Gary "G.L." Perry

Funeral Service for Gary “GL” Perry, 85, of, Marmarth, ND will be 11:00 a.m. Friday, December 10, 2021 at Stevenson Funeral Home Baker. Burial to follow at Riverside Cemetery, Marmarth, ND. For those unable to attend service will be live streamed at stevensonfuneralhome.com.

Family receiving friends will be 5:00 -7:00 p.m. Thursday, December 9, 2021 at Stevenson Funeral Home Baker.

Gary passed away December 6, 2021 at his home in Marmarth, ND.

Gary Lee Perry was born Oct. 21, 1936 in Baker, MT the youngest of 8 children born to J.C and Iva (Ellenbaune) Perry. He grew up on the family homestead on Cabin Creek. He attended school in Wills Creek, Ollie and graduated from Baker High School. After graduating, Gary worked as a roughneck and later began driving gravel trucks and working winters as a depot agent for the railroad.

On September 3, 1961 he married Patricia Childers and later bought his own truck. GL and Patti had 2 daughters. He was a loving father but often commented that “he’d take all the 2 a.m. feedings but he was moving, by himself, to Alaska when the girls became teenagers!” In spite of the joking, G.L. was always there supplying love, guidance and support his family in all of their endeavors.

Gary worked the majority of his life in road construction, excavation, and had the innate ability to successfully tackle projects no one else could. Having worked on every interstate construction project in the state of MT as well as secondary highways, byways, and railroad spurs, his seafoam green Peterbilt was known far and wide.

Gary’s creative engineering allowed him to design and manufacture a vast array of specialty tools and equipment, often at a moment’s notice, and frequently to Patti’s dismay. The tensile strength of steel, and Patti’s approval were the only two factors limiting his ingenuity, as the Laws of physics couldn’t.

G.L.’s generous spirit and compassionate heart were some of his defining qualities. He never allowed someone in need to go unaided, long time friend or total stranger. Gary’s time, skills and resources were quickly and freely offered. He was a lifetime member of both the Marmarth Fire Department and Ambulance service, volunteering his time and abilities frequently to them and many other organizations.

Gary is survived by two sisters, Joyce Summers (AZ) and Betty Ure (MT); daughters, Hailey (Wally) Dschaak and Heidi Perry; 8 Grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; dozens of nieces and nephews, and numerous “adopted” family members that Gary welcomed into his life.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Patti; brothers, Lyle and Jimmy; sisters, Bernice Bruce, Dorothy Bummer, and Pat Oldstykke.