ARTHUR DELONG obituary

Arthur Ingvald "Red" DeLong, 94; died Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2004, at Northern Montana Care Center, where he had made his home since September of 1999.

A memorial service will be Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in Northern Montana Care Center Chapel. Cremation has taken place.

DeLong was born on April 17, 1910, in Alkabo, N.D., to George and Mary (Grove) DeLong. He attended grade school in Alkabo, N.D., and graduated from high school in Crosby, N.D. He went to work on a railroad section crew and later worked on the Fort Peck Reservoir project as recreation director.

He married to Gladys Lyon in 1934 at Malta, and they lived in Alkabo, N.D., where he worked in the family store. The family moved to Seattle, where DeLong drove city bus until being inducted in to the Navy, where he spent two years. Upon his discharge from the Navy, the family once again lived in Alkaboand a tavern in the old grocery store. They moved to Havre in 1948, where he began painting and doing some contracting. He later worked for Olson Paint & Glass, until he suffered a heart attack in 1972. After his recovery, he went to work for Havre Paint. He retired when he was approximately 75 years of age.

DeLong was always very active in all types of sports, winning medals in baseball and was all-state short stop in 1949. He had also won a division boxing champion in the Navy. He loved to bowl, fish, and ski. When he was 64, DeLong began teaching his grandson David DeLong how to ski. He continued skiing with David until he was well up into his 70s, skiing for the last time in about 1980.

DeLong was active at the senior center, doing painting, running errands and working at the pancake breakfasts. One of his great pleasures was playing pool at the center, and he won many of the tournaments that were sponsored there.

DeLong was preceded in death by his mother, father and four brothers.

Survivors include his wife, Gladys DeLong of Havre; children, LaDonna (Bill) Wright of Jordan, Dennis (Vera) DeLong of Anchorage, Alaska, Dale (Phyllis) DeLong of Havre and Bonnie (LeRoy) Kretchmer of Redding, Calif.; 16 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; brother, Harvey DeLong of Crosby, N.D.; sister, Ruth Elliot of Binger, Okla.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.