James "Jim" Edward Milos Sr.

James “Jim” Edward Milos, Sr., 80, passed away on November 23, 2017 in Great Falls. The youngest of three children, Jim was born on September 28, 1937 in Belt, to Michael Milos and Josephine (Marn) Milos. He was raised in Belt and on the family ranch at the base of Belt Butte, where ranching and raising cattle became his lifelong passion. It was a family joke that his animals were taken better care of than most people. At a young age, Jim’s father, Michael, passed away unexpectedly, and he had to take over chasing cows to keep the place going. He graduated from Belt Valley High School, and lived and breathed the ranch life until his death. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and spending time in his backyard - the Highwood and Little Belt Mountains. Although he may have been a gruff man with those “leather working hands,” you could count on Jim to be a helpful neighbor when the need arose. Many have been the recipients of Jim’s unassuming generosity. Whether it was a can of gas, a few dollars, or even a place to live, Jim could be counted on to help. He was often called upon to apply his skills as a welder and mechanic to repair or modify any kind of equipment for neighbors and friends. No job was too big. He generously donated land to the Belt Rural Volunteer Fire Department, of which he was a member from 1980 until 2003, serving as chief most of those years. His family remembers spending many Father’s Days with him at the “famous” Belt Rodeo firehouse pancake breakfast. Jim also served many years as a board member and past president of the Foothills Livestock Association. In February of 1961, he and his mother, Josephine, were slated to be on the cover of Life Magazine to debut a new missile site coming to Montana. Unfortunately, a monkey in space stole his 15 minutes of fame, but that photo and the missile site remain a testament to the importance of hard labor and giving back to our great country. Also in 1961, he married Nancy Sue Newcomb, they later divorced. Together they had two boys, James (Laura) Milos, Jr. and Michael (Amy) Milos. Jim is also survived by six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father, Michael Milos; mother Josephine (Marn) Milos; sister Florence Gamble; and brother Robert Milos. A funeral liturgy will be held on Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Great Falls. Burial of ashes will follow at Pleasantview Cemetery, Belt. Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Belt Rural Volunteer Fire Department or Belt Volunteer Ambulance.