Iver Lattin

Family Contact May Lattin (Wife) 406-835-2511 H / 868-0955 CSchnider Funeral Home 727-1368Iver Curly Lattin, 87, of Great Falls, died on Monday, April 15, 2013 at Peace Hospice of natural causes.A memorial service will be held at Hillcrest Lawn Chapel on Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. Schnider Funeral Home is handling arrangements.Curly was born in 1926 in Drumheller, Alberta, the oldest of three sons. The family lived in New York and various places in Montana until settling in Seattle, Washington, where he graduated from high school.Curly spent most of his adult life doing road construction work, including working as a heavy equipment operator, mechanic and supervisor. When he retired (ha ha) he and his wife May moved to Melrose, Montana, where he provided unofficial, unsanctioned AAA services to the local ranchers and people traveling through the area. Curly volunteered with the Melrose Volunteer Fire Department for 10 years. He held the dubious title of Sewer Queen and Used Sewer Queen in Melrose.Mechanic work was not just a career; it was also one of his lifelong interests. He enjoyed helping anyone who had a vehicle or equipment that needed to be fixed. When the couple moved to Melrose they built a log cabin home on the Big Hole River and he spent many hours collecting rocks to landscape the property, clearing unruly wild bushes and watering the grass so his wife would have to mow it. Curly looked forward to Beer Thirty at the local watering hole where he hung out with the locals. Toward the end of his life he spent many pleasant hours sitting on the porch watching the grass grow. Curlys sparkling sense of humor was apparent throughout his life and was evident even through increasing symptoms of Alzheimers Disease. He took special delight in surprising and teasing his family, friends and acquaintances and one had to be on the look out for his practical jokes.Curly married May Sharon in 1949 and the couple remained married for 64 years until his death. When their children were young and in school, working on road construction required Curly to work out of town while May remained in Great Falls. This is perhaps the secret to the longevity of their marriage.Curly is survived by his wife, May; daughters, Trudy (John) Rosenbaum, Marvalee (Bill) Christofferson, Kris Lattin-Jackson (Thomas Jackson) and Melanie Lattin (Matthew Gressard); grandchildren, Rodney Shure, Shanna Rosenbaum, Austin Rosenbaum and Danny Jackson; and three great grandchildren, Bryson, Austyn and Kambree.His family requests memorial donations be given to the Animal Foundation of Great Falls PO Box 3426, Great Falls, MT 59403 or Peace Hospice, 1101 26th St S, Great Falls, MT 59405.