George Harold Dolezal

George Harold Dolezal

U. S. Marine Pearl Harbor survivor George H. Dolezal, 94, passed away quietly Sunday, Nov. 20, in his Havre home. His funeral service will be Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011, at 2 p. m. at Holland & Bonine Chapel, with Ila McClenahan officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. A fellowship will be held at St. Jude Parish Center. Memorials in George's honor may be made to Disabled Veterans of America. Services and arrangements have been entrusted to Holland & Bonine Funeral Home.

George was born Oct. 9, 1917, on the family homestead farm, 15 1/2 miles north of Hingham to Jerry and Grace (Lehmann) Dolezal. He attended Mariner Elementary School, north of Hingham. He entered the Marine Corps when he was 21 years of age in September 1940. He served in the artillery, then the 2nd Engineers. His tour of duty included Pearl Harbor, the South Pacific, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Guadalcanal and Guam.

On Dec. 7, 1941, George was one of the few active duty service men to be armed and readily active in providing anti-aircraft artillery during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. His niece, Penny Velk, has recorded George's oral history of these events. He was honorably discharged in the spring of 1946 as a sergeant.

Returning to Montana after World War II, he attended Northern Montana College, majoring in welding and carpentry. In 1951, he worked for Ross and Powers on the welding crew building natural gas lines from north of Chester to Havre. He worked for Montana Dakota Utilities as service crew foreman from 1953 to 1954. In the late '50s, he worked as a welder for Clyde Sutter building the grain elevators at Gildford and Kremlin.

He married Betty Montgomery of Havre in 1952. They had one son, Jerry. The couple purchased and operated the Lariat Bar at Kremlin in 1954. Later in the 1950s, George joined his two younger brothers in operating the Dolezal Brothers Ranch in the Sweetgrass Hills east of Whitlash until 1978, when he retired to his current home in Havre. George was once quoted as saying that the Sweet Grass Hills had priceless scenery. It was like you walked into Heaven.

George Harold Dolezal

George enjoyed playing card games, especially solitaire. He liked to attend tea time at the 4B's, taking long walks and telling stories. He was known for his funny one-liners.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Betty; his son, Jerry; and his daughter-in-law, Debbie.

George is survived by his granddaughter, Stacey Dolezal; great-granddaughter, Harper Dolezal of Havre; sister, Frances Ordway of Chinook, Mont. ; brothers, Robert Dolezal of Chinook, Mont., and Valerian "Jack" Dolezal of Chester, Mont. ; 14 nieces and nephews; and numerous great-nieces and nephews.