Obituary - William J. "Bill" Hedges

William J. "Bill" Hedges, 90, passed away due to natural causes Thursday, November 17, 2022, at Missouri River Medical Center.

A vigil service will begin at 6:00 p.m. Sunday, November 27, 2022, at Holland & Bonine Funeral Home, and Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, November 28, 2022, at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery.

Bill's family has requested that memorial donations be made to St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Parish or the charity of the donor's choice.

Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements.

Please visit Bill's online memorial page to send a card or leave a message of condolence for his family at http://www.hollandbonine.com.

Bill was born April 8, 1932, in Livingston, MT, to William and Cora (Workman) Hedges. While he was young, the family moved to Havre, where Bill attended school. He graduated from Havre High School in 1951.

After high school, Bill entered the U.S. Air Force, and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged in 1955, and he returned home to Havre.

While attending high school, Bill began dating Patsy Hughes. The couple married in 1955 in Havre, and they had six children whom they raised in Havre.

Early on, Bill worked for Havre Dry Cleaners. He attended Northern Montana College, where he received his bachelor's degree in business education and social science, and his master's degree in counseling. For the next 29 years, he worked for Havre Junior High School as a social studies teacher and as a counselor, retiring in 1996. Bill enjoyed his career as a teacher/counselor and touched many young lives.

Bill always found time for family outings and vacations. Time spent at Swan Lake, Beaver Creek, and many backyard barbecues were just a few of his favorite places. Later in life, his most cherished place was his cabin at Wolf Creek. Bill loved gardening and planting even more trees among the already existing forest. The outdoors was a place he enjoyed the most with his family. Bill was a member of St. Jude Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, the Montana Education Association, the Havre Elks Club and the Havre Eagles Club.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Patsy, in 2018; granddaughter Sharon Harris; parents, William and Cora Hedges; and sister Rita Hedges.

Bill is survived by his daughters, Becky (Tim) Chagnon of Havre, Colleen (Ron) Watson of Gillette, WY, and Janet (Ken) Halko of Sand Coulee; sons, Jim Hedges of Helena, Tim (Tana) Hedges of Big Fork, and Michael (Jessica) Hedges of Cut Bank; 19 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; sisters Catherine Brenden of AZ and Lois Ehlert of WA; brother, Tom (Mary) Hedges of CA; and numerous nieces and nephews.