Bruce E. Getter, 80

Bruce E. Getter passed away on July 30, 2017, at his home in Whitefish.

Bruce was born in Cut Bank on March 4, 1937, the youngest of four children of Glenn and Ruth Getter. He was raised in Cut Bank along with his brothers Ralph and Tom, and his sister Beverly Blankenship. After graduating high school, he attended the University of Montana.

Bruce had three significant life phases. His first phase was his life’s work with Getter Trucking. Bruce started working at age 15 and eventually joined his brothers Ralph and Tom, and later his nephew Bill, as principal owners and partners in Getting Trucking, Inc. Getter Trucking was a major oilfield rig mover and heavy hauling trucking company. Bruce was known as an artist with a rig-up truck. As the company grew, Bruce lived and worked in many places including Roundup, Gillette, Wyoming, and Williston, North Dakota. The Getters sold their company in 1989.

Bruce began his second life phase in Spokane where he made many friends and worked out of his office in the Paulson Building. While living in Spokane, Bruce built his forever home on Whitefish Lake and moved there permanently in 1997. This began his third phase with many friends and family around Montana, Wyoming and Washington.

Bruce was a lifetime Shriner and a member of the Elks Lodge.

Bruce was the last of the Getter siblings and is survived by his nieces and nephews, Nancy Walker of Liberty Lake, Washington, Bill Getter of Sheridan, Wyoming, Tom Blankenship of Helena, Ellen Wesolovski of West Glacier, and Alan Getter, Cindy Brooks and Brenda Foy, all of Casper, Wyoming. He is also survived by many great-nieces, great-nephews, and cousins.

Bruce impacted many lives during all of the phases of his life and will be missed.

A service will be held at 2 p.m. Sept. 25 at Austin Funeral Home in Whitefish.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Shriners Children’s Hospitals.