Donald "Don" Putnam

Donald A. Don Putnam, 85, of Great Falls, passed away on Thursday, April 30, 2015.A memorial service will be held Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel. Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.Don was born June 22, 1929 in Billings to Altha and Roscoe Putnam, the youngest of five children.He spent his early childhood in family orchards in Edgar, Montana, and later lived in Neihart, Townsend, and Forks, Washington. In 8th grade, Don left school for mining work. At 19, he moved to Great Falls to work for Great Falls Meat Co., until being recruited into a new tradetypewriter repairwhich launched his lifelong career in office equipment.He met his first wife, Clarice Betts, while repairing her typewriter. Clarice died of cancer in 1968, leaving Don as single father to their son Greg.On New Years Day 1971, Don met Jane Miller, and after a whirlwind one-month romance, they married on February 2. Don adopted her small children, Will, Sarah and Jim, and a fifth child, Erica, was born in 1975.Don earned his living selling and repairing office equipment at local businesses, but before he retired, launched his own small business (C&J Office Machines) with partner Gary Zimmerman.Dons life was blessed by simple things: a perfect turn through fresh powder, doll cradles lovingly crafted for all his granddaughters, a mountain hike, a clocks movement resuming its ticking at his work bench, coffee with friends at The Prospector, helping his neighbors, and the satisfaction of a hard days work. Don leaves his family a legacy of memories built over decades at the family cabin he built with his own two hands near Glacier Park. He made those memories sweeter with his famous chocolate chip cookies, huckleberry pancakes and vanilla ice cream.Don is survived by his wife of 44 years, Jane; children Greg (Cindy) Putnam, Will (Shauna) Putnam, Sarah (Dwight) Guilbert, Jim (Jenifer) Putnam, and Erica (Chad) Brady; brother, Bill Putnam; 17 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.