Christopher Martin, 99, a ranch
hand from Cut Bank, died Saturday, July 16, 2005, at Glacier
Care Center in Cut Bank due to natural causes. A memorial
service will be at 2 p.m., Tuesday, July 19th at the
Whitted Funeral Chapel in Cut Bank. Condolences can be sent to
the family at
www.whittedfuneralchapel.com.
He is survived by sisters, Ann
McClintick of Walla
Walla, WA and Olga
Bliven of Fort Benton as well as
numerous nieces and nephews who always cherished the time spent
with him. He was preceded in death by seven brothers and
sisters.
He was born in Swift Current,
Sask., Canada on September, 5, 1905
to Danish immigrants, Johanna and Axel Martin (Rassmusen).
They lived in Swift Current from 1905 to 1914 at which time they
immigrated to the US crossing the border into Montana with 5
children traveling in a covered wagon. At the time of their
entrance into Montana, Axel dropped the name of
Rassmusen and kept Martin as their
last name.
Chris lived most of his life in
Montana with a short sojourn to Minnesota where his worked for a
ranch until tiring of cleaning horse stables. While the family
was in church, he made his exit and on to bigger and better
things. In his early teenage years, he fought forest fires for
a season. Chris spent a number of years during the 30’s and
40’s working for Clair Duncan, a sheep rancher in the Hinsdale,
MT area. He also worked for other sheep ranchers in the area
then for Walter Woods in the farming industry. Chris moved to
the Cut Bank area in the 60’s where he worked for John Andersen
for a number of years.
His last place of employment was
with Bill and Lorraine Rumney.
Their ranch was his home (where he made the tightest gates on
the ranch) after his retirement and until his health failed and
he moved to Cut Bank into the care center. Bill and Lorraine
were his steadfast guardians, caretakers and support system.
His family would like to take this opportunity to express their
deep appreciation for the kindness and caring they have shown to
Chris through the many years he was with them. His gentle ways
and sense of humor will forever remain with all who knew him.
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the family.