Harley Charles Berry
Our loving husband, father, and grandfather, Harley Charles Berry, age 87, a retired Brockway, Montana area farmer and rancher, passed away at the McCone County Nursing Home on Thursday, February 7, 2008 surrounded by his family.
Harley was born November 2, 1920 in Miles City, MT to Marshall and Amanda (Priefer) Berry of Watkins. He attended grade school in the country at Berry School and Brockway High School. After high school, he and Roy Youngquist ventured to California where he worked for two years in an aircraft plant. In August of 1942 he joined the U.S. Air Force, and worked as an airplane mechanic. He served in the U.S. and in the South Pacific on Guam with the 502nd Bomb Group. Harley was honorably discharged on February 6, 1946. Upon his return after the war, he and Clara Bieber were married on September 1, 1946 at the EUB Church in Circle. He worked for Harold Wangen in Circle as a mechanic until buying a farm west of Brockway from Pete Rorvik in 1948. He later bought more land near Brockway, and farmed and ranched until he and Clara retired to Circle in 1982.
Harley enjoyed hunting, fishing, Labor Day weekend pig barbeques at Fort Peck Lake, making wurst and traveling south for the winter for several years. He dearly loved his grandchildren and traveled many miles to attend their special events. Harley liked rocking the babies to sleep, and we wondered at times who put who to bed. In his retirement years, he faithfully made the rounds every morning to True Valu for coffee and visiting and every afternoon at 3:00 to Kay’s Dining for coffee with the “Liars Club”.
Harley was a member of VFW Post 4813, Circle Masonic Lodge, Royal Arch, Al Bedoo Shrine, and the Wolf Point Elks Lodge. For many years, he was a Hi-Line Shrine clown, and participated in the Wolf Point Stampede parades.
Harley is survived by his wife of 61 years, Clara; his children: Kathy Pedersen of Wolf Point, Sheri (Dick) Kurtz of Brockway and Lana (David) Hovland of Yakima, WA.; grandchildren Jeri (Robert) Toavs of Wolf Point, Robert (Jodi) Pedersen of Plentywood, Lawrence Pedersen of Wolf Point, Tami Sleeth of Sidney, Jody (Thad) Kohl of Cheyenne, WY, Kristi (Saurel) Favard of Mill Creek, WA, and Kim (Lance) Rodman of Yakima, WA. Also surviving are numerous great-grandchildren, several nieces and a nephew, and his many, many special friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Robert.
No flowers, please. It was Harley’s wish that the living be helped instead. If friends desire, memorials can be made to the Circle Senior Center or the charity of your choice.
Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 10, 2008 with a Family Service at 7:00 p.m. and Funeral Services will be 11:00 a.m. February 11, 2008 at the Evangelical Church in Circle. Burial will be in the Veteran’s Plot at Riverview Cemetery in Circle.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.stevensonandsons.com. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point has been entrusted with the arrangements.