Horst Ludwig Schilling

Horst “Hoss” Ludwig Schilling was born May 24, 1938, in Kelsterbach, Germany to Joseph and Wilhelmina Schilling. Horst was in grade school during WWII and would race home from school during air raid sirens. His parents both passed away when he was a teenager. He attended trade school as a locksmith, where he learned to weld. Horst was sponsored by his brother-in-law, Bill Miles, to come to “The Land of Opportunity” in the United States of America, when he was 19 years old. He traveled by boat to New York with one suitcase and 20 dollars in his pocket. From there he rode on a bus to Salina, Kansas, where his sister Trudy and her husband Bill were stationed in the Air Force. Horst found a job right away and soon bought his first car, a Plymouth. He only had the car a few months when he had to turn it back to the dealer because he received his draft notice for the U.S. Army. He went to Infantry training at Fort Benning, GA, but was assigned to a base in Germany where he worked as an interpreter. When Horst completed his 2 years in the Army, he moved to Great Falls, MT where Bill and Trudy were stationed at Malmstrom AFB. He met his wife-to-be, Maxine on a blind date in 1964. They married on March 27, 1965, and had three children, Bryan, Lorelei, and William. He started work at Central Machinery Company where he created many lifelong friendships. Horst was admired for his welding skills and great work ethic. He was meticulous on every project he worked on. He also worked at Hilde Construction and McIntyre Construction. On May 2, 1984, Horst had a work accident where he was closed in the gates of a belly dump trailer, which ended his welding career. Horst enjoyed traveling and loved all the great adventures that Montana offers. He enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting, boating, and most importantly, being with friends and family. His seven grandchildren that he greatly adored knew him as Opa, which led to his most cherished years doing Opa’s daycare. Horst will be greatly missed but we all know he is at home at “The Big Welding Shop in the Sky.” Horst was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Wilhelmina Schilling; brother, Wilhelm Schilling; sister, Gertrude Miles; and brother Alfred Schilling. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Maxine (Hoge) Schilling; his children, Bryan (Tifonie) Schilling, Lorelei (Dirk) Walden, and Willi (Kim) Schilling; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. The Schilling family would like to invite everyone to the VFW, (4123 10th Avenue South, Great Falls, Montana) at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, for a celebration of Horst’s life.