Thomas 'Lincoln' 'Linc' Harris, 87

Lincoln was born Feb. 12, 1928, at Deer Lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, to Mark and Ethel Ammerman Harris of Exeland, Wisconsin.

He passed away Feb. 5, 2016.

He was preceded in death by his father Mark Harris, mother Ethel Harris Ploger, brothers Warren and Dick Harris, sister and brother-in-law Flossie and Hank Reichel, niece Joan Clark, wife Dorothea Harris, stepson Teddy Kinniburgh, and aunts and uncles.

He is survived by his wife, Vivian Harris; daughter and son-in-law, Tamie and Warren “Bud” Patzer; four grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; nieces, Verna and Karl Schott, and Jane Hanson; nephew, David, and Paula Reichel; brothers, Roger and Elaine, and Lyle Ploger; sister, Elsie Gustafson, and many nieces and nephews; three stepchildren, April and Gordon, Elaine, and Kent; 16 stepgrandchildren, 44 stepgreat-grandchildren, and 23 stepgreat-great-grandchildren.

At the age of 18, in 1946, Lincoln’s friend talked him into coming to Montana. “It only snows a little and then melts off,” said his friend, and Lincoln replied, “When I stepped off the train it started snowing and it didn’t stop until it snowed four feet on the level and stayed until late spring!” Thinking he would leave that spring — until he went fishing and caught his limit in just a few hours — made up his mind that was it! Marion, Montana, became his home.

On Sept. 23, 1950, Lincoln and one of his best friends, Ralph Provence, received their draft letter for the Korean War. They were in the first bunch of draftees from Montana since World War II. He went into the Army as a tank gunner and was stationed two years in Germany. When they came home in 1952 they were Active Reserves for eight more years.

On Jan. 18, 1965, Linc married Dorothea Kinniburgh for 34 years — until March 2, 1999.

On Dec. 18, 2002, Linc married Vivian Locklin and, of course, knowing Lincoln and the type of person he was, Vivian’s family and children welcomed him with open arms and loving kindness, and so his family became bigger.

In 2003 Lincoln and Vivian moved to Troy. From 2013 to 2016, Lincoln, and his daughter and son-in-law, Tamie and Bud Patzer, lived together in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

Lincoln was always known as the man who chewed on a cigar, and it was never lit up, or he always had a “story” ... or a “joke” ready to tell!

Lincoln lived for the woods. He worked in the logging industry and woods work of some sort. His happiest days were skidding and being a skidder operator. He was an avid hunter and, after retiring, he loved to go for rides to count how many elk, deer, sheep, bear, turkeys and even squirrels he could see. And, oh my gosh! When he asked anyone to go blueberry picking you had better be ready for a real day of picking. It was nothing for him to pick over 200 pounds in a summer, and then give half of them to friends and family.

Linc also had a passion for anvils and auctions and for his four-legged friends, and carried dog treats in the car to hand out on his rides. He also has a cat, Gus, whom he taught to ride on the top of his car, and he would give him a ride around the loop. Then they would walk back to the house, Gus following at his heels.

Upon his request, there is no funeral or graveside service.

For any memorial he would say to you, “Plant a blueberry bush and eat up; or a ‘rhody’ and watch it bloom; or take your family or friends on a drive and count how many elk, deer, sheep, bear or squirrels you see that day.”