Elmer Sprunger, 87
Elmer Sprunger, 87, died Aug. 22, 2007, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center, after a six-month illness with lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Elmer was born Sept. 23, 1919, in Kalispell, to Jerry and Mary Sprunger.
Elmer always referred to his childhood as "growing up in the cedar jungle on the shady side of Swan Lake" in and among the areas of abundant wildlife that would shape his perception of the world in which he lived. The world of his childhood was filled with wild animals that moved freely in nature giving them, and him, freedom.
Elmer got his formal education in schools in Swan Lake and Bigfork, with one year at Butte High in the middle, followed by graduation from Bigfork High in 1938.
He told the story that his parents didn't want him to marry until he was at least 21, so he waited one day after his 21st birthday to marry Marie Svejkovsky on Sept. 24, 1940.
The young couple moved to Seattle in 1942, where Elmer worked in the shipyard, drafting and doing layout on steel during World War II. It was at this period that Elmer began drawing his amazing cartoons, already filled with his singular commentary on politics and life. They later moved to Bremerton, Wash., where Elmer worked as a carpenter and logger.
Then in 1950, Elmer and Marie moved back to Swan Lake where he took a job as caretaker of one of the Copper King's estates. They moved to Bigfork in 1953, where Elmer lived the remainder of his life.
In 1956, Elmer took a job at the Anaconda Aluminum Company in Columbia Falls where he worked until 1971 as a painter and sign painter. Elmer left the plant to devote himself full-time to his artistic career. He continued to sell paintings in galleries and on commission. He always managed to find the time to draw his cartoons, choosing politicians, dignitaries, the human condition, and especially logging of public lands, as his favorite targets. Some of his cartoons were reprinted in national conservation publications. His cartoons ran prominently in the Bigfork Eagle for 24 years.
He never missed an opportunity to share his analysis of current events, both local and international, with his fortunate readers. Many subscribers read the paper only to see his sharp wit in action every week. All the while his thousands of realistic oil paintings of wildlife and outdoor scenes attracted a huge national following. His work hangs in the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma and the Safari Club in Las Vegas. Elmer especially liked to paint wild birds, elk and bear. Examples of his work hang in galleries, public buildings and prominent homes throughout the West.
The Sprunger-Whitney Trail in the Swan Valley was named and established in 1995 after him and long time friend Jack Whitney, on behalf of their conservation efforts and vision to preserve this diverse forest. The trail was built and is maintained by Friends of the Wild Swan. His last completed painting, of a whitetail buck standing regally by the shore of the Swan River, was painted at the same place Charlie Russell chose to make his last painting.
Elmer was preceded in death by his wife, Marie, in 1993; and their daughter, Joyce, in 1965.
He is survived by daughter, Nancy Beardsley, and husband, Don, of Missoula; son, Jerry Sprunger, of Bigfork; granddaughter, Dawn Jackson, of Whitefish; grandson, Tim Rahrer, and wife, Sandy Carson, of Ottawa, Ontario; great-grandsons, Cory Jackson and Brandon Jackson, of Whitefish; and great-granddaughter, Coral Carson, of Ontario.
Memorial services for Elmer Sprunger are scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 30, at the United Methodist Church in Bigfork. A potluck reception will follow services at 2 p.m. at the Elks Lodge in Kalispell, where one of Sprunger's most famous works is a 5 1/2- by 12-foot mural of an elk herd that is so proudly displayed. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29, in the Johnson Mortuary Chapel.
The family suggests donations in lieu of flowers, to help defray his medical costs.
Johnson Mortuary and Crematory is caring for Elmer's family. You are invited to go to www.johnsonmortuary.com to offer condolences and sign Elmer's guest book.