Howard A. Streich, 85

Howard A. Streich of Wickenburg, Ariz., and Whitefish “went home to be with his Savior” on Feb. 20, 2011, at Clare Bridge Care Facility in Sun City West, where he had resided for nearly five years.

Howard was one of five children, born to Robert E. and Ida F. Streich on Dec. 22, 1925, in Detroit Lakes, Minn. He grew up loving the outdoors, fishing and hunting. He was a great dancer and joke teller, a real “mountain man,” hence his move early to Montana.

Howard graduated from high school in Alexandria, Minn., in 1943, and went on to be a crash firefighter at Williams Field in Arizona during World War II. After he returned to Minnesota, he married the love of his life, Marion Gronberg, on Sept. 3, 1948.

He was a man of God, hence integrity and honor were very important to him. He served as president of Christ Lutheran Church and president of the Montana Tree Growers Association. He was a member of the Moose and Ducks Unlimited.

Howard was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Orin Streich and Robert Streich; and nephew, Elden Streich.

He is survived by his wife, Marion; daughter, Lynda Osborne, and husband, Jerry, of Whitefish; daughter, Karla Millar Nixone, and husband, Ken, of Lethbridge, Alberta; and son, Eric Streich, and wife, Marcia, of George, Wash. The pride of Howard’s life were his children and grandchildren, Anne, Ryan, Steven, Paul, Julie, Jared, Jacob, Molly, Kelli and Vickie; and great-grandchildren, Jinise, Josiah, Nicole, Chad and Jerod. Howard is also survived by sister, Audrey Johnson, of Perham, Minn.; brother, Elwood Streich, of Shawnee Mission, Kan.; and sisters-in-law, Jeanine Streich of Phoenix, and Naomi Streich of Kalispell.

Howard was multi-talented. He worked as a butcher, railroader, Christmas tree farmer and real estate investor.

Marion and Howard spent 15 years in the winter on the Big Island of Hawaii, then wintered in California, until he found Wickenburg, Ariz., in 1999.

Howard suffered from a genetic syndrome called FXTAS and was in one of the first studies done at University of California, Davis, on this discovery due to gene and DNA recognition.

A get-together and picnic to honor Howard’s memory will be held informally at 1 p.m. June 25, at Christ Lutheran Church in Whitefish, because the road to Star Meadows (previous plan) is not in driving condition.