Obituary - William Garrahan

Our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, William "Bill" Garrahan, passed away from natural causes Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014, at Northern Montana Care Center.

Cremation has taken place. A memorial to celebrate Bill's life will be held Friday, Dec. 19, at 2 p.m. at Holland & Bonine Funeral Home, 210 3rd St., Havre. Memorials may be made to the Bear Paw Nature Trail, c/o Hill County Parks Dept., 17863 Beaver Creek Road, Havre, MT 59501, or to the donor's choice. A reception will be held immediately following the service. Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements.

He was born Sept. 26, 1930, in Missoula, Montana, to Webster and Maude (Howard) Garrahan. The family moved to Havre in 1936, to begin a greenhouse and floral business. He attended Havre schools. He enlisted in the Army in 1947 and was honorably discharged in 1951. He was proud to have been stationed on Eniwetok Atoll during "Operation Greenhouse." Upon returning to Havre, he joined the family in running Havre Greenhouse and Floral.

He married Marilyn Bolken on Aug. 10, 1952, at the First Lutheran Church. They were blessed with two daughters, Monica and Gretchen.

He was an active member of the Havre business community and was a former member of the local Eagles, Elks and Lions, and a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion. He left the floral business in 1969 to work for Anderson Wholesale Company. He continued his career there as a warehouse foreman when it was purchased by Penningtons Inc. He retired in 1992.

Bill was an avid outdoorsman and loved to fish and hunt, but most of all, spend time at his cabin at Beaver Creek. Bill was a lifelong collector. He collected stamps, arrowheads, books, fossils, guns, coins, and most of all, rocks.

After retirement, he devoted most of his time to his garden. If he wasn't planting, pruning or watering, he was planning and ordering the best and brightest flowers to plant for the next season.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Marilyn of Havre; daughters, Monica Garrahan and Gretchen Garrahan, both of Havre; his grandchildren, Emily Skrivseth Thomas of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Andrea Hildreth of Great Falls; Kayla Benjamin of Havre, and Jacob William Rowin, Great Falls; great-grandchildren, Aria and Zya Thomas, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Ali and Jack Benjamin of Havre and a special niece, Linette Garrahan Chrysler of Spokane. Also surviving are sister-in-law, Oris Beaver, Austin, Texas; and brother-in-law, Wayne (Karla) Bolken, Havre; in addition to several other nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews.