Gerald Pottratz

Gerald Edward Pottratz, 73, of Great Falls, a retired business agent for the Laborers Union, died on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at a local hospital of pancreatic cancer.At his request, no services are planned. There will be a gathering of family and friends at a later date. Schnider Funeral Home is handling arrangements.Gerald was born to LeRoy and Marie Pottratz on February 21, 1939 on the family farm in Altona Township, Pipestone County, Minnesota. He was the youngest of four boys. The family moved to South Dakota when he was 4 years old. He attended two rural schools as well as Hazel, South Dakota and Clear Lake, South Dakota schools. He worked for the black smith in Clear Lake after school and learned welding and mechanical skills. After that he traveled to California for a while and worked in a steakhouse in the Los Angeles area, and then went to Colorado Springs, Colorado where he worked as an iron worker on the construction of the Air Force Academy. He then returned to South Dakota and worked as a welder in Brookings for Dakota Fire Apparatus in the manufacturing of fifty fire trucks for the U.S. Navy. He left that job and came to Great Falls in 1960, where he met and married his wife Reta and they raised their two sons. Gerald went to work on the bridges on I-15 between Great Falls and Vaughn and became a member of the Laborers Local 273. He then worked for Sletten Construction on the 15th Street Bridge. He also worked for Montana Pipe, a block company for several years; he then started a short stint for the Anaconda Company as a blacksmith and boiler maker. In 1967 he went to work as a union representative for Laborers Local 273 and later Local 1334 after the merger of five local unions. In 1985, he was elected business manager and served in that capacity until July of 1992, when he semi-retired after 25 years of union service.Gerald worked on several pipeline jobs and as a boiler maker, he worked on a number of turn a rounds at the refineries in Great Falls, Columbus, and Billings, as well as the Colstrip power plants and worked as a prop truck driver on the movie Holy Matrimony that was filmed in and around Great Falls.He and Reta spent many happy fishing, hunting and camping trips with family and friends, especially at Pishkun Reservoir and Sun River Canyon.He is survived by his wife, Reta Pottratz of Black Eagle; sons and daughters-in-law Edward and Myra Pottratz of Black Eagle and Bill and Tara)Pottratz of Great Falls; brothers and sisters-in-law Ralph and Carol Pottratz of Great Falls and Raymond and Beverly Pottratz of Brookings, South Dakota; four grandchildren, Ryan, Zach, Zane and Bailee Pottratz and many nieces and nephews.Gerald was preceded in death by his parents; his oldest brother, Jim Pottratz; a grandson, Troy Pottratz and a nephew, Mark Pottratz.