Lee Lewis

Leonard LeRoy Lewis, better known as “Lee” 75, passed away Friday, September 13, 2013 at the Holy Rosary Hospital in Miles City, MT after battling respiratory complications for over 25 years. Dad’s passing was a peaceful event as he was surrounded by his loving family and friends. Funeral services will take place on Friday, Sept. 20, at 11 AM at the Stevenson Funeral Home in Ekalaka. Burial will follow in Beaverlodge Cemetery, Ekalaka. Visitation will begin on Thursday, Sept. 19 from 4 PM until 7 PM at the funeral home and continue until the time of the service. Dad was born to Grandma and Grandpa, Edith and Leonard Lewis in Helena, MT on January 11, 1938, the first of four children. Grandma and Grandpa moved their young family to the ranch at Belltower, MT in 1941 where Dad spent the rest of his life on the land that he loved, where the buffalo roamed. Elementary school was at the Tie Creek School. Dad, his sisters and cousins would walk or frequently ride the horse five miles “up hill both ways!” After graduation from Ekalaka High School in 1956, Dad and Mom (Donna F. Collins) were married on June 11, 1958 in Baker, MT. They started their own family of four children shortly there after. Terri (Lee) Carter of Camarillo, CA, Pam (Gary) Gorder of Baker, MT Wanda (Buff) Brown of Manderson, WY and Lawrence (Mary) Lewis of Parker, CO. Dad thoroughly enjoyed working. To Dad working was like playing. He believed if you enjoyed your work, ya never actually worked a day in your life. In the earlier years of Dad and Mom’s marriage, Dad worked a number of different jobs. He was Ekalaka’s City Marshall, learned to shear sheep in Les Cline’s crew and later ran his own sheep shearing crew. Dad traveled with shearing crews from Jordan to south Carter County. Only Dad was talented enough, according to R. O. Burch, to shear his champion rams. A sheep shearing career is awful hard on ones back, so another line of work was pursued. It was Lee Phelps who taught Dad heavy equipment operating. Dad worked with Lee on the Carter County Road Crew. During this time, Dad realized he was born to be a Cat Skinner. It was his passion!Dad worked all across this wonderful world as a Heavy Equipment Operator. From the bumpy roads of Carter County, to different Sections of interstate highways through out MT, to the disaster of Quake Lake, MT. Dad Skinned Cat with some of the best operators in the world. These years 1960-1967, Dad operated out of the Engineers Local Union Number 100, Billings, MT. The work in Alaska around Kodiac and the Aleutian Chain was an experience Dad held close to his heart. He loved the fishing and watching the many different species of wild life in the area. During this time 1968-1972; Dad was working as a civil Service Temporary Appointee for ARISMAR 21st Civil Engineers Squadrant Elmendorf Air Force Base Alaska. Dad was a perfectionist in his profession which enhanced his desire to own and operate his own construction business. He fulfilled extensive private and governmental contracts, and built oil field locations from 1972-1984. It was in 1987 when Dad took a fancy to the wild buffalo and transformed the ranch to the roaming wilderness for these great beasts. It didn’t matter what the job, Dad believed every single duty was to be done to the very best of one’s ability. “Any job needing done-needs done right and done right the FIRST time – so’s ya don’t have to go back to do it again!” This would be the pride and respect Dad passed on through several generations. Being the backbone of our family, Dad instilled in us ALL an extremely deep sense of values and unshakable morals. Dad was a long time member of the Masons of Ekalaka, the Albedoo Shrine of Billings, MT the Sorrell Horse Patrol and the American Bison Association. Throughout his life, family was most important to Dad. From little family picnics with just his immediate family to neighborhood gathering on the Fourth of July—Dad loved his family. He greatly enjoyed teaching everyone the joy of fishing and hunting and an appreciation for the simple things in life. He loved a good cup of coffee and conversation with anyone. In 2010 the tradition of having a family reunion at the ranch, the last weekend of July, began and it was his wish that this tradition be continued throughout the years. Preceded him in death are his parents, Leonard and Edith; infant brother, Donald; two sisters, Barbara and Carolyn; a grandson, A. J. Carter; and an infant great-grandson. Dad is survived by our loving Mom and his wife of 55 years, Donna, all of us kids, 13 grandkids, 14 great grandkids, Grandma Aggie and numerous nieces and nephews.


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Burial Date: September 20, 2013
Funeral Home Ekalaka, MT

Funeral Service: Friday: Stevenson Funeral Home, Ekalaka, MT