William "Murray" Stengem

William Murray Stengem, 88, of Great Falls, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 29, 2017.Murray was born in Winnepeg, Canada on September 8, 1928 to Henry and Christine (Armstrong) Stengem. He attended Havre High School, joined the Marine Corp in May 1946 and was honorably discharged in May 1947. Murray met the love of his life, Lorraine Jean Cole, in Havre and they married June 29, 1949. While raising a family of eight children, Murray built a 43-year career with the GN/BNSF railroads as an engineer before retiring in 1993.Murray loved spending time with his sons at the horse races, traveling with and spending time with Jean and his girls and grandchildren. Summers at the family cabin on Whitefish Lake provided treasured memories lasting many lifetimes. His girls will always remember how he moved Jean around the dance floor tripping the light fantastic. He was a lifelong member of the Elks and enjoyed many years as a member of the City Bar Coffee Club.Murray is survived by his wife, Jean of Great Falls; daughters Karla (Jeanard) Aafedt of Anchorage, AK, Ann Janikula of Great Falls, Julie Stengem of Clarkston, WA, Lisa (Bruce) Mohr of Libby, and Kelly Stengem of Missoula; sons Curtis Stengem of Haltom City, TX and Christopher (Danell) Stengem of Keller, TX; daughter-in-law Sally Stengem of Bryan, TX; sister Beverly Williams of Fort Benton; brother Gordon (Beth) Stenhjem of Sun City West, AZ; 14 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and a large, loving contingent of the Cole Clan.He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Christine; son Gregory William Stengem; and son-in-law James Janikula.Cremation has taken place under the direction of Schnider Funeral Home. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.