Milton Leonard Beggs

POLSON — Milton Leonard Beggs, 81, of Polson died on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2005 at Sheridan, Wyo., after a lengthy battle with Parkinson's disease.

Born on July 4, 1924, in Pittsburgh, Pa.. Mel was the youngest of 11 children. During the Great Depression his family moved to Glendale, Calif., where they raised chickens, goats, and pigs as a livelihood.

Mel attended local schools, but when the war in the Pacific began he enlisted in the Navy and his natural talent with anything mechanical led him to the Seabees.

Assigned to the 91st Construction Battalion he served in New Guinea and the Philippine Islands from 1943 to 1945 building airstrips, docking facilities and military bases.

Returning to California and civilian life he started a family with his wife of 22 years, Mateel Wayne.

They raised two daughters Jackie and Chris and a son Vince. The couple later dissolved the union.

His mechanical ability and skill in construction was utilized in increasingly more responsible positions with the City of Los Angeles.

He supervised the construction or renovation of city parks, tennis courts, the Los Angeles Zoo and a variety of recreation facilities.

As a capstone to his career he was appointed as a construction liaison for the Loa Angeles Convention Center and upon completion he assumed the position of Building Superintendent.

While working on the Convention Center, Mel met and married Bea Erickson and his family expanded to include her two children from a previous marriage, Karen and Greg. After becoming acquainted with the Flathead Lake area, the couple eventually purchased 12 acres on the lake and built a custom two-story home that became their fulltime residence for almost 25 years. Bea preceded him in death by several years. Mel was an active member of the Mormon Church in Polson and for a period held the position of Treasurer.

Sharing the wonders of Montana with his children and 14 grandchildren was among Mel's favorite pastimes and summer would bring a continuous stream of family and friends for barbecues, boating, and swimming. He will be missed by all who knew him.

A visitation will be held at 10:30 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Grogan Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow the services at noon at Lakeview Cemetery.