Obituary - Arthur Anthony "Archie" Kaluza

Arthur Anthony "Archie" Kaluza, loyal husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, who loved his family, his country and life-long learning, died of natural causes on Thursday, April 14, at Missouri River Manor. He was 85.

Archie retired from the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1992 as a pipefitter, ending a career with the railroads that started when he was a teenager during World War II. Archie was born in Havre to Jacob and Gianna Kaluza on July 22, 1930. At 24, he married Kathleen Helen Murphy at Saint Gabriel Catholic Church in Chinook.

Together, Archie and Kathleen raised six children, and he was proud to have sent them all to college and graduate school. He never finished college himself, but he was a lifelong learner and devoured the written word wherever he could find it, starting in the morning with the newspaper and ending the evening experimenting with a recipe from one of his many cook books.

Archie joined the Montana National Guard at age 18 and served more than 40 years, attaining the rank of master sergeant before retiring. Although he never served overseas, he did command a tank in Glacier National Park as an extra in the 1960 Korean War film "All the Young Men," starring Allan Ladd and Sidney Poitier.

The oldest of five children, Archie was preceded in death by his mother and father; his brother, Tony; and son, Rocky.

In addition to his beloved Kathleen, he is survived by his brother, Phil of West Covina, Calfiornia; his sisters, Mary Jane Funk of Yakima, Washington, and Eleanor Swenson of Billings; his children, Timothy, Andre and Joanie Schmidt of Great Falls, Daniel of Butte, and Karl of Seattle; his six grandchildren, Larissa Telleria of Everett, Washington, Charisa Bisch and Nellie Sholey of Butte, Rory and Magen Kaluza of Portland, Oregon, and Jacob Schmidt of Great Falls; and four great-grandchildren, Max and Nolan Bisch and Alekzander and Delilah Sholey of Butte.

His rosary will be 7 p.m. Friday, April 22, at Holland & Bonine Funeral Home.Funeral Mass is 11 a.m. Saturday, April 23, at St. Jude Thaddeus, with burial to follow at Calvary Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be after graveside service at St. Jude Parish Center.