Franklin Asbury

MISSOULA - Franklin Benton Asbury, 76, better known as Ben to those who loved him, was born Feb. 11, 1933, to Elmo Franklin and Esther Kathleen Asbury in Ismay.





Ben graduated from Hamilton High school in 1953. He bounced around several jobs and a business while helping his wife, Ida, run the apartment house on Missoula’s Westside. His best job was as a mechanic at the Montana State Highway Department from 1972 to about 1992. Even after retirement he liked to work at something. He drove a school bus Beach Transportation and escorted the handicapped children, whom he greatly admired. As time went along we managed to travel extensively, even to several foreign countries as well as Hawaii and Alaska. Our daughter Cathy worked for the airlines and we either stayed with relatives or in the kids’ time share. How lucky is that!





Ben was a courageous, optimistic person who liked people and didn’t mind doing for others. He even helped Ida May entertain and care for her mother who lived out her last years at their house on Simons Drive. She was 97 when she moved in and died at age 103. For fifty years he and Ida May (that’s me) enjoyed a wonderful life together. While the children were young we square danced, sometimes traveling as far as Yellowstone Park or Canada. When I was a Sweet Adeline he often chauffeured us to the theatrics and parties. We took kids camping and dune bugging to Idaho. Late in life he drove the shuttle bus for Missoula Alliance Church. Ben was a talented mechanic, photographer, electrician and horse trader. He could keep any kind of car, truck, dune buggy, boat or motor home running when others couldn’t. He and I owned every type of recreational vehicle at one time or another. Ben loved to drive and I still have a truck thats been driven through nearly every state and much of Canada.





While growing up in Ekalaka, Ben survived both polio and rheumatic fever. That is where the courage began. In 1987, he was the recipient of a St. Jude heart valve. it was replaced by a donor valve in 2003. He has also survived two cancer surgeries and radiation. Finally the great heart stopped beating at 3:10 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009, while he was surrounded by friends and family. He was consistently upbeat and agreeable no matter what his circumstances. He was much loved and will be missed terribly. Many thanks to the wonderful hospice nurses who attended to us in the Hilda room at Community Hospital. You made our time of great sadness a better interval of prayerful reflection and superb memories.





He is preceded in death by both his parents; a granddaughter, Chantel Marie Asbury; a half-sister Leone Labree; a step-father Chet Summers; and his wife’s parents Fred and Ida Longpre.





He is survived by his wife Ida May Longpre Asbury of Missoula; his daughter Catherine Marie (David)Traver and their daughter Janel Rose of Missoula; a son Frederick Michael (Peggy Dahl) Asbury and their son Justin Charles of Medical Lake, Wash. Also surviving is his sister Phyllis Frost of Portland, Ore., her children Anita, Ken, Paul and Larry Pelt along with their very special families; a cousin Sondra Giacometto of South Dakota and her family. There are still family and freinds too numerous to mention in Eastern Montana, Missoula and the Bitterroot areas.





A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at Missoula Alliance Church, with Pastor Jeff Valentine officiating. A reception will follow the service in the church social hall.





Arrangements have been made with Garden City Funeral Home & Crematory.














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