Robert Russell Mcmillan

Robert Russell McMillan, known as "Mac" or "Bob", passed away in the early hours of April 1, 2022, at the age of 89. All who really knew him will miss his humor, storytelling, letters, and poems.

Bob was born July 27, 1932, in Marshfield Missouri to Harold Wilbur McMillan and Flora Mae Ricketts McMillan, the second son of five siblings. In his formative years, the family loaded their earthly belongings in a small truck and left Missouri in 1937, fleeing the dust bowl. They made their way to Wright, Minnesota, where Bob was raised.

In his youth, he developed an early interest in tractors and agriculture and took great pride in his FFA membership. He heard young men's stories of working harvest crews on the vast expanse of the West. This began a boy's dream to make his way to the prairies of Montana.

In1950, Bob graduated from Cromwell High School, joined the Minnesota National Guard, and went to work at the Northwest Paper Company in Cloquet. Shortly after, in 1954, he began active duty in the Army and was stationed in Fort Bliss, Texas, and Fort Carson, Colorado.

Texas and Colorado gave him a taste of the West and increased his desire to see Montana and Wyoming, the "true west" to him. Following NCO training in Fort Carson, Bob returned to Minnesota, got a new car, and picked up his younger brother, Steve. They traveled for 21 days through the mountain states all the way to Old Mexico.

In 1956, Bob went to work full time with the Minnesota National Guard serving 11 years in all between the guard and army, rising to the rank of Master Sergeant E7. The same year he returned to the Northwest Paper Company where he met a tall, lovely girl, and future wife, Marion Nynas. They married on July 28th.

August 10th, 1959, marked the beginning of his life as "Mac" with the IBM Corporation and they moved for a short time to Kingston, NY. 1960 brought an opportunity to transfer to Great Falls, Montana working the SAGE data center project at Malmstrom Airforce Base. He jumped at the chance and in January, he made it to Montana with Marion and their two small daughters. After the project, Mac remained with IBM in Great Falls as an Account Engineer for northern and central Montana until full retirement in 1998. Mac made lifetime friends in the IBM family, and he often commented on how well he was treated by "Big Blue."

Mac was a long-time member of the International Toastmasters, serving as Area 3 governor of the Montana District.

He was an avid outdoorsman, gun enthusiast, and collector. His attention to detail and research made him an avid shooter and an ammo reloading master who mentored many. He enjoyed years of hunting the river breaks near Highwood and the coulees of Grass Range.

In 1976, Mac and Marion and their four daughters moved to the Eden area south of Great Falls. Here he built a barn, garage, and custom family home that Marion designed.

During 1982, the couple took a chance to broaden their horizons and accepted a brief assignment in Guam for IBM. They enjoyed sharing the island culture and deep history together.

Following retirement, they moved from the Eden area to Hamilton, Montana for six years to live near Marion's sister, Joyce (Carter) Reynolds.

They returned to Great Falls and lived for a time in the Belview Palisades area until Marion's death in 2019. Mac lived his remaining years with his daughter, Laureen, on the Ferda Farm north of Highwood and on the prairie he loved.

Mac is survived by three daughters, Laureen Carol Ferda of Highwood, MT, Teresa Marie (Bret) Bledsoe of Philipsburg, MT, and Annette Lee (David) Young of Tracy, MT; sister, Flora Ilene (Daniel) Lohman of Coos Bay, OR; granddaughters, Vicki Ann Ferda of Billings, MT, Leanna Renee Miller of South Thomaston, ME, and Marie Michelle Trowbridge of Spokane, WA; great-grandson Samuel Trever Ferda of Billings, MT; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by daughter, Wendy Kae McMillan; wife, Marion Pauline Nynas McMillan; brothers, Kenneth Wilbur McMillan and Steven Edward McMillan; sister, Esther May McMillan; son-in-law, Phillip Andrew Ferda, and great-grandson Cadence Ryan Daugherty.

The family is grateful to the staff at the BeeHive Clover Cottage for their compassionate care.
A private gathering will be held by the family at Wendy’s gravesite for a later date.