded in death by his mother, father, three sisters and one brother

Survivors include his wife Arthella; a sister, Mary Graff; a brother, Milton Gardner; son, Davar and wife, Vicky; daughter, Valene and husband, Rod Osburn; son, Kevin, and wife, Lynda; and daughter, Vickie and husband, Randy Kearns; plus 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Hamilton Ward Chapel, 401 North 8th Street, Hamilton. Viewing will be from noon to 1 pm. Graveside services will follow at the Corvallis Cemetery with military honors presented by the Corvallis American Legion Post 91.

Arrangements are under the care of the Daly-Leach Chapel in Hamilton.

Memorials may be made to the Marcus Daly Memorial Hospice Center.