Donald Francis 'Dick' Ogden

POLSON - On Tuesday, June 29, 2004, Papa-Donald Francis "Dick" Ogden, 72, of Polson took his final Caterpillar ride to the sky, after putting up one hell of a fight against lung cancer.

Papa arrived on the scene on the Fourth of July, 1931, in Streator, Ill. to his parents, Harry and Jessie Seiller Ogden, after a family picnic. Papa always thought the Fourth of July celebration was for his birthday and we never told him any different.

The family moved west when he was young, living in Arlee and Polson. As a young man in Polson, he held various jobs including logging, which is where he fell in love with heavy equipment.

During an interview with the Army Corps of Engineers, he told them his dream was to become a heavy equipment operator; his dream became his life.

Dick served with the Corps from 1951 to 1953 from Virginia to Alaska.

After his discharge from the service, he returned to Polson. He spent many years building logging roads in Ferry Basin and all over the area.

He worked on the Noxon Dam and the Alaska Pipeline. He also operated his own sawmill. On Aug. 17, 1970, while on a trip to Reno, Nevada, with friends, Dick married Alice Lloyd. His version of the story was he wanted a steak dinner, but couldn't have it until he was married.

His hobbies included hunting and fishing camps in Seeley Lake, tooling leather, gardening, thawing frozen pipes in the winter, but his most loved hobby was Oly beer and his famous beer hotcakes.

Dick is survived by his wife Alice of Polson; sisters Virginia Kinkade of Libby, Barb Finch of Lake Havasu, Ariz.; brothers Bill (Pat) Ogden of Seeley Lake, Dale (Patti) Ogden of Great Falls; his children, Ellen (Karl) Kaphammer of Ronan, Kathy (Cliff) Reum of Polson, sons Mike (Marion) Ogden of Tucson, Jim John (Raelinn) Ogden of Carlton, Ore.; grandchildren, Alice, Liz, Kip, and Cal Courville, Jessica and Cassie Reum, Josh, Whitney, Madisen, Delaney, and Kennady Ogden and Miles Ogden; great-grandchildren, Regan, Trevor, Tayler, Ashtin, Kaitlyn and Kaira, and numerous nieces and nephews.

We were able to keep him at home, thanks to the love and care of his grandchildren Alice, Liz, Jessica, Cassie, Kip and Cal.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Gene, and nephew Bennie.

A special thanks to the Lake County Hospice Program and all the family, friends and neighbors who have been at our side helping.

Please join us in celebrating Papa's life viewing will be Thursday July 1, from noon to 6 p.m. at the Grogan Funeral Home. Farewell ceremony will be Friday, July 2, at 11 a.m. at the Grogan Funeral Home. Burial will follow at the Lakeview Cemetery in Polson.

There will be a dinner at the VFW Hall following the services.