WILLIAM WILLIAMSON obituary

CHINOOK William Edward (Ed) Williamson, 94, longtime resident of Chinook, died Monday, Feb. 19, 2007, in Bozeman due to natural causes.

Cremation has taken place and memorial service will be Saturday at 11 a.m. in the Lloyd Sweet Auditorium at Chinook High School. A lunch will be held at the Chinook Senior Citizens Center immediately after the service. Ed was born on July 30, 1912, on the family ranch located approximately 50 miles south of Chinook in the Reidel Community to Albert and Lena (Olsen) Williamson. He attended school through the eighth grade and took a short course of mechanics at Montana State University Bozeman. At the age of 18 in 1930-31, Ed left home to work for the Chapel Brothers Horse Co. When he was 21, he acted as chauffeur for B.J. Bergeson, a cattle buyer from Sioux City, Iowa. In 1933, Ed married Marion Lund and they had four children: Edrea, Marilyn, Allen and Russell. Over the years, he worked for Cowan and Sons & McLeish Ranch. In 1945, he purchased the ranch on Clear Creek. In 1956, he began trucking, hauling everything from lumber to antelope. In 1976, he married Marilyn Stave. They had a daughter, Lori. At the age of 80, he retired from trucking and continued farming and ranching until retiring at the age of 90. Ed was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Marion; daughters, Edrea Williamson and Marilyn Knudsvig; infant grand-daughter; step-grandson, David Lotton; and brothers, Gordon and Herbert. Survivors include his wife, Marilyn; daughter, Lori (Klint) Swanson of Chinook; sons, Allen (Phyllis) Williamson of Missoula and Russell (Bonnie) Williamson of Havre; sister, Sevrie Green Olson of Big Sandy; step-children, Marty (Cheryl) Jorgensen of Belgrade, Russell (Cara) Jorgensen of Worden, Debbie (Gary) Ramberg of Chinook and Todd (Camie) Jorgensen of Chinook; 22 grandchildren; and 18 greatgrand children. Memorials may be sent to the Chinook Senior Citizens or to the Blaine County Wildlife Museum. Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.