Carl Martinson, 63

Carl Martinson, 63, of Polson, died Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006, at St. Patrick's Hospital in Missoula after heart surgery.

Carl was born in Ismay on June 21, 1923, to Nels and Elsie Martinson. He attended schools in Creston and Kalispell. Carl was a member of a very close, large family of nine brothers and sisters who were raised on the family ranch near Creston.

Carl was a very proud American veteran who served in World War II as a glider pilot. After the war he came home and married Marie Lindal. Carl and Marie had two children, Pamela and Curtis.

Carl retired in the fall of 1996 after selling The Captain's Wardrobe Dry Cleaners in Polson that Marie and Carl had owned for 15 years. In previous years, they had owned cleaners in Columbia Falls, Portland, Ore., and Priest River, Idaho.

He had a great love of horses and was a member of the Rodeo Cowboys Association Inc. He participated in the rodeo circuit for many years all across the West. He was also a member of the Salish Shrine Club Mounted Patrol of Polson.

Carl was preceded in death by his wife, Marie Martinson; parents, Nels and Elsie Martinson; brothers, Elfred Martinson; Lloyd Martinson and Glenn Martinson; and sister, Nora Stricker.

Carl is survived by daughter, Pam Hansen, and husband, Michael, of Missoula; son, Curtis Martinson, and wife, Karla, of Pablo; grandchildren, Julie Wehr and husband, Jeff, of Odessa, Wash., and Walsh Hansen and Meiling Kimmel of Philadelphia; great-grandchildren, Thorsen and Kiegan Wehr of Odessa; brother, William Martinson, and wife, Rae Marie, of Spokane; sisters, Ann Lucas and husband, Don, of Polson, Opal Larson and husband, Jim, of Shelby, and Della Dooley and husband, Hugh, of Oklahoma City; sisters-in-law, Dorothy Martinson of Moscow, Idaho, and Joann Martinson of Auburn, Wash.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to give special thanks to Dorie Taylor of Polson, one of his favorite dance partners, who was a dear friend to our father and brother in his later years.

Cremation took place at the Cremation and Burial Society of the Rockies in Missoula. A graveside military memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. today, Aug. 15, at Lake View Cemetery in Polson. There will be no reception. Interment will be at the Missoula Cemetery with his wife, Marie.

Carl will be truly missed by all who knew him.