Our Dad, Terry Linn Fast of Wolf Point, MT, died at the Trinity Hospital on January 13, 2019 after suffering a heart attack. He was 70 years old. Our lives will never be the same.
He was born on November 22, 1948 in Glasgow, MT to our Grandparents Marvin and Esther (Fast) Fast. He was the second of 7 children and our Gramma always reminded us he was such a good baby. Our Dad loved horses. He spent much of his time even as a very young boy riding around the farm. When he was 6 our Grampa told him he would buy him a new saddle if he stopped sucking his thumb. He never sucked his thumb again!
Our Dad went to school through 8th grade in Lustre, MT, including the first 2 years where he spent his days in a one room country school house called Center Bell School. He graduated from Wolf Point High School in 1967. Gramma told us he always came up with the best excuses when he was late coming home from school. It was either a flat tire or he had to give someone a ride, either way he always got away with it. Our Dad’s charming personality was evident at an early age.
Dad was athletic; he loved track and football best. His high school football coach told our Grandparents no matter what the score, even if they were far behind, Dad played like he was on the winning team. The coach’s wife loved our Dad and told Gramma she wanted to keep him as one of her own. He also earned a scholarship to play for the Northern Lights football team at Northern MT College in Havre, MT. While he was there, he earned his associates degree in Diesel Technology.
In 1970 our Dad married our Mom, June Hanel, and shortly after joined the National Guard. He received the Outstanding Award for cleanest rifle in the Guards. This is about the time I came along and my Dad named me, Tiffany. My Brother Shawn followed 2 years behind me and then 6 years after him came Jonah. Our parents were divorced in 1997.
Our Dad was in the car business for most of his adult life, starting as a mechanic, then a salesman, and finally the owner of Terrible Terry’s Camrud Motors. Gramma told us one time he sold more cars than many larger markets on the west coast and was recognized with several of Chrysler’s prestigious Five Star Awards for overall customer satisfaction. He was a successful businessman and at one point was the longest continuously operating Dodge dealer in the state of Montana. After he sold his business he still showed up to work 6 days a week to sell cars and trucks because that’s what he loved to do and because of his many loyal customers who had become his friends.
Even though Dad was very busy with his business, he still found time to do the things he loved most. When he bought his first team of Percheron Draft Horses they were a big part of his life. His day was made if he could give someone a ride on one of his wagons that he refurbished himself. Dad attended many wagon trains with his team and was a part of the Montana Centennial Cattle Drive of ’89. He told stories about his experience there right up until the end. He also loved to rope and help out with Brookman Rodeo events. He traveled to many rodeos to help out behind the scenes and proudly watched the Brookman livestock buck. They became family to him, too. Without a doubt, the rodeo life is where he shined the most.
Dad was diagnosed with a rare form of Macular Degeneration when he was only 49 years old. This impaired his vision greatly and significantly changed his life. He said when he received the diagnosis he allowed himself to feel sorry for himself for one day. That was it, one day. Our Dad didn’t let anything slow him down, not even his debilitating eyesight. Our Grampa was a praying man and he made sure to include my dad’s eyesight in his daily prayers.
Gramma is known to say, “Look for the blessings even in the hard times because they are always there”. In 2007 Mona (Simensen) Soliday, a nurse originally from Wolf Point, living in Kalispell MT, heard about our Dad’s eye condition and wrote to offer him some remedies she thought could help. Shortly after this Mona moved to Glasgow and they went on their first date. Dad took her to Chinese dinner where he ate his whole plate and what was left on hers, too! In 2010 they were married. Gramma was right again, there is always a blessing.
Dad was preceded in death by his father Marvin Fast. He is survived by his wife Mona of Wolf Point, his three children; Tiffany (Kevin) Rauch of Billings, MT, Shawn (Gabi) of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and Jonah (Misty) Fast of Bend, OR. Mona’s children Rob (Kayla) Soliday of Edwall, WA, Rhett (Kim) Soliday of Santa Ana, CA and Rocky (Holly) Soliday of Costa Mesa, CA, his many grandchildren and great children whom he loved, his mother Esther Fast of Glasgow, MT, his in-laws Kastor and Lona Simensen of Fort Peck, MT, his brother Gary (Marcia)Fast of Lustre, MT, his sister Wanda (Tom) Ault of Fort Peck, MT, his brother Dale Fast from Salem OR, his sister Glenda (Bill) Fladager from Scobey, MT, his brother Rick (Alicia) Fast from Turner, OR and his brother Kevin Fast from Belgrade, MT, his Uncle Harvey (Gladys) Fast of Glasgow, MT, Aunt Erma (Irwin) Penner of Dallas, OR, and many more members of our large extended family.
Gramma’s words are comforting to us, “Your Dad is in heaven because he knew and accepted the Lord”. She reminds us he was greeted by our Grampa and he can now see perfectly.
We would like to invite you to a Remembrance with family and friends on Friday, January 18th at 7pm at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point, MT. There will also be a memorial service on Saturday, January 19 at 11am at First Lutheran Church in Wolf Point, MT.
A special thanks goes out to the Trinity Hospital staff, the ambulance crew, and all the many friends and family who are offering their support through many acts of kindness. We are eternally grateful.
Should friends desire, memorials may be sent to First Lutheran Church in Wolf Point, MT at 415 Johnson Street.
Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel of Wolf Point has been entrusted with the arrangements. Condolences can be sent to the family by using the form below.