Roy Vern Owings

Roy Vern Owings, 86, of Missoula, monumental husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather, went to be with his Redeemer on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013, with his loving family at his side.

He was born June 21, 1927, at Wallum to Roy and Thelma Luella Owings.

Roy attended schools at Wallum, Hedgesville and the log school at the mouth of Swimming Woman Canyon in the Snowy Mountains. He received his education not only from the schools he attended, but from the people he deeply respected or disliked, the mountains he loved, the horses he owned, the trails he rode, the neighbors he had, the ranchers who hired and watched after him, the cars he drove, the oceans he sailed, the war he fought, the lands he saw, the timber he cut, the machinery he ran, and the machinery he could and couldn't fix.

In 1944, at age 17, he talked his mother into signing the authorization for him to join the U.S. Navy. He served as a machinist and was operating a landing craft preparing for the invasion of Japan at the end of World War II. He spoke remorsefully of messing up his mother's trip to see him in San Diego when he "got in a fight with a bunch of guys, put in the brig and 'shanghaied' to China." He finished his Navy career participating in the postwar atomic bomb tests (Operation Crossroads) at Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific and was honorably discharged in 1947.

His next great adventure was beginning 65 years of marriage to Frances (Farra) in Harlowton. They made their first home in Franklin, where he dug a new hole for the outhouse to cover the first month's rent. Roy used to fire up the gas-powered washing machine before he went to work at the flour mill in Harlowton. If it stayed running, the laundry would be done when he came home; if not, they would fire it up and try again. Their two children, Thelma Louise and Roy "Skip," were born during this time.

In 1952, Roy took his family to the Bitterroot Valley with his in-laws and went to work for Dick Rossignol Logging, where he spent the next 13 years working out of Lolo, Ovando and Plains.

The year 1965 brought them to Missoula, where Roy was a heavy equipment mechanic, eventually going to work as a field mechanic for Westmont Tractor Co.

In the spring of 1969, he went to Lolo and told Dick Rossignol he wanted to "go loggin'." Dick asked his wife Norma if they could handle the deal. She said yes, they wrote out a few papers on the kitchen table, shook hands and Roy Owings was "loggin'."

He was in the logging industry out of Missoula, East Glacier and Kalispell with his son and son-in-law Al Ray until 1978. Roy and Skip purchased Holms Equipment Co. in Missoula. Al Ray remained in the logging business until 2009.

Roy loved to hunt, fish and camp. Special times to him were trips to the Snowy Mountains with anyone who would go along, but especially his grandsons. It was always a real plus if he could take his horse Rick O'Shay Bay.

Anyone who knew Roy would soon learn of his devotion to God. He attended and served faithfully at the Blackfoot Valley Assembly of God in Ovando, Plains Assembly of God, Kalispell Christian Center and Missoula's Christian Life Center, occasionally teaching Sunday school and serving on the various deacon boards over the years.

Roy is survived by Frances, his devoted wife of 65 years; daughter, Thelma and her husband Al Ray of Kalispell; son, Roy "Skip" and his wife Judy of Missoula; grandchildren, Rita (Tyler) Fryberger of Ritzville, Wash., Allen (Marj) Ray of Kalispell, Vicki (Jay) Thompson of Lincoln, Wade (Richee) Ray of Great Falls, Roy "Chet" (Brianne) Owings of Seattle and Glenn (Liz) Owings of Bondurant, Wyo.; 12 great-grand children; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Also surviving him are three sisters, Hazel (Carl) Hinderager of Great Falls, Thelma (Kent) Hane of Fort Shaw and Darlene (Gary) Kunkel Davies of Spokane; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Roy in 1935; mother, Thelma Luella Owings Kunkel; stepfather, Tobias Kunkel; three sisters, Emerald Miller, Polly Riggs Berry and Anna "Pug" DeBuff; two stepbrothers, Ross and Lloyd Kunkel; and sister, Edna Totdahl.

Private graveside services will be held Friday, Aug. 23, at the Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery.

A celebration of Roy's life will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, at the Christian Life Center, 3801 S. Russell St.

Memorials in Roy's name can be made to Christian Life Center, 3801 S. Russell St., Missoula, MT 59801.

Arrangements are under the care of Garden City Funeral Home

Read Roy Owings's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.