BRITT CHANDLER obituary

PLENTYWOOD - Britt Chandler, 81, died Monday, June 30, 2003, at his home surrounded by his family.

A funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Plentywood. with the Rev. Bob Sewvello officiating. Burial will be at Plentywood Cemetery. A public gathering will be held at 7 p.m. today at Fulkerson Memorial Chapel in Plentywood.

Britt was born in Plentywood to John Britton Chandler II and Ellen Parsley on Feb. 3, 1922.

On Aug. 21, 1945, he married Elizabeth Lodahl of Dagmar.

When he was 17, he and his brother Fay purchased the Gambles store in Plentywood. In 1942, he and Fay took over Britt's Bar, a gift from their father. In 1949, he purchased Tri-County Distributors, the Great Falls Select and Olympia beer dealership for northeastern Montana. In 1952, he opened a stock car race track in Regina, Saskatchewan. In 1958, he and his brother Bill purchased the John Deere dealership and ran it until 1969. He and his brothers also managed a farming operation in the Dooley community.

He enjoyed playing bridge, dancing, playing poker and socializing with friends. His lifelong friends were Phil and Elaine Marsh.

Britt was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, was a grand knight in the Knights of Columbus, and was one of the founders of the Plentywood Jaycees in the 1940s. He was a past president of the Jaycees, state vice president and state secretary-treasurer. The club was instrumental in paving the highway to the Canadian border and in convincing both governments to keep the port of entry open 24 hours a day.

He claimed his biggest accomplishment was having eight children and providing each with a college education.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Fay and Bill; sister Dorothy "Dotty" Sorensen, and her husband, Ed Lindquist.

Fulkerson Memorial Chapel of Plentywood is in charge of arrangements.