INEZ HALTER obituary

BIG SANDY - Inez Lucille Halter, 85, longtime Big Sandy resident, died Monday, March 6, 2006, at Big Sandy Medical Center.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Christ Lutheran Church in Big Sandy. An additional memorial service will be Saturday at 3 p.m. in Fifth Avenue Christian Church of Havre.

Inez was born to Francis and Florence (Smith) Huestis in De Smit, S.D., on Sept. 3, 1920. The family lived on a farm and Francis owned a pool hall. When Inez was 5 years old, her father sold their farm and pool hall and the family prepared to move to join his mother in Montana. Several family members came down with scarlet fever and were quarantined. Inez's father put their money from the sale in the bank, the next day the bank closed and they lost everything. When they left South Dakota, they drove an Overland vehicle and Inez rode on the running boards all the way to Chinook. They were three adults and five children traveling together, and they had little to eat and drink. They met many Indian tribes along the way who gave the family fresh milk, cream and shared their food with them. When they reached Chinook, they worked in the sugar beet fields to raise money for food and supplies for their homestead near Hingham. They moved to the homestead in the fall.

Due to the depression years, Inez left home when she was 16 to work in Great Falls, Bozeman and Seattle, Wash. She then returned to Havre and worked calling crews for the Great Northern Railway. After two years, she was promoted to be the first lady chief clerk.

She met Jerry Halter during these years and they were married in 1947. They ran and owned the Morris Caf in Havre with Jerry's family. In 1950, they sold the caf and bought a ranch 40 miles southeast of Big Sandy. Inez loved her new home and was a busy homemaker and rancher.

Inez raised a beautiful garden every year and shared the bountiful harvest with anyone in need of fresh vegetables. Inez had a great love for nature and all of God's creatures. She always had a good dog. She lived on the family ranch until the early 1990s, when she bought a home in Big Sandy.

She was a member of the Christ Lutheran Church, Big Sandy American Legion Auxiliary and Big Sandy Senior Citizens Center. Inez lived there until November 2005, when declining health required her to live at Big Sandy Medical Center.

Inez was preceded in death by her oldest son, Donald Fox.

Survivors include her children, Eldonna (Loren) Jenkins of Big Sandy, Carolyn (Steve) Norris of Joplin, Butch (Andrea) Halter of Helena, Joey (Harley) Hettick of Dixon, Jack (Bev) Halter of Rudyard and Gay (Ron) Pearson of Big Sandy; 19 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and sisters, Mildred Obie of Eugene, Ore., and Leona Faltrino of Havre.

Inez asked that memorials be given to Big Sandy Senior Citizens Center, Big Sandy Medical Center or Christ Lutheran Church.

Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.