Outlaw co-founder Torstenson dies at 94

Longtime Kalispell businessman and civic leader Ronald W. “Buck” Torstenson, best known as a co-founder of the Outlaw Inn, died on Saturday at age 94.

A North Dakota native, Torstenson grew up in Bainville, Montana, and graduated from Culbertson High School in 1937. He lived in Helena and worked for the railroad before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. 

He spent five years as a member of the 163rd Regiment, 41st Infantry Division, known as the Fighting Jungleers for their service in the South Pacific. Torstenson was awarded a Bronze Star and reached the rank of first sergeant.

After the war, Torstenson purchased the Sports Club in Shelby. 

In 1967, he moved to Kalispell with his new bride, Rusty, and they purchased the Pastime Bar on Main Street. Together, Buck and Rusty raised a family of six children: Ron Torstenson, Patrick Torstenson, Scott Bare, Mike Bare, Barbara Henderson and Vicky Thomas.

In 1969, the Torstensons purchased Hennessy’s Steak House and shortly thereafter the Hennessy’s Motel at the site of the present-day hotel known as the Guesthouse Inn & Suites and Outlaw Convention Center. 

It was in 1973 that Torstenson joined with business partner Richard Dasen to build the modern convention center that was then known as Best Western Outlaw Inn and Hennessy’s Steak House. 

An April 1975 story in the Inter Lake reported that, “According to Dick Dasen, one of the present owners of the Outlaw Inn, co-owner Buck Torstenson came to him with the idea in 1970. Dasen said he and Torstenson put approximately $80,000 into developing the idea before they were even convinced to begin construction. Today, Dasen and Torstenson are still the sole owners of the convention center and have invested about $3 million in the enterprise to date.”

After a major expansion in 1976, the Outlaw Inn was one of the largest convention facilities in Montana. 

The Torstensons eventually sold their interest in the Outlaw and bought Fenders, a popular restaurant north of Kalispell where they worked together until they retired.

Torstenson was active in a variety of professional and civic organizations during his years at the helm of Hennessy’s and the Outlaw Inn. 

He served on the board of directors of both the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and the Montana Chamber of Commerce, was active in Sons of Norway, and was on the board of directors of the Montana Inn-Keepers Association, among many others. 

He was also a director of First National Bank that later became Norwest and is now a branch of Wells Fargo Bank Montana. 

He was active in Trinity Lutheran Church and later the Church at Creston Lutheran.