Leslie Dean

Funeral Services for Leslie Arnold Dean, 93 of Ekalaka will be 10:00 a. m. Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at the Carter County High School Gymnasium with Jesse LaBree and Loyd Townsend officiating with special music by Dean Jardee and the Southeast Montana Fiddlers. Burial will follow in the family lot in the Beaver Lodge Cemetery at Ekalaka, MT with all of Leslie?s Grandchildren as pallbearers. Visitation will be 6:00 p. m. to 8:00 p. m. Tuesday, September 26, 2006 in the Chapel of Stevenson Funeral Home in Baker, MT, and will continue one hour prior to the service at the high school gymnasium. Leslie passed away Thursday, September 21, 2006 at Dahl memorial Healthcare in Ekalaka, MT. Arrangements are under the direction of the Stevenson Funeral Home of Baker & Ekalaka, MT. Leslie?s obituary in his own words: I was born at Ward, Iowa on May 20, 1913 to George and Alma (Larson) Dean and came to Carter County by immigrant train in May of 1916 with my mother, sister Olive and Aunt Cora Larson. My Dad, Mother?s dad, Ole Larson, and her brother Magnus Larson had already filed homesteads early in the spring. Our first home was a sod house in the Cross School neighborhood about eight miles north of the Plevna road. In 1930, ?we? along with little brother Rankin went by covered wagon to Ipswich, SD where the folks worked for a threshing outfit and also harvested spuds. In 1921, Mother and us three children returned to Montana to live on her homestead 12 miles north of the Plevna Road. We moved to the O?Fallon Creek Community in 1926 and in November of 1927 mother married Frank B Freese. A half-brother, Francis was born to this union. We attended the Cross School by walking most of the time. We then moved to the Frank Freese place and rode horseback four miles to attend the O?Fallon Creek School. I liked music and my first violin (which I never quit playing) and a banjo were ordered from Sears Roebuck & Company when I was 17 years old. I have enjoyed playing music for many dances and functions for years. In 1936, I joined the CCC?s and went to Fort Haugen for nine months. n On June 16, 1937, I married a neighbor girl, Nelle Guyer. We had seven children: Phyllis, Robert, Larry, Jay, Lois, Dale and Barnet. We raised our children on a ranch northwest of Ekalaka. We had cattle and also sheep for several years. We moved to Ekalaka in 1966 so I could drive school bus. We sold the ranch in 1990. I was acknowledged in June of 1991 by the Montana Association for Pupil Transportation for ?safely transporting Montana?s most precious cargo for 26 years. ? Nelle and I were avid square dancers for 25 years participating in two national square dance conventions and many international dances. I was Fire Chief of Ekalaka and overseer at Camp Needmore for several years. At the time of our retirement, we had been members of the southeast Montana Fiddlers for over 10 years. Leslie passed away Thursday, September 21, 2006 at Dahl memorial Healthcare in Ekalaka, MT. Leslie is survived by his wife, Nelle, Ekalaka, MT; four sons, Larry E. (Beth) Dean, Ekalaka, MT, Jay V. (Janice) Dean, Belt, MT, Dale M. (Sandee) Dean, Lewistown, MT and Barnet J. (Shelley) Dean, Willard, MT; two daughters, Phyllis N. (Nate) Hughes, Rawlins, WY and Lois K. (Jim) Johnstone, Ekalaka, MT; a daughter-in-law, Shirley Dean, Sidney, MT; a sister-in-law, Helen Dean, Ekalaka, MT; 24 grandchildren, 38 great grandchildren and 12 great-great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, George and Alma, a step-father, Frank Freese, a son, Robert L. Dean, two brothers, Rankin Dean, and Francis Freese, one sister, Olive Markuson, and a son-in-law, Vernon Jardee. The family request Memorials be made to Dahl Memorial Healthcare Nursing Home Activity Fund and Auxiliary.


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Burial Date: September 27, 2006
Funeral Home Ekalaka, MT

Funeral: Wednesday, Carter County High School Gymnasium