Joe Montgomery, 88

Joe Montgomery, 88, passed away Friday, Sept. 28, 2007, at the North Austin Medical Center in Austin, Texas. He was born Sept. 1, 1919, in Helena to Joseph and Carolyn Montgomery.

He graduated from Helena High School in 1937 from railroad coaches that were brought in after an earthquake demolished the new school in 1935. After graduation he worked at Helena Sand and Gravel until Pearl Harbor. He enlisted the next day with the Navy and was in a Seabees Construction Battalion in the South Pacific.

Joe returned from the South Pacific to California where he met and married his wife of 62 years, Hazel Ransch Montgomery. After the war, he returned to the state he loved the most and settled in Kalispell, where he started a construction company, Montana Builders. Joe was in business for 35 years until he retired after building hundreds of homes, schools, banks, churches and businesses and employing thousands of people over the years.

Joe was a past exalted ruler of the Elks Lodge as well as district deputy, and he even managed the club without pay in one of its more difficult times while helping return it to solid financial footing. He was a past president of the Kalispell Shrine club and member for 30 years. He is famous for his support of fundraising barbecue dinners and his Mother's Day brunch at the Elks Club for more than 40 years.

Joe had a great love for Montana and the great outdoors, which resulted in as many fishing and hunting trips as time would permit. There were even times he would be the cook and bottle washer just to be on a trip into the Bob. He had taken 34 elk over the years, and felt this was all that one man should take and he had met his lifetime limit.

He is survived by his wife, Hazel; son, Gary, and his wife, Deborah Montgomery, of Austin; granddaughter, Jessica Montgomery, of Dallas; sister, Melba Montgomery, of Helena; niece, Marsha McCall, of Denver; and great-nephew, Blain Wenger, of Billings.

Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11, at the Kalispell Elks Club.

Donation in lieu of flowers can be sent to the Joe Montgomery Memorial Fund at Johnson Mortuary, 525 S. Main St., Kalispell, MT 59901.

Johnson Mortuary and Crematory is caring for Joe's family. You are invited to go to www.johnsonmortuary.com to offer condolences and sign Joe's guest book.