Obituary - Kay Milton Blatter

Kay Milton Blatter, 81, passed away on Dec. 24, 2015, in Great Falls.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015, at 11 a.m. at the Chinook High School Auditorium.

Arrangements have been made with Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.

Condolences may be left for the family at http://www.edwardsfuneralhomemt.com.

Kay Milton Blatter was born on July 29, 1934 at the family home in Zurich, Montana. Kay was the youngest of nine living children and a set of twins that were stillborn, born to Olga (Vallenwieder) and William Lincoln Blatter.

Kay attended school in Chinook his whole life and graduated from Chinook High School in 1952. Two years later, in October 1954, Kay began his mission for the church - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - to Switzerland.

While there he met a young lady who was also a missionary by the name of Helen Ida Schrader. Kay came home in June 1957. Helen wasn't released from her mission, until early 1958. When he got home he started writing to her and when she got back to Salt Lake City in April of 1958 he visited her on his way from California going to Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Kay and Helen were engaged in April of 1958 and then married Aug. 11, 1958, in the Salt Lake City Temple. The newlyweds honeymooned their way to Chinook and had been living happily here until Kay went to be with the lord on Dec. 24, 2015, at the age of 81.

Four children were born to this joyous union, Heidi, LeAnna, Tim, and Therron. The family visited Salt Lake often and Kay loved to play lots of games and sing songs to keep them entertained. His favorite was "I love the mountains, I love the rolling hills, I love the flowers, I love the daffodils, I love to be with you when all the lights are low, boom de jada, boom de jada." However, the kids had trouble saying daffodils, it came out daffy hills, and thus the hills around the farm got the name daffy hills. Thus, the family farms road Daffy Hills Lane.

In January 1962, Kay went to Fort Benning, Georgia, to attend officer candidate school and two weeks before finishing, he got word that his father had died. He had to go back to Fort Benning the last part of the week, following the funeral, and graduate. Kay spent three more years in the National Guard and resigned his commission and got out of the guards. He served as branch president of the Chinook Branch of the LDS church for many years.

Kay began serving as a commissioner for the Fort Belknap Irrigation District in 1962, when the current chairman, Kay's father, William, passed away. Upon the death of George Neighbor, Kay was elected president of the board of the irrigation district and held that position until the day he died.

Kay was introduced to barber shop singing in 1990 and immediately fell in love with that style of harmony and has been singing with the local Havre chorus since that time. He was also a member of a barbershop quartet called "Sagebrush."

On July 2, 1999, Kay retired from Havre Pipeline. Kay thoroughly enjoyed his retirement. One highlight of this time was an inland cruise to Alaska with his sister, Eva, and the love of his life, Helen. While he was away on the cruise, there was a meeting held to organize the eight irrigation districts in the Milk River Valley from Lohman to east of Glasgow into "Milk River Joint Board of Control" and they elected Kay as chairman. As chair, Kay devoted much of his heart and soul into this position in which he served for many years.

Kay adored his family and lived to spend quality time with his 23 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. He will be remembered for his teaching and compassion as a Boy Scout leader, father, businessman, grandfather, committee member and devoted husband. And you can't forget those crazy long jokes that made Kay laugh and his eyes light up as he told them, as always, being the entertainer he was.

Kay was preceded in death by his parents, Olga and William Blatter; siblings, William, Levi, Melvin, Dave, Kenneth, and Beth.

Kay is survived by his brother Cal Blatter and sister Eva Blaylock; daughters, Heidi (Eldwin) Brown and LeAnna (Ernie) Johnson, sons Timothy (Julie) Blatter and Therron (Karina) Blatter .; grandchildren, Savanna, Heather, Clinton (Melissa) and Connlin (Kelsey) Brown, Deven (Nayeli) Johnson, Tasha (Ryan) Davis, Carsey (Levi) Gonzalez, Krista (Craig) Sohn, Shani (Christian) Martin, Kaylan, Kyler and Lincy Johnson, Tyson (Yulia) Blatter, Kylee (Paul) Burnett, Tanner, Kelena, Tallus and Kessla Blatter, Aysha, (Thomas) Maddox, Kyle (Amanda) Blatter, Blake Molder, and Brytt Blatter; and 16 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, please make a donation in his honor to an organization of your choice that supports barbershop singing or Boy Scouts of America.