Arthur H. Fast, age 95, died on Saturday, April 5 at Northeast Montana Health Services in Wolf Point, MT. Art was born in Mt. Lake, MN on January 8, 1913, the oldest son of Henry G. and Helena (Klassen) Fast. At the age of 3 his family got off the train at Oswego and settled on a homestead in the Grand Prairie community of Lustre, MT where he lived for the rest of his life.
Attending schools in Mt. Lake (excelling in High German) and various country schools in Lustre, Art finished eighth grade. Education was a priority for him encouraging higher learning for his own and other children. As for himself, Art was an avid lifelong reader. He also took overseas tours to the Holy Land and to his homeland, Russia, following each with a lively slide presentation.
Arthur H. accepted the Lord into his life at an early age and was baptized at the age of 13 which meant a lot to him. However, Art remembered his mother reproving him for being more concerned with the fact that he was still wearing knickers at his baptism while the other fellows already had long pants. Somewhere along the way he learned to be unconcerned with what people thought of him, trying out many new ideas and standing for his convictions.
He was conservative in his politics and in his lifestyle. He often reminded his children that “Pennies make dollars.” Water, electricity, energy and dollars were commodities to be used, but not wasted.
His grandfather thought he should be a preacher and prayed to that end. Art did serve the Lustre Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church as co-lay pastor for eleven years, then continued as church moderator, Sunday School teacher, and was active in the music ministries. He had a gift for story telling and friendliness and was very interested in people and their stories.
Art loved to tell the story of how he courted his wife, Elizabeth Koslowsky, a neighbor working at the Sherman Hotel. She was not ready to marry him, finally admitting to him that she did not have a hope chest, her earnings going to her mother. But when his parents decided to move to Oregon and sold him the farm, he told Liz he absolutely could not be a bachelor and she would have to marry him. She felt sorry for him and they were married August 29, 1937; when she died in January of 2006 they had celebrated 68 years of a great marriage.
Working at For Peck in 1936 during its construction found him climbing to the top of the spillway scaffolding; later he was always available to do high-rise windmill and roof maintenance. Farming was his primary occupation; he enjoyed new equipment but making adaptations from his “scrap pile” was his passion. Having an entrepreneurial spirit, on the side he hauled cream, drilled water wells, used his scraper for dirt work, sold and hauled fuel in his pet trucks “Blackie and Yellow Boy” as well as selling eggs to townsfolk for many years. Art was known for “getting a deal” but he also enjoyed “giving a deal.”
Arthur H. Fast was preceded in death by: his wife, Elizabeth Koslowsky; infant brother, Gerhardt; brother, Peter W. Fast; sister, Olga Wall; sons-in-law Robert Blackwell and Jim McKinley; and granddaughter Paris McKinley. He is survived by three brothers and one sister: Arnold (Beth) Fast of Salem, OR; twins Harry (Adeline) Fast and Helen (Larry) Fitzwater of Dallas, OR; and Marvin (Paula) Fast of McMinnville, OR. He is also survived by his children, Marlene Fast and Marjorie (Williard) Friesen of Mt. Lake, MN; Martin (Karen) Fast of the family farm, Marliss (Eldon) Busenitz of Clio, MI; Iris (Joe) Troche of El Paso, TX; Marietta (Ron) Olfert of Lustre, MT; and Marla (Loch) Forbes of Chester, MT. There are also 26 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren surviving Arthur H. Fast.
Family will receive friends Wednesday, April 9 at 5:00 p.m. at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel followed by a Friends and Family Sharing Time at 6:00 p.m. Funeral Service will be on Thursday, April 10 at 4:00 p.m. at Lustre EMB Church. Interment will be at the Fast Family Cemetery.
Memorials may be designated to Samaritan’s Purse P.O. Box 3000
Boone, NC 28607. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.stevensonandsons.com. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel of Wolf Point has been entrusted with the arrangements.