Morris Carl Deering

Morris Carl Deering, 84, of Great Falls, passed away Feb 9, 2015 at Peace Hospice from multiple organ failure. A man with a great sense of humor, his last meal was a slice of Howards Kraut Special pizza.A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Great Falls. Cremation has taken place with Schnider Funeral Home handling the arrangements.Morris was born March 12, 1930, in Harlowton, MT to Carl and Elizabeth (Paden) Deering. He graduated from Harlowton High School participating in band, choir, theater and student government. He received college credit for attending IBMs programming and computer systems classes during the early seventies.He started working at the local creamery at the age of 11; with the stipulation he could eat all the ice cream he wanted. Needless to say, maple nut is no longer his favorite flavor. After graduation, he traveled to San Francisco to work for Pan American Airways in their maintenance wing. He was working the night the Boeing Stratocruiser, Clipper America, was christened using 500 pounds of flowers from the islands. Missing Montana, he returned to Harlowton to work as a fireman on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific railroad. It was the start of a lifelong love affair of trains. For his twenty-first birthday, his father gave him the pocket watch that satisfied the railroad standard .He met Carole Henderson while she was teaching third grade in Harlo. They married in June 1955 in Anaconda and divorced in 1979, but, they were blessed with three daughters.He was employed by the Anaconda Company as time keeper for hourly personnel, data entry, freight rating and traffic. These positions and others commanded knowledge of metallurgical accounting.A layoff took the family to Great Falls in 1960, where Morris worked for Floyd Pappin and Sons. He designed and created operating procedures for general ledger, concrete truck cost analysis and pre-stressed beam cost studies.In 1961, Morris and his family moved to Havre where he worked for Vita-Rich Dairy. He continued his computer programming and systems work designing and creating programs for retail and wholesale accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, general ledger and dairy plant cost analysis. That system was later adopted by the Montana Milk Control Board as the standard for all dairy plants state-wide. He was promoted to General Manager of the dairy in 1968. He developed several lifelong friendships with those working at the dairy.Always up for a challenge, 1971 brought the opportunity to buy into ACRO/Info-Serv, Inc. in Great Falls. ACRO/Info-Serv was a 24 hour computer service bureau which programmed and processed accounting for many types of companies both in house and for their own computers. Clients included lumber yards, hospitals and clinics, construction and hardware companies, and grain merchandising companies. He bought the business in 1981 changing the name to Information Processing Services and adding services for general and independent insurance agencies. He sold the company in 1992 looking toward retirement.But a busy mind needs to stay active. The proceeding years saw him working for MCI Telecommunications as a sales rep for long distance and cellular phones and for Montana Department of Transportation as a Materials Laboratory Aide and later a seasonal dispatcher.He was fortunate to meet Liz Magee and they formed an extraordinary relationship enjoying community and symphony concerts, dining, traveling, watching documentaries on PBS and discussing current events.Morris was a gifted individual. He loved symphony music as his background included playing the violin at a young age and the sousaphone in high school. He sang bass with the Havre Choraliers. He was an avid fisherman enjoying high mountain lakes in particular. He spoke fondly of steelhead fishing trips taken on the Salmon River in 1959 and 1960. Later, he took pride in his vegetable and flower gardens as well as his gold claim on Benton Gulch outside of White Sulpher Springs. He liked working with his hands and started cutting stained glass then making decorative stepping stones.He was a Master Mason in good standing of Musselshell Lodge No. 69, a member of the Great Falls York Rite Bodies, a past member of the Algeria Shriner Pipe Band and chairman of the Shrine Circus for twenty-five years.Morris is survived by his sister of Billings, Betty Fraley, companion, Liz Magee, her dog Chips, and first wife Carole Deering Hull. Daughters are Diane (Mike) McCloskey, Dolores (Mike) Trombetta of Helena, and Linda Deering, Grandchildren include Keith (Vickie) Nelson, Kevin (Amy) Nelson of Virginia Beach, Stephanie (Matt) Martinka of Helena, Stacie (George) Howell of Denver, Sarah (Eric Lybecker) Kaul, David Kenneth Suazo Jr. and Chris McCloskey. Great-grandchildren are Conner, Bryce, Alyssa and Brooke Nelson and Cierra, Chloe and Chrystal McCloskey. Niece and her children Brenda Fraley, Britney and Brooke Nearpass, Billings and nephew and his children Mark Fraley, Shawn and Candace Fraley.The family wishes to thank the nurses and staff of the Benefis dialysis unit and ICU, Grandview TCU and Peace Hospice for the care and friendship extended to Morris over the last three years.Memorials may be made to the Upper Musselshell Museum, PO Box 364, Harlowton, MT 59036. www.harlowtonmuseum.org.