James Dodd

Funeral Services for James Howard ?Dempsey? Dodd, 89, of Alzada, MT will be at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, March 17, 2007 at the Alzada Community Hall in Alzada, MT with Pastor John Wilson (one of the young men on his baseball team) officiating. Interment will follow in the family lot in the Alzada Community Cemetery at Alzada. Visitation will be one hour prior to service time at the Community Hall. Dempsey (James Howard) Dodd was born on April 18, 1917 in Alzada, Montana to Victoria (McCumpsey) and Andrew Jackson Dodd. Dempsey herded sheep and worked on several ranches until December 16, 1940, when he joined the United States Army. He served five years in the military and achieved the rank of Corporal. He served in New Guinea and was a Pearl Harbor Survivor, in which he was very proud. He earned the American Defense Service Medal with one Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal: and Asiatic Pacific Service Medal. Dempsey was honorably discharged on June 27, 1945 at Fort Douglas, Utah. He then traveled to Bremerton, Washington to visit his brother, Kendrick, where he met his life-long companion, Vivian Carsly. Dempsey and Vivian were united in marriage on August 5, 1945, in Bremerton, WA. After their marriage, they rode the train back to Montana and settled in at the Tex Mc Dowell Ranch, living in a sheep wagon and herding sheep. Dempsey worked on different ranches and then in 1956, purchased the Alzada Bar and Cafe. Dempsey tended bar and in his spare time hunted, fished, and spent time with his friends and family. In 1975, they sold out and moved to Terry, Montana where Dempsey fell in love with the Yellowstone River. In their years in Terry, he made even more friends and spent a lot of time fishing, especially with his brother Marvin, who lived in Miles City. He also learned to love to Garden while he was in Terry. He always had ?special dogs and cats? wherever they settled. Dempsey and Vivian also had the Big Sky Bar in Broadus, together with their daughter Vickie and her husband Allen for a time. And again, made many more good friends. They then went back to Terry, where they remained until 1998, when they settled in back at Alzada. Dempsey continued to make “new” friends in Alzada, where he would go to the Store and visit with the patrons. He never knew a stranger, loved people, and boy, did he have stories to tell. Dempsey and Vivian had three children, Marvin Charles Dodd, Vickie (Allen) Drane and Janet (Bill) Walker. They were blessed with eight grandchildren, Marty (Joyce) Drane, Thumper (Melanie) Drane, Sherry (John) Bailey, Lisa (Rick) Blank, Bill (Brenda) Hoffman, Jenny Walker, Ryan (Tawnya) Walker, and Julie Walker. Vivian and Dempsey currently have 11 Great-Grandchildren with two on the way. Dempsey loved to hunt, fish, and spend time with his family. He loved sports of any kind, but especially keeping track of the local kids. He once said his best years were the years he coached the local kid?s baseball. Dempsey passed on to be with our Lord on March 11, 2007 at Fort Meade VA Medical Center in Sturgis, South Dakota. He will be missed so much by his friends and family and all those that enjoyed listening to those stories. He was preceded in death by his wife, Vivian , his son Marvin, one sister, Gerty Wilk, and four brothers, Horace, Kendrick, Lloyd (Red), and Marvin. Jack Owen will provide special music with George Ridinger, Verle Pierce, Denny Grube, Jerry Wilson, Jim Walker, and Jim Miller as pallbearers. All family and Friends are considered honorary Pallbearers.


Click to View Program (PDF)


Burial Date: March 17, 2007