Many people can claim to have the greatest papa and dad, but our papa is proof of that saying. Clarence “Butch” MacDonald, Jr. was born on April 12, 1951 to Pearl L. Smith MacDonald and Clarence “Tige” MacDonald, Sr. where he joined big sister Linda and over the years became a big brother to Arlene, Frank, Jim and Debbie. Our beloved papa, father, brother, uncle and friend passed away on March 2, 2021 at Billings Clinic.
Dad lived in Dillon, MT before moving back to Oswego, MT and graduated from Frazer High School in 1969. One story that was often told was when Grandma Pearl took Linda to enroll at elementary school, they took dad’s hand and tried putting him in the 3 rd grade. Dad was only 4 or 5 years old, but looked the part of a 3 rd grade scholar. Times were tough living out in the country back then. School was seldom for dad, he achieved average grades, shoes often didn’t last the whole year and he had 2 plaid shirts in high school, one blue and brown plaid. Dad joined basketball to get off the farm in highs school, often sitting on the bus after a game while the team was eating inside because he didn’t have any money. He earned extra money working after school for the Navy Youth Corp making $1.35/hr. cleaning and sweeping the buses in Frazer and picking and stacking hay bales for 10 cents apiece. We appreciate dad’s sacrifices that me made for us so we would want for nothing.
Grandma Pearl enrolled dad the University of Montana in Missoula in the fall of 1969 and he attended until 1972 achieving a business degree while living with sister Linda. After that dad worked for the Forest Service and was later drafted into the US Army. Dad served active duty from December 28, 1972 to December 19, 1975. He started as a clerk typist then Logistics/Supply at Headquarters United States Army Criminal Investigation Division Command located in Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington DC and also spent some time working at The Pentagon. He was then transferred to Fort Holabird in Baltimore, MD where he worked with the rank of E-5. Dad had an after-work job as a short order cook at a Greek restaurant named Hectors that he spoke of often.
Dad attended MSU-Northern in Havre, MT from 1976-1977 along the side of his mom, Pearl, and his cousin, Ed Bauer. Dad then moved to Poplar, MT and worked a summer for the city of Poplar maintenance crew. It was on August 14, 1978 that dad began his career with the Fort Peck Tribes as the Deputy Director of the ANA (Administration for Native Americans) later becoming Director of the CSP (Community Service Program) in 1980. Dad was all about the people, the elders and did a lot for the Tribes. When it came to his job he was to the point, fair, meticulous and documented everything, meaning he kept 35+ years of every memo he ever typed. During his time with the Tribes he went to NAES Community College and left there with another degree. Dad retired from the Fort Peck Tribes in July 2013 for health reasons.
Dad enjoyed the outdoors. He could spend countless hours driving up North with his go-to binoculars and the river bottom sitting point while hunting with friends and family. Doing his impossible shots and his excellent driving skills at full speed. He shot 2 moose over the years in the same patch by Ft. Kipp and countless white tails, mules, and antelope reservation wide. All he had to do was drive through Brockton, everyone knew a hunt was in the making. A quick call to the nephews and next thing you knew a big hunt was happening up in Porcupine, which included dad standing around drinking coffee and passing out his beef stew with a smile on his face. Dad wasn’t just a dad, he was a superhuman dad who taught and passed down everything from cooking, jerky making, hunting, a little fishing here and there, his amazing star quilt making ways, jam and jelly making, how to reload shells, how to cut loads of wood and how to stoke a fire. Dad liked family BBQ’s, always made sure his grandkids had a birthday cake and enjoyed sitting out in his garage with a master design for something he could build. Dad recently binge watched all 3 seasons of Yellowstone and was looking forward to the new season, but he had it all figured out by he second day. Dad still had the original Nook fully loaded with nothing but Louis L’Amour books, who was his favorite western writer. Dad would give you last dollar, drop everything to come help and was definitely a mad of few words, a definite intimidation by his size, but was a gentle giant that loved his family. Dad had no problem getting up at 3 am to make his granddaughter Riley her cinnamon toast and making sure she excelled in all she did. Dad liked helping his grandson Logan with his homework, giving life lessons like throwing him behind the wheel and said set it at 50 mph and drive me to Wolf Point. Dad was guiding grandson Alex to be on the right path to be independent, passing on all his knowledge to him and certainly enjoyed his evening rides hunting with him. “I raised you kids the best way I could’ve and I’ve lived a good life…. take care of the 2 boys.”
Dad is preceded in death by his son Robert MacDonald; nephews Leo Saddleback and Jeremiah Pipe; niece Nicole Small; granddaughter Payton Weinberger; brother-in-law Horace Pipe, Sr.; cousin Edward Bauer and parents Pearl and Clarence MacDonald.
He is survived by his daughters Jennifer (Remi) Morlock, Pearl (Mike) Stump, Tara McArthur, Faye (Les) Ferguson and Bernadette Thiel; grandkids Alex, Riley, Logan, Morgan, Melanie, Daysha, Tiger, Taiya, Kileigh, Marina, Apollo, Patricia, Stephanie, Jeffrey, and Sierra; great grandchildren Milo and Daniel; sisters Linda Savior, Arlene (Jerry) Small and Debbie Pipe; brothers Frank (Connie) MacDonald and James (Penny) MacDonald; nephews Alvin (Cheryl) Savior Joey (Freda) Savior, Richard (Melissa) Savior, Michael Headdress, Tony Headdress, Chris (Olivia) Headdress, Frank (Dorothy) MacDonald, Jacob Saddleback, Horace (Lauren) Pipe, Jr. Jared Pipe; nieces Heidi MacDonald, Amber MacDonald, Amanda (William) Barlow, Heather (Austin) Burshia, Jessica (Chad) Keith and cousins Raymond Lamb, Junior Smith, Meryl Smith and Wayne Smith.
A prayer service will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, March 8, 2021 at the Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point, Montana. The funeral will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at the Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point, Montana. Interment will follow at the Oswego Presbyterian Cemetery. Condolences for the family can be left by using the form below.