Eugene 'Gene' Thomas Olmstead, 92

Eugene "Gene" Thomas Olmstead, 92, passed away Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007.

He was born Aug. 21, 1915, in Detroit Lakes, Minn. His father, Isaac Lewis Olmstead, had moved to Detroit Lakes in about 1905 from Iowa, where Isaac's grandfather, Aaron, had homesteaded in 1854. His mother was Emma (Mexner) Olmstead, whose parents had immigrated to Jordan, Minn., from Germany around 1880. Eugene was the third of six children. His siblings were Warren, Everett, Luella (GeRoy), Evelyn (Kunz), and Phyllis (Frisvold), all of whom have preceded him in death. Everett died as a child.

Gene often told stories about growing up on a farm in the Detroit Lakes area and hunting in the woods of Minnesota during his youth. Prior to getting married, Gene and his boyhood friend, Bob Pearson, toured the Western U.S. on an Indian motorcycle, stopping as necessary to work so they could continue their travels.

Eugene Thomas Olmstead and Ione Elizabeth Paulson were married in Forest City, Iowa, Nov. 11, 1939. They lived for a time in the Minneapolis area prior to World War II. Gene moved his family back to Detroit Lakes after enlisting in the U.S. Navy, where he served during World War II. He saw duty in the Pacific Theater aboard the U.S.S. Long Island CVE-1, a converted aircraft carrier. He returned to Detroit Lakes after the war ended.

Gene and Ione had five children, Ronald E. Olmstead of Mesa, Ariz.; Judith M. (Olmstead) Brose of Spokane; Thomas K. Olmstead of Kalispell; Dan L. Olmstead of Stansbury Park, Utah; and Kathy I. (Olmstead) Ohnoutka of Omaha, Neb.

Ione, his wife of 46 years, died of cancer on Jan. 17, 1985, in Kalispell.

Gene was a carpenter, an occupation he enjoyed. He was very innovative and took great pride in his ability to create woodworks. In the early 1950s, he completed a stint working in Greenland. He was a hard worker and always put his family first.

In 1953, he moved his family to Montana, where they lived in Harlem, then Havre. Finally, in 1965, they settled in Somers overlooking Flathead Lake and the Flathead Valley. There, Gene and Ione found an ideal location, thoroughly enjoying their home and family.

His favorite pastime was reading or sitting at the kitchen table looking at Flathead Lake and the mountains. He enjoyed visiting with family and friends. He had a great sense of humor, quick wit and always had a good story to tell. He was an avid reader and enjoyed reading about science, physics of the universe and history. His love for reading gave him a wealth of information and he could carry on a conversation about any subject. Gene's hobbies were geology, rock hounding and lapidary. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping with the family.

Gene had 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home, with Rev. Wayne Pris officiating. Burial will be after the services at C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery.

Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.