VIRGIL CROSS obituary

Virgil Cross, 86, of Havre died Saturday, Aug. 5, 2006, at Northern Montana Care Center of complications of Alzheimer's disease.

A funeral service will be held at 10 a. m. Wednesday at Fifth Avenue Christian Church with burial following in Highland Cemetery. Virgil was born June 8, 1920, to Lizzie and Irl Cross in Warland, where he attended the first two years of elementary school. He moved with his family to Prosser, Wash., where he completed the eighth grade. He graduated from Denton High School in 1939, while living with his aunt and uncle, Ruth and Matt Reichmith, and their four daughters. Virgil married Vera Dumas on Feb. 3, 1945, in Great Falls. After working on various farms and ranches, he went to work for the Great Northern Railway in Havre in 1950, where he toiled for 31 years. They made their home on a small ranch east of Havre, where they raised their children. Virgil said the railroad put bread and butter on the table, but his true love was his cattle. Virgil always worked hard, whether at the railroad or putting up hay at home. In the evenings when he wasn't working, he entertained his family by singing and playing the guitar or mouth harp. In his later years, he often entertained the care center staff.

Virgil was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Vera; parents; four brothers; and a sister. Survivors include his daughters, Carolyn (Roy) Buck of Palmer, Alaska, and Shirley (Rusty) Kinkade of Thompson Falls; son, Marvin Cross of Havre; sisters-in-law, Dorothy Cross of Washington state and Florence Cross; brothers-in-law, Lynn (Linda) Dumas of Big Sandy and Allen (Merrilee) Dumas of Dixonville, Alberta; Vera's sister-in-law, Marion Dumas; granddaughters, Shilo (Grant) Messerly of Malta, Sherridee (Frank) Walker and Lacey (Michael) Scharfe of Billings, and Monique Beck of Palmer, Alaska; grandsons, Mark (Antonnette) Beck of Wasilla, Alaska, Dustin Cross of Churchill and Skyler Kinkade of Thompson Falls; 16 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorials can be sent to the Hill County 4-H Foundation and the Alzheimer's Research Foundation. Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.