John Pachl

A Mass Offering for John Pachl, 44, of Miles City, formerly of Killdeer, ND will be 5:00 pm Saturday, March 16, 2024 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Killdeer with Father Joseph Evinger celebrating. Coffee and dinner will be served following the service at the church.

John “Jethro” Albert Pachl passed away peacefully in Residential Living at SCL Health on March 7, 2024 in Miles City, MT at the age of 44. He fought a long hard journey, but in the end his almighty savior called him home.

John is survived by his wife Valerie (Raschkow) Pachl; his daughters, Wesley and Jeanette Pachl of Miles City; his parents, Albert Jr. and Doreen Pachl of Manning, ND; sisters, Jen (Alejandro) Chacano, Becky (Chris) Sayler, Laura Pachl, Susan (Justin) Semerad; brother,  Albert III (Jessica) Pachl; 13 nieces, 2 nephews, 2 great-nieces and 1 great-nephew; father & mother-in-law, Bill and Roseann Raschkow; sister-in-law, Vanessa Raschkow; numerous aunts and uncles; and a very close friend he called brother, Don Jones.

He was preceded in death by grandparents, Laudie and Martha Dvorak, Albert Sr. and Magdalene Pachl; aunts, Arlene (Dvorak) Brunmeier, Gayle (Pachl) Calishire; uncle, Richard Dvorak; and John’s child, Alex Pachl.

 John was born on December 26, 1979 in Dickinson, ND to Albert Jr. and Doreen Pachl. He graduated from Killdeer High School, Killdeer, ND in 1998. He then signed on with the United States Marine Corps and spent the next four years seeing a life very different from the North Dakota farm and loving every minute of it. He was even able to spend one year in Okinawa, Japan.

While enlisted, he was home on leave over a Christmas holiday and was introduced to the love of his life, Valerie Raschkow, at Army’s. They shared a couple of beers while listening/dancing to Dead Walleye. Valerie left that night telling him “here’s my number, the ball is in your court”. I am not sure he made it back to Camp Pendleton, CA before he contacted her. They spent the next year and half in a long-distance relationship before he was discharged and moved to Bozeman, MT to be with her. They then lived together for two more years before Valerie finally agreed to marry him over a candy filled proposal during the Bucking Horse Sale Parade. He was always known for not doing things the traditional way. John attended Montana State University College of Agriculture, graduating in 2008 as the last Agricultural Operations Technologist.

John and Valerie spent the next eight years enjoying life before they welcomed their first daughter, Wesley Ann, and just three short years later, Jeanette Ann. The following four years were full of lots of crazy adventures and challenges, but nothing could have prepared us for the news he would receive in April of 2019. John was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He spent the next almost five years fighting the battle of the tumor, never knowing exactly what it was but always optimistic and willing to try any treatment if there was a chance it would cure him. He hated the label that Mayo doctors gave him, “Super Rare”, but he embraced the sickness with no fear, knowing that God would cure him one day.

He never let the diagnosis stop him in what he wanted to do. He continued to make memories with his family from camping and boating adventures, getting stranded on the sandbars of the Yellowstone River, painting rocks, tea parties, and so much more. He never passed up an opportunity to show his girls the rewards of hard work and he was very excited for the future of his little farm.

John was passionate about his faith and often shared it with anyone who would lend him an ear. He loved the work he was able to do with the Muggli Bros and even stated he felt a real part of the Muggli family, not just an employee. John was a generous, witty and dedicated individual who loved an opportunity to teach someone something new. He was an active and devout member of the Sacred Heart Parish and the Knights of Columbus. He was a proud member of the 4^th degree council and often volunteered at various church functions, especially teaching religious education classes. He treasured his family and the experiences he was exposed to at the Custer County Volunteer Fire Department, of which he was a part of until the diagnosis, and someday hoped to return to the department.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Valerie Pachl at 1158 US Highway 12, Miles City, MT 59301 to assist with the children’s education funds. The family would like to thank the staff of Miles City Fire Department, SCL Health Emergency Room Department, St. Vincent Life Flight Crew, Billings Clinic Hospital Emergency Room and ICU staff, Advanced Care Hospital of Billings staff and most of all the staff of SCL Health Residential Living. Without your caring and compassion, we would not have had these last 109 days with John. And last but not least, we want to thank each and every one of our Prayer Warriors who have been with us on this journey. You have provided us with the strength we needed to be there for Daddy.