Arthur E. Lund, 88

Services for Arthur E. Lund will be at 2 p.m. Friday, July 10, at the Scobey Lutheran Church with burial in Scobey Cemetery.

Art passed away July 5, 2009, at the Daniels Memorial Healthcare Center.

Arthur E. Lund was born July 28, 1920, to Eddie Nicoli and Anna Grimson Lund at their homestead in the Silver Star Community, south of Scobey and was baptized and confirmed at Scobey Lutheran Church.

He attended Lekvold Country School and as an astute student he assisted in tutoring other students.

Although the Depression caused great hardships on families, Art remembered at the age of 6, when his father managed to purchase a radio, which was enjoyed by the family and their neighbors.

When Art was 11, his mother passed away. He lived in a Scobey hotel, working for room and board while attending high school, graduating in 1938. He attended college at University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, and then Concordia College, where he graduated with a degree in education in 1942.

He began his teaching/coaching career in Flaxville, and later obtained his master's degree from the University of Montana, Missoula.

In 1944, Art joined the Navy serving on a LSM 101 landing craft in the Pacific Theatre, seeing the Philippines, Guadalcanal, Saipan and Guam. He was in Tokyo Bay when the Japanese emperor signed the surrender treaty.

He returned to Daniels County and married Cleo Fladager in July 1946. He picked up his teaching career and school administrative duties in Medicine Lake and Bainville.

In 1953 he returned to the family farm and continued teaching and administrative positions in Scobey and Peerless.

During his farming and ranching years, as an active member of the Republican Party, he served in the Montana State House of Representatives from 1963 to 1980 and was on the education, institution, finance and state administration committees before becoming chairman of the appropriations committee. Art was later appointed to be the Montana state director for the Farm Home Administration in Bozeman where he and Cleo have resided for 29 years. In 1984 he was appointed hearing officer for FMHA, and retired in 1990.

They were active members of the Hope Lutheran Church in Bozeman and Sons of Norway as he was very proud of his Norwegian heritage.

During his retirement he walked every day, mastered computer skills and was an avid reader. He wrote his memoirs, entitled, "Unto The Fifth," a genealogy of family and his life story. He was a devout and loving husband and father with a wonderful sense of humor and unique story-telling ability.

Art was preceded in death by his mother and father; a brother, Gilman; and sister, Theolyn.

Survivors include his wife, Cleo, of 63 years; daughter, Barbee Lund, of Bozeman; and two sons, Mikel and Nancy of Scobey, and John and Nancy of Columbia Falls.

He also is survived by three grandsons; two great-granddaughters; several nieces and nephews; three stepgrandsons; and 10 stepgreat-grandchildren.

Pallbearers for the service are his grandsons, Jacob, Garrett and Nicoli; and nephews, Ron and Bruce Fladager, and Tom Mikelson. Honorary pallbearers are stepgrandchildren, Shaun, Kenny and Chris Mullenix; and nephew, Eddie Lund.

Music will be provided by Scobey Lutheran Choir.

Waller Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.