Himsl was known as a statesman

Longtime legislator, businessman dies at age 94

By CHERY SABOLThe Daily Inter Lake

Former state legislator Matt Himsl of Kalispell died Saturday, leaving a legacy of statesmanship and public service. He was 94.

"If the term statesman applied to anyone I've ever known, it applied to him," said Bob Brown, former state senator and secretary of state, who has known Himsl for close to 50 years.

Himsl was a teacher and superintendent of schools in Broadus for 11 years. He and his wife, Lois, moved to Kalispell in 1945.

He purchased an interest in the Dodge-Plymouth car dealership, establishing Himsl- Wohlwend Motors on First Avenue East with his father-in-law, Benedict Wohlwend.

Himsl immersed himself in community service, serving with the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, United Way, Flathead County High School Board, Kiwanis and Red Cross.

He was a director of Conrad Bank - now First Interstate - for 35 years, and was the editorial voice of KGEZ, a radio station in which he held part ownership. He was active in the Catholic church and taught at Flathead Valley Community College, which he helped found.

He was the chairman of the Flathead County Republican Party for 12 years.

He also participated in national politics. He was a delegate to the 1964 Republican National Convention in San Francisco, where Barry Goldwater was nominated as presidential candidate.

Himsl was elected to the Montana House of Representatives in 1968. He later served in the state Senate, spending 24 years in the Montana Legislature.

"He was a fine representative and an outstanding senator," said Dale McGarvey, a Democratic contemporary of Himsl's in the Legislature.

"The thing that Matt had… was the ability to know when you should allow change, not just change for change's sake. He had an outstanding ability to analyze legislation," McGarvey said.

He recalls Himsl's work on behalf of Evergreen residents after the 1964 flood. The Army Corps of Engineers wanted to identify the entire community as flood-plain property.

"People in Evergreen were up in arms over that," McGarvey said.

Himsl was able to work with the state and the Corps to limit the flood-plain designation, McGarvey said.

The men were divided by political-party lines but were united in their work for the state and also were neighbors, McGarvey said.

"Matt Himsl was a very good friend of mine… I had the greatest respect for him," McGarvey said. "I would compare him to [former U.S. Representative and Senator] Mike Mansfield."

Brown was only a boy when he would stop by to chat with Himsl at the car dealership.

"He was really a mentor figure to me," Brown said. "He had the patience to stand there and listen to me and answer questions for me," Brown remembered.

Himsl had a master's degree in political science and encouraged Brown to go into teaching, which he did.

"He wasn't an ideologue. He didn't believe government is good or bad. He thought it should be kept limited," Brown said.

Himsl was "deeply wise, thoroughly principled, patient, honest and kind," Brown said.

He compared Himsl to President Gerald Ford, not just because they were born and died at the same times.

"They represented a form of republicanism, for lack of a better word," Brown said.

He still recalls something Himsl told him when he was in only the seventh or eighth grade: "Government can only give what it has first taken away."

"It's an important concept for people to remember," Brown said.

Himsl's life and work will be remembered Wednesday at St. Matthew's Catholic Church at a 10 a.m. funeral Mass. Burial will be at Conrad Memorial Cemetery.

The family suggests that memorials be made to the American Red Cross, to St. Matthew's Church building fund, or to the charity of the donor's choice.

Reporter Chery Sabol may be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at csabol@dailyinterlake.com