Obituaries, March 18

William Joseph Erickson

William Joseph "Billy Joe" Erickson, of Polson, died at St. Joseph Medical Center early on Sunday, March 7.

He was born on Aug. 26, 1931, in Kalispell to Joseph and Nellie (Brown) Erickson. Bill moved to Polson when he was in grade school and graduated from Polson High School in 1950. He attended the college of Puget Sound for one year then transferred to the University of Montana, but joined the Navy in 1952 before graduating. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1956 as an Aerographer, 1st Class.

In 1952, Bill married Arlene Hern. Bill and Arlene moved to Seattle in 1962 where Bill was a cost accountant for the Austin Company, and later, Fenton Industries. In 1973, they returned to Polson where he became a real estate broker. He also served for a period on the board of Lakeview Cemetery in Polson.

Bill's greatest passion was singing. He sang in high school, college and the Navy and was a tenor for the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Choir. He loved the game of golf, and after retiring, rarely missed a day on the course. He was an avid reader, he dabbled in photography and painting, and when he was younger he enjoyed building model ships and airplanes.

Bill was well known for his mischievous wit and good sense of humor. All will miss the sound of his laugh.

His parents, Joseph and Nellie, and a sister, Elaine, who died at birth, preceded Bill in death.

Survivors include his wife Arlene Erickson; daughters: Jan (Allen) Woodard of Seattle, Wash. and Jill (David) Spear of Polson.

A celebration of Bill's life was held on Saturday, March 13, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, located at 409 4th Ave. E., Polson. Memorials can be made in his memory to the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Choir.

Messages of condolence may be sent to the family online at www.groganfuneralhome.com. The staff of Grogan Funeral Home and Crematory, Polson, considers it a privilege to care for Mr. Erickson's family.

Howard Joel Erickson

ARLEE - Howard Joel Erickson, 87, passed away on Wednesday, March 10, at his home in Arlee.

Born on Sept. 29, 1922, Howard was born and raised in Minnesota. He moved with his family to Montana in 1958 and worked on a ranch in the Roundup area, moving to the Arlee area in 1963. He worked for a short time at Peavey's in Ronan and the Cenex Station in Arlee before working at the Arlee Fish Hatchery where he worked until he retired in 1983.

Howard was an accomplished farmer, rancher and woodworker. He was always available to help anyone who needed help.

Preceding Howard in death were his parents Peter and Lucy; sisters Mae and Alice; and brothers George, Phil, William, Elmer and James.

Survivors include his wife of 57 years Delores; brother Peter of Tennessee; daughter Ruth of Seattle, Wash.; son Richard (Sandy) of Casper, Wyo.; grandchildren Brian of Missoula, Shawna of Arlee and Angela of Casper, Wyo. and great-grandchildren Rusty, Nathaniel, Noah and Natalie of Arlee.

A celebration of Howard's life was held at the Brown Building in Arlee on Monday, March 15, where a potluck meal will be held.

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers or gifts that donations be sent to the Arlee Ambulance, Arlee, MT in Howard's name.

Jack Lee Linton

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. - Jack Lee Linton, son of George Sidney Linton and Luella Magee Linton, died on Tuesday, Feb. 23, in Fountain Valley, Calif.

Jack was born in 1930 in East Groveland, N.Y. He moved to Montana in 1960; living in Missoula 1979-87 and then Polson until 2006.

He is survived by wife, Nancy; children Scot Linton, Jackie Linton and Monty Linton; grandchildren Nick Linton, Lindsey Dombroski, Sara Linton and Jack Linton; sister Sondra Linton; many cousins and two aunts.

An informal memorial service will be held at The Big Tree Inn in Geneseo, N.Y. at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 5. Interment will be at Lakeview Cemetery.

Donations may be made to: The Alzheimer's Foundation of America at 322 Eighth Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001.

James Alexander Murdock

James Alexander Murdock, 87, of Polson, passed away on Monday, March 8, of natural causes at St. Luke Community Hospital in Ronan.

Jim was born to William and Maggie Russell Murdock on July 12, 1922, and was raised in Whitefish, graduating from Whitefish High School in 1940.

Jim married Miriam L. Allred on May 21, 1955. In 1960, they moved to Great Falls where Jim worked as a mechanic on road construction until 1967 when the company went out of business. In 1968, he later went to work for the Great Northern Railroad and retired in 1988. Shortly after his retirement, he and Miriam moved to Polson where they farmed and raised horses. Jim lost Miriam, his wife of 51 years, early in 2006.

Besides his parents and wife, a brother, three sisters, one son (Russell), a granddaughter (Felecia) and a grandson (Terry) precede Jim in death.

He is survived by his children: Ivan Murdock of Kalispell, Katherine (John) Chaney of Portland, Ore., and David (Lois) Murdock of Kalispell; a sister, Izabelle (Smokey) Metcalf; seven grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.

At Jim's request, there will be no public funeral services. The family is planning a private memorial service at a later date. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family online at www.groganfuneralhome.com. Grogan Funeral Home and Crematory, Polson, is honored to assist Mr. Murdock's family.