John Hurlbut

John O. Hurlbut passed away January 11, 2015 in Helena at 89 years.A funeral liturgy will be held on Thursday, January 15, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at SS Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in East Helena with burial in the Stanford Cemetery on Friday, January 16, 2015. Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.John was born in Superior, Wyoming on July 10, 1925. He and two brothers grew up in Miles City. All three carried newspaper routes. His sons continued that tradition. He enlisted in the Navy at age 17, in 1943, and served at sea as a radio operator in the Pacific Theater.In 1947 he married Dorothy Hall, of Stanford. The marriage stood for 67 years and blessed them with four sons. They built a house on Fourth Avenue South in Great Falls, between 30th and 31st Street. Traffic on Tenth Avenue South was visible across the sand dunes. Dorothy designed the place; John purchased some construction books and figured out how to build it. His brother Ben, a structural engineer, assisted.John worked as a photo-engraver at the Great Falls Tribune. Weather permitting he rode his bike to work for many years. Both he and Dorothy appreciated the tempo and cerebral energy that pulsed through that old Tribune building. He always had a camera at hand. His photos documenting the remains of the old Yogo Sapphire Mine, near Utica, taken around the late 50s, are in the archives of the Montana Historical Society.He served as a director of the Federal Employees Credit Union (now Russell Country Federal Credit Union).In 1992 John retired from the Lewis and Clark National Forest, a job he loved. He especially cherished assignments that took him into the field.He and Dorothy moved to Stanford, into the old home of Dorothys parents.He instilled a love for the Montana landscape in his children and grandchildren. He led several hikes up Big Baldy in the Little Belts, teenage sons in tow. He would sit out in the open country, rendering the view onto paper or canvas.He is survived by his wife Dorothy, sons Michael of Belt, Mark of Helena, Bruce of Seattle, and Kevin (Lisa) of Helena, and grandchildren Luc, Kate, and Adam.John was preceded in death by his parents and brothers.