Donald Clarence 'Butch' Munn

POLSON — Donald Clarence "Butch" Munn, 81, of Polson died peacefully of natural causes at his home on Monday morning, April 11, 2005.

Butch was born Aug. 27, 1923, at Tomah, Wisc., to Clarence and Mamie Munn. As a young boy the family moved to Crow Agency, where Butch attended school and met and married Audrey Nelson. They moved to Dixon in 1948. They later moved to Ronan in 1949 and eventually to Polson in 1960.

During these years, Butch joined the Navy Sea Bee Reserves, the Army Reserves and the Army National Guard. He was proud of the training he received while serving in these branches and spent a lot of time fighting fires, building bridges and plowing snow all over the northwest.

He spent most of his career with the BIA in several different departments including Reclamation, Job Corps and Housing. Over the years his work took him and his family to Eight Canyon, Dulce and Zuni, N.M., and Owyhee, Nevada. The Mission Valley was always home and in 1982 Butch and Audrey retired back to Polson.

Butch was always busy doing something and during his retirement was no exception. He worked as a handyman for eight years at McDonald's in Polson, retiring again only after being diagnosed with cancer. He never let his condition get him down, however, and would have celebrated five years cancer free this spring.

Butch was a lifetime member of the Mission Valley Skyliners 4x4 Club and enjoyed many years of racing events. He was most proud of being one of the three original members of the M4x4A Old Fart Racing Team. He attended meetings, felt free to voice his opinion and was always willing to help in any way that he could. For many years, he rarely missed an opportunity to pass along a story or two.

Together with his friends, Micky McCall, they built and raced a stock car in the mid-50s, competing in Missoula, Kalispell, Helena, Great Falls and Billings. In the early '90s, Butch and his son Don built and raced a compact stock car, which he enjoyed driving at Mission Valley Speedway.

Don was proud of being the oldest driver on the track and didn't care who knew it. Butch was also an avid NASCAR fan and rarely missed a weekend race on TV. Racing on the street was not part of who he was, however; he drove his twin granddaughters home from school everyday for 13 years and he enjoyed every minute.

Butch is survived by his wife of 57 years, Audrey, at home in Polson; sons Don and wife Janet of Polson, Robert and wife Pat of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and Richard and Judy of Aurora, Colo., and five grandchildren, Jesse, Sarah, Rachel, Missy and Kasie.

Cremation has taken place and at Butch's request, no funeral services are planned. A celebration of Butch's life will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made to the Skyliners 4x4 Club, P.O. Box 1416, Polson, MT 59860.

Arrangements are by Grogan Funeral Home & Crematory, Polson.