George 'Red' Hallas, 88

George “Red” Hallas “was called home to our Lord” on Dec. 25, 2010.

George was born May 29, 1922, to John and Amy Hallas in Butte. The family moved to Kellogg, Idaho, where his father worked in the mines. George spent the school year in Kellogg, and summers in Lima on a family ranch.

 In December of 1941, he volunteered for service and joined the Army Air Corps where he served his country for many years.

 In 1947, he married Linda Hlibichuk in Livingston. After living in Billings and Butte, they settled in the Flathead Valley where George worked at the Anaconda Aluminum Plant until 1984 when he retired.

George and Linda continued to work on their farm with a never ending list of chores that needed to be done. Whether he was fencing or feeding livestock, haying or hauling logs, or on a covert mission for that new piece of equipment he had to have, he always found time for a cup of coffee with the gang at his favorite watering holes — Sykes’ in Kalispell or The Nite Owl in Columbia Falls. He would go there to solve the problems of the world, create some new ones, and gossip about the person that did not show up for coffee that day.

As per his wishes, George moved into the Montana Veterans Home in 2006 where he could swap old war stories with his buddies and pinch a few nurses.

George is survived by his three sons, Gene of Columbia Falls, Ray of Columbia Falls, and Brian of Missoula; six grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in George’s name to the Montana Veteran’s Home Memorial Foundation Attn.: Tracy, P.O. Box 250 Columbia Falls, MT.   

Services will be held at 1 p.m. on Jan. 3 at the Columbia Mortuary at 1010 4th Ave. West in Columbia Falls (406-892-4289).