LEONARD THACKERAY

Leonard Louis Thackeray, 86, of Havre died Friday, June 9, 2006, at

Northern Montana Care Center after suffering a stroke. He had battled

Parkinson's disease for several years.

Viewing will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday with his funeral service

beginning at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel with

Pastor Adam Harris officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow

at Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at Calvary Baptist

Church, 1204 Cleveland Ave. in Havre.

Thackeray was born Sept. 4, 1919, in Havre to Lena Ledig Thackeray and

Jack Thackeray. He grew up with his brothers John, Fred, Webster and Raymond

on the family ranch in the Bear Paw Mountains. He attended a country school

near the ranch, where he was a school spelling bee champion. The boys had

the run of the Bear Paws and Beaver Creek on Sunday, their day off.

His mother taught him to play the accordion, and he performed with

friends at country dances. He remembered trailing cattle from the ranch at

the head of Bullhook Creek into Havre and a train trip to the stockyards in

Chicago.

On April 19, 1942, he was inducted into the Army and served in the Army

Air Force during World War II. Most of his service was as a medical

technician at the Santa Ana Army Air Base in California. One his favorite

stories was of when he shared a drink with Air Force legend General J.H.

Doolittle, whom Thackeray helped care for at the medical facility there: the

general had a shot of Four Roses and told Thackeray to have a glass, too.

He loved cars and was an excellent mechanic. During the war, servicemen

at Santa Ana were encouraged to work at the docks when they were off duty.

He earned enough helping load ships to buy a 1932 convertible to tour the

state.

At the end of the war, Thackeray was sent to the Philippines, where he

served until he was honorably discharged Jan. 4, 1946. He took the train

back to Montana and said he knew he was home when he started to see magpies.

Thackeray said he had seen enough of the world during the war and rarely

left Montana once he was discharged.

After the war, his best friend, Art Evert introduced Thackeray to Thurza

Kenny, a registered nurse at Sacred Heart Hospital in Havre. Evert was

married to Thurza's sister Viola. Leonard and Thurza were married June 4,

1949, in Havre.

They lived on the family ranch until after their first two children were

born. Thackeray worked on a ranch near Havre and later for the Great

Northern Railway for a brief time. In 1954, he was hired by the Montana

Highway Department, where he worked until his retirement in 1978. After

retirement, he worked for Bergren Transmission for a few years.

He was active in the VFW and was a member of the honor guard. He loved

to participate in Memorial Day ceremonies at the courthouse and was a

frequent volunteer at the club. He served as the post historian for a time

and enjoyed keeping the scrapbook. He was also a member of the Havre Eagles

Club.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother John Thackeray.

Survivors include his wife, Thurza, of Havre; children, Stephen

Thackeray of Havre, Lorna (Gary Moore) Thackeray of Billings, Garnet

(Richard) Bergren of Havre, Karen (Jack) Kamla of Colorado Springs, Colo.,

and Barbara (Ken) Adelblue of Billings; seven grandchildren; brothers, Fred,

Webster and Raymond, all of Havre.

Memorial contributions in Leonard's honor can be made to Bear Paw

Hospice, 30 13th St. W., Havre, MT 59501 or to the Veteran Honor Guard, P.O.

Box 497, Havre, MT 59501.

Services and arrangements have been entrusted to Holland & Bonine

Funeral Home.