Alton Hendrickson, 83
Alton Hendrickson, 83, formerly of Helena, passed away peacefully at Tender Nest Assisted Living in Billings on Oct. 6, 2024, after a long battle with Alzheimer's.
He was born Nov. 7, 1940, near Blackduck, Minnesota, to Argyle and Kenny Hendrickson.
He grew up in Minnesota with two brothers, Verlon and Arlo Hendrickson in a small log cabin on a farm and attended a one-room elementary school. His family later moved to Kalispell.
In February of 1961, he married Mary Zumberge. They raised four children, Steven, Kathy, Vicki and David Hendrickson. Their marriage ultimately ended in divorce on July 21, 1974. Alton also had two other marriages to Evelyn Burris and Carol Fisher.
In 1958 Alton graduated from Flathead High School in Kalispell and later attended the University of Montana where he graduated in 1964 with a degree in mathematics. His first job was working for the Minnesota Mutual Life Insurance Company in St. Paul, Minnesota while continuing his education by studying actuarial science in the evenings. After five years he left the company and went to work for an actuarial consulting firm in Louisville, Kentucky.
Longing to return to Montana, in 1971 he interviewed for a position at the Montana State Teachers' Retirement System in Helena. During the interview, he pointed out how the current retirement system was not fair to teachers and that it could be proven through an actuarial evaluation that both the teachers and the state would benefit from a change to the state law. With that, he was hired as the executive director. The law was changed, in part to his evaluation and his testimony before the Montana State Legislature.
After two years he resigned and created his own business, Hendrickson and Bird, in partnership with Phillip Bird. They specialized in providing retirement benefit plans and other services for professional corporations throughout the state of Montana. The company changed names throughout the years, and after partnering with Judy Miller it became Hendrickson, Miller and Associates, Inc. In 1985 they won the contract to provide retirement plans to eight Montana state retirement systems including public employees, teachers, police, firefighters, sheriffs, highway patrol, game wardens, and judges. He sold the business in 1993 and stayed on as CEO for five more years.
In 1998 he moved in with his parents to care for them until they had both passed away in 2003. Shortly after their passing, he was offered a job in Thompson Falls to start a new branch of the Whitefish Credit Union, which he accepted and headed until 2008.
For a total change of pace, he moved to Florida with his friend Jerri Wilson. He joined a company giving seminars across the United States specializing in payroll law, sales tax, financial statements, and accounts payable. They later moved to Lincolnton, North Carolina, where he officially retired in 2018.
After being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Alton moved in with his daughter Kathy and her husband Jim in Big Timer.
Alton loved golfing, downhill skiing, biking and windsurfing. An important facet of his life was community service including being president of several local Kiwanis and Rotary clubs, the United Way, and his favorite, Toastmasters, where he oversaw dozens of clubs throughout Montana.
His favorite time of year was spending Thanksgiving with his kids and grandchildren. He always said, "Life has been good and I have been blessed!"
He is survived by his brothers Verlon and Arlo; children, Steve (Marilyn) Hendrickson of Bothell, Washington; Kathy (Jim) Lippert of Big Timber; Vicki (Dave) Grove of Littleton, Colorado; and Dave (Tammy) Hendrickson of Sacramento, California. His grandchildren include Andrew (Hope) Hendrickson; Nickolas (Angela) Hill; Payson (Taryn) Lippert; Jocelyn Hodovance; Austin and Brandon Hendrickson; and great-grandchildren, Ella and Kameron Hill, and Miles and Owen Lippert.
The Big Timber Hospitality House Senior Center, and the close friendships he developed there, brought great joy to Alton in his last years.
Cremation has taken place, and family graveside services will be held in Kalispell next summer.
Memorials in Alton's name may be made to the Hospitality House Senior Center, PO Box 298, Big Timber, MT 59011.
To leave condolences for the family, please visit www.stenbergfuneralhome.com