Elliott Lynn Todd
“ET”
1937-2008
Elliott L. Todd “ET”, age 70, of Frazer, Montana passed away Saturday, May 31, 2008 at the Trinity Hospital in Wolf Point, Montana.
Elliott was born on July 28, 1937 to Lucy Redstone Todd and Orville Todd. He always said he was born at Cooley Springs, north of Nashua. The family later moved to Oswego. He attended Frazer school where he joined the basketball team.
On January 17th, 1955 he married Patty Bauer and to this union were born five children, Teri Lynn, Jeffery Grant, Ken Elliott, Wade Patrick, and Timothy Lee. They were later divorced.
Elliott enlisted in the Air Force in September, 1954. While he was in the service he had Top Secret Clearance with Telecommunications while stationed at Adona, Turkey and Athens, Greece for 18 months.
After returning to the United States he was stationed at March Air Force Base in Riverside, California. He was then honorably discharged in 1958.
After being discharged from the Air Force he went to college and received a degree in Aircraft Engineering at Cal-Poly. He then worked around the country for numerous aircraft companies such as Hughs, Boeing, Lookeed, and Sperry Ram as a wing designer.
He worked and lived in Phoenix, Arizona from 1970-1975. This is where he met and married Rose Drew. They moved to Frazer and along with them they brought Elliott’s four boys and Rose’s three boys. They were later divorced.
He lived alongside the little porcupine creek in Frazer and that is where he started his Black Angus herd. At that time, Elliott, along with others, started the Frazer Town Council, the first Tribal Newspaper for Frazer, the Frazer Fire Department and Ambulance. He was also instrumental in bringing A & S Industries to Frazer. He went to work for the Fort Peck Housing Authority around 1975-1983, as the Director, where he brought in 441 homes for the Fort Peck Reservation, of those homes they included homes with basements, split homes, homes with garages and log homes. He also provided safe and affordable housing for the elderly Native Americans with two 12 plex’s. He was instrumental in making Fort Peck the leader in Indian Housing across the nation. He was known as “the legend of Housing Authority.” He was on the Frazer School board as a member and chairman for 10 years where he traveled to Washington, DC to obtain the funding for the construction for the new Frazer School.
Elliott worked for his son, Ken Todd Construction, as the manager for several years. All the while working he continued to build up his herd of cattle.
For the last 22 years he lived south of Frazer where his herd had grown to 350 head. He was one of the largest Native American Ranchers on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. He was on the Fort Peck Tribal Ranch Board and was currently serving as the Chairman of the Farm and Ranch Board.
He and his best friend, companion and soul mate, Thelma Blount, were together for 22 years where they raised cattle and grandchildren on the Iron Horn Cattle Ranch.
He was preceded in death by his Great-Grandfather Chief Redstone, his Grandmother Christine Redstone, Grandfather Horace Todd, his parents Orville and Lucy, his brothers Dale, Benny and Arnie, his son Ken, and his favorite son-in-law, Larry Long.
He is survived by his loved companion and soul mate, Thelma Blount; his daughter, Teri Long of Wolf Point, Montana; his sons, Jeff, Wade and Tim, all of Wolf Point; 30 Grandkids; numerous Great-Grandkids; nieces; nephews; his companion’s children, George, Rob, Sid, Loni and Delane Blount, all of Frazer, Montana; and his only Aunt, Freda Fourstar of Frazer.
The day our friend, father, grandpa and beloved companion left this world he was doing what he enjoyed the most and that was rounding up and branding his cattle on his ranch.
He will be greatly missed by everyone.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, June 3, 2008 from 1:00 – 7:00 p.m. with a Prayer Service beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point. Funeral Services will be 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 4, 2008 at the Frazer School Gymnasium. Interment will follow at the Todd Angus Ranch South of Frazer.
Condolences to the family may be sent to www.stevensonandsons.com. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel of Wolf Point has been entrusted with the arrangements.