George Logan

George R. Logan passed away March 20, 2020 at 90 years old. George was born to George Lee Logan (I) and Josephine Smith Logan in 1929 in Ottumwa, Iowa. He grew up in Iowa until the 1940s, when his family and he moved to Colstrip, MT. He grew up hunting and fishing and generally “getting in trouble” there until he joined the air force in 1954. He met his wife, Jo Ann, soon after and was married to her in 1956. While in the air force, George attended flight school and quickly became a pilot. He served as an instructor for a short period of time and then attended jet fighter training. He found his true aptitude flying refueler aircraft though, including the kc97 and kc135, and served primarily flying those. He served time overseas during the Vietnam War, stationed mostly out of Clarke AFB, flying missions over Vietnam and between the US and the Philippines. He even flew multiple missions over Vietnam out of Rapid City, SD. Over half of his career in the Air Force was spent between Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls and Ellsworth AFB in Rapid City. After that, he transferred to Bergstrom AFB in Austin TX, where he retired with the rank of Major, in 1970. George always enjoyed cars, especially the fast ones. During the mid and late 50s, about the time of his marriage to Jo Ann, George became heavily involved in the emerging drag racing scene. He drove a 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk and was sponsored by a Studebaker dealer. In 1957 he won a national championship in his class with the fledgling AHRA. Though he never re-entered the racing scene after the military, his love for cars remained and he stayed involved with building and owning many of them over the years, and pit crewed and sponsored his son and others in derby and racing events. He and Jo Ann also enjoyed horses (though he rarely admitted he enjoyed them as much as Jo Ann) and also raised and showed quarter, appaloosa and paint horses on and off for years with successful show horse blood lines. Many of George's stories started with “I was on a horse,” though not as many stories ended that way! He and his wife, Jo Ann, had three children and lived in various cities, depending on where George was stationed at the time. After military retirement, George and family found their way back to Montana, settling along Rosebud Creek near Lame Deer and then in Forsyth. He spent time as a Rosebud County deputy and then became head jailer for some time. He and his wife owned and operated a successful convenience store, the “Pit Stop,” for a number of years. They even ran a drive-in movie theater with George's sister for a short time. Later, George and Jo Ann took to driving truck and spent a few years over the road, just the two of them and their dogs. He and Jo Ann moved to Billings in the 90's and lived there since. George thoroughly enjoyed driving and continued to drive routes as a medical courier after retirement, well in to his 80's. George is survived by his sister, Mary Jo; brother, Jim; son, George Lee; daughter, Evelyn; grandchildren, Dominic, Justin, Alea, Giles, Rusty, Jennifer, Tamara, Brianna; and multiple great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jo Ann Pace Logan; son, Vincent Logan; his parents; sister, Kathleen; brother, Gerald. Sympathy cards may be sent in the care of George L. Logan 3630 Gold Buckle Cir. Billings MT 59101; or Evelyn Logan 1211 Miles Ave. Billings MT 59102. Flowers etc. will be welcome at time of memorial service, please send to Dahl's Funeral Chapel. Internment to take place at a private family function.