Horace Driver

Bill Driver, 94, passed away on November 6, 2016. Dad was born November 11, 1921 at Malta, MT to parents William H. Driver and Margaret (Jurgens) Driver, homesteaders. He attended grade school in a one room country school at Hillsdale School. After eighth grade graduation he attended high school in Malta. He graduated in May, 1939. He then went to Helena to a trade school and the military sped up his education so he could be an aircraft engine mechanic. He was drafted into the military March, 1943 and became a part of the 456th Bomb Group and was stationed in Italy. He took great pride in his military service. He returned to the States in 1945 and went to Montana State College in Bozeman, graduating in May 1950. His first job was in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service and began in Plentywood, MT. The summer of 1950, he met Betty Lindberg at the Phillips County Fair. They were married in March 1951. To this union two daughters were born. In I960, the family was transferred to Helena where we enjoyed many trips to the mountains for camping, hunting and fishing. In 1966 the family transferred to Sidney, MT where they remained until his retirement after 32 years of service. Dad continued to work for a large local farm. You can take the boy off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy. Dad and Mom finally retired at Bigfork, MT returning to the mountains they so loved. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Dale, wife Betty, an infant son and an infant granddaughter. Survivors include daughters, Cheryl (Mike Reece) and Debbi (Mark) Gage; grandchildren, Kelsie (Chris) Aldrich and Nathan and Alex Gage; and great-granddaughter, Madilyn Grace. He is also survived by sister-in-law, Gayle (Floyd) Johnson and nephew, Kendall. Services will be held December 3 at 2 p.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church in Bigfork, MT.