Jack M. Meuli
Jack M. Meuli, 77, of Dayton passed away on Feb. 25, 2010, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center from natural causes.
Jack was born on October 28, 1932 in Missoula to Melville & Laura Meuli. He attended elementary school in Proctor and graduated from Polson High School in 1950. Jack attended Montana State University where he met his future wife, Lois, while working on the school annual. While at college he made life time friends as a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. Jack graduated in 1954 with a degree in Agriculture. He was in the ROTC program while attending MSU and served in the U. S. Army until 1957.
On June 17, 1956, Jack married Lois Ann Ward in Billings, MT. After his service in the Army, Jack and Lois returned to establish a ranch near Dayton in the Proctor Valley.
They raised their family; daughter Jean and son Mike on the ranch. Jack enjoyed ranching and stayed active on the ranch his whole life. Jack was an involved member in the community and enjoyed playing cribbage and pinnacle with his family and friends.
Jack’s focus was on his family, the ranch and the community and he was an active leader in both the local and ranch communities. He was a member of the Proctor School Board, and past President of and member of the Western Montana Stockmen’s Association. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Montana Stockgrowers Association and was a member of the National Cattlemen’s Association. Jack was also a long time member and past chairman of the Lake County Planning Board, member of the Lake County Conservation Board and served on the Crimestopper’s Board. Jack was a founding member of the Chief Cliff Volunteer Fire Dept. and served on the Session and the Parish Council at the Dayton Presbyterian Church.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Lois and his parents, Mel and Laura.
He is survived by two children and their families: daughter- Jean (Pat) Kunz of Bellevue, WA & son- Mike (Nancy) Meuli of Dayton, 6 grandchildren – Zack, Mike & Joey Kunz and John Michael, Matthew & Mikayla Meuli.
A memorial service will be held on March 6th, 2010 at 2 p.m. at the New Life Christian Center in Polson with Presbyterian Pastor Dave Anson officiating. A reception will follow at the church. Condolences may be left to the family online at www.groganfuneralhome.com. The staff at Grogan Funeral Home and Crematory, Polson considers it a privilege to care for Mr. Meuli\’s famiy.
Dear Mike,
Fondly remembering some cold, calving calls at the ranch. You were just a youngster but certainly a chip off the old block. He had a grin I won’t forget and it’s gone much too soon.
As Ever,
Jeanie
Dear Meuli familia, I am so sad to hear of Jack’s passing. Another icon of the “old” Montana I grew to love has passed. So many memories of those times working on your ranch, haying and irrigating. You and Jean were just kids, funny. Without your dad’s pushing I might not have made it through school and into the Soil Conservation Service.
The Conservation District meetings will not be the same without his practical advise and opinions. Take care and know that many will miss your dad.
Thank you all soooo much for being such a wonderful God Father. You will be greatly missed. Tell everyone in Heaven I said “Hi”and that I miss and love them all very much. Take care, you will be greatly missed and never forgotten. Love you!
Wendy Lee Brubaker
Thanks for being such a wonderful person to look up to, your like a Father to me and the best Boss ever. Your one of the last American Cowboys/Ranchers that will never be forgotten.
Mark Brubaker
Meuli Family, I am so sorry for your tremendous loss. So many will feel the loss of a great friend and presence in the community. He’s riding now where the grass is green and stirrup deep…..and blazin’ trails for the rest of us.
Will miss you jack. You were a good man.
Dear Meuli Family,
So sorry to hear of Jack’s untimely passing. He and your family have been an important part of the history of the Proctor Valley, and he will be sorely missed.
I am out of town, so I will miss his funeral, but please know my thoughts, and Clare’s thoughts are with all of you.
While we will all miss Jack’s presence greatly, we know he is already involved in making his new community a better place for all!
Sending our sympathy and love,
Greg Bain and Clare LaMeres
We are so sorry to hear of you loss. Our thoughts are with you.
We are so sorry to hear of your loss. Our thoughts are with you.
I learned so much from this man and his Montana country wisdom that I truly beleive he was sent to this area by a higher being to help us all. My condolences to the family, he truly loved you all and will continue to watch down on you. The years I sent on the CD and other meetings were better than any college course I ever took. I will miss him greatly.
A true friend Dennis DeVries
Mike, Nancy, and family,
Our sincere condolences with Jack’s passing. I can still remember meeting him when I was a little boy and he was visiting your cousins in Hot Springs. May you find all the fullness of God’s peace and comfort in the days to come.
Marvin, Laura, and family.
Jack meant and contributed so much to so many but, to me, he was a friendly wave, a chat by the pickup punctuated with humor and razor sharp insights. I’ll think of him every time I walk these hills or down through the valley.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. We are so lucky to havfe such great memories.
love you all
TB&J
I am so sorry for your loss. I know Jack was a big part of who I am.
To Jack’s Family,
I have not met you but want you to know Jack was a friend of mine. We served together on the Lake County Planning Board since we were both sworn-in many years ago.
Now don’t get me wrong, Jack and I disagreed as often as we agreed. But, he knew how to disagree in an agreeable fashion. Jack was a classy guy who held strong views which he could back up. He also knew how to listen and compromise and so was effective in working for his community.
His community and acquaintances will miss Jack, but will not forget him. We hold you in our thoughts during your time of great loss.
John Fleming
Jack Meuli was a great friend to our family begining in the late 60′s when we moved to the Proctor Valley. He was a true Montana cowboy. I know he and my dad, Matt, had some great times together. He’ll be sorely missed.
Meuli Family:
Sorry to hear the recent passing of Jack. I spent three years living with Jack at the AGR house in Bozeman. Jack was a sincere and friendly person. I felt like a brother to him. After school I moved to Kalispell and got to meet Jack on several occations in Proctor. Recently, our paths never crossed but wanted to offer my prayers and thoughts to the Meuli Family.
To the Meuli families,
Please accept the most sincere condolences in the loss of your Father and Grand Father, Jack. Although, we have not known him long, we really enjoyed the conversations we were fortunate to have with him during our visits from Ohio. Sincerely, Fred and Dorothy Conser (Salem, Ohio)
Meuli Family,
We were saddened to hear of Jack’s passing.
I saw Jack at my father’s memorial on 3/6/09 and he had not changed a bit.
Seems as though it was not that long ago that he rented me the house across
the road from his Proctor ranch.
My Mom also has very fond memories of Jack and Lois at various events in and around the valley.
Our condolences to the family and may his spirit live on in the big ranch in heaven!
Steve Kemler and Barbara Kemler
Mike Meuli & family, may the Lord Jesus Christ provide comfort & strength ,Gods Blessings … the Knight family
We were so sorry to hear about Jack. He was a heck of a good guy. He will be missed very much.
Marlen & Julie Knutson
Our prayers and thoughts are with Jack’s family. It was a pleasure and honor to know Jack. His positive outlook and smile will be missed.
We are so sorry to hear about Jack. We were in college at the same time. Lois was a sorority sister and wee both graduated in Home Ec. in 1956. We would see Jack quite abit too. Both of them were such neat people to be around. Jack was certainly a true Montana pioneer. Again our sincere sympathy.
Marilyn and Jim Lewis
sorry at your loss
left the place in better shape
stewardship will live on
happy trails
dave wolf
Meuli Family,
Jack’s character and smile will sorely be missed, as he always had a fun way of putting things. Always enjoyed his company. He has left many
good memories and know he’s enjoying the green pastures.
With sincere sympathy,
Kenny, D’Ann, Reegan, and Caden
Mike and Family
The community and a host of friends have lost a very special person with Jacks passing. I am sure most will consider it an “end of an era” because guys like him just don’t come along very often. Vivien and I both remember Jack from many years past now and we have always enjoyed his humorous wit and friendly smile. I guess all we can say is “thanks for the memories”. Best of luck to the family and our prayers are with you and yours.
Ken and Vivien Lamabeth
Nancy,
Our thoughts and prayers are with you. I remember fondly so many trips to the ranch with Laura. Jack was always a special person from the college days at Bozeman.
Take care,
Bea
To Jack’s Family,
We have fond memories of Jack and Lois. Jack as a “gentleman cowboy” and Lois as the “glue” keeping all the activities organized. Back in the old days, our preschool son, Antonio visited the farm and Jack graciously offered a newborn puppy to take home. Antonio’s reply was Mom wouldn’t like the idea. Jack and Lois were generous with their time and treasures for the betterment of the community. May the family members carry on the community traditions Jack and Lois graciously established. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Peace be with you,
Lee & Bonnie Manicke
Dear Mike and Jack’s Family,
I am sorry that I cannot be with you for Jack’s Memorial Service as we are having out-of-town family arriving tonight (Friday) through the weekend. Jack was such a special man. A man to be trusted to be a forthright gentleman. He was such a wonderful resource of local history, particularly the Proctor/Dayton Schools. His devotion to his family, the community, and particularly the schools was supreme. I will be sending a Memorial so his name will be entered on the Memorial Page of Lake County School History. Mike, you are your father’s son and that is a huge compliment! My thanks for all your services to the schools. My condolences at the loss of your father. Surely God holds him in comfort now. May He hold you in his comforting arms throughout this time of sorrow. You have so many wonderful memories to draw on for all the years ahead.
Sincerely,
Joyce Decker Wegner
To the meuli family. I have so many fond memories of Jack to one time when him and I were riding on the Elmo hill chasing cows and his horse tripped in a gopher hole and upended them both. Jack got up face all dirty, found his glasses jumped on his horse and away we went. I was little then and it scared me but he didn’t flinch. He use to hold the high jump pole when we had track meets at proctor school and would tell me if I could make it over I could ask dad for a calf come branding then at branding he would grab my brand and yell out “which one Frosty”. I know that jack is enjoying himself just like he always did. He has a big big place in my heart.
We were sorry and saddend to hear of Jack’s passing. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time.
Meuli Family,
Our sincere sympathy to the Meuli family on the passing of Jack. All who knew him will feel his absence, but at the same time share the warmth and comfort of having known such a fine man.
C.T. and Aynsley Beede
I am sure sorry about Jack. He was a friend to our family since before I was born. Jack will be missed but never be forgotten.
Take care,
Ted Tompkins and family
One of my first memories of Jack goes back to an occasion when Sigurd invited me along to chase Meulis’ cows from Elmo to Proctor. Things were going along fine and, thanks to all the solicited advice I’d received from Sigurd, I felt like I was getting a handle on this cow-chasing business. Unfortunately, at a point where Jack and Mike were trying to turn back a pair (all of this accomplished without any verbal commentary) I noticed the wayward pair and decided to lend some assistance by blocking their escape route. Next thing I knew, Jack was scowling and waving me back, yelling, “Get out of the g—– gate!” It took me years to recover from that, and to discover that Jack wasn’t quite the fearsome ogre I had thought.
Flash forward five years or so. After our cabin burned and the volunteer fire department sprang to action to save what they could, I felt obligated to give back a little to a community that obviously pulled together when there was a need. During the years I’ve been involved with the fire department–an organization in which Jack took a leading role–I learned the extent to which he was willing to become involved in his community, and I realized he wasn’t so much a scary ogre as a no-nonsense man who knew exactly what he thought and what needed to be done. As much as he’d scared me early on, I grew to respect and revere him later.
More recently, my involvement with the Conservation District meant that once a month Sigurd would drive Jack and me to the meetings in Ronan. I really looked forward to those occasions, crammed in the back ‘seat’ of Sigurd’s pickup, resting my chin alongside Jack’s headrest so I could hear the latest about what was going on at the Proctor dump site, the Dayton Park, the fire department, the planning board, and every other pie Jack had a finger in. We’d stop for dinner and there’d be more conversation and, after the meeting, on the trip home, there was more conversation. The meetings were almost incidental.
Over the years, our paths crossed again and again–on cattle drives (no more yelling), and brandings, at fire department meetings, Dayton Daze, CD meetings, the Idle Spur, and the post office–and the more I saw of him and listened to him, the more I learned what a truly fine and amazing man he was. Jack had an educated mind, a wealth of experience, a great sense of humor, and a twinkle in his eye. He had been the voice of reason and calm in an increasingly irrational world, and I didn’t realize the extent to which I depended on his wise counsel. I will so miss him.
We are so very sorry of your loss. Grandparents are so important to a family. It was wonderful that you were able to be so close to him..I am sure you made his last years special.
Dear Mike and Nancy…We are here in Southern California and our Polson Newspaper just arrived today with the sad news of your father’s passing, Mike. We want you and your family to know we are sorry to hear of his death and will ask the Lord God Almighty to give you peace, strength and courage as you go through this difficult time. We love you and will be praying for you.
Hugs to the whole family, young and old,
Manfred and Sharron Schneider
Mike, Jean Your parents were unique and I loved them. They were so helpful and kind when I was teaching at Dayton. I will always remember my many dinners, laughs and all the learning experiences they gave me, from trying to cut out calves and cows with a horse for the first time to a trip to scags lake. Jack and i had many laughs at the bar and your mom and I at school. They will be missed by many and I hope all the memories you have will ease the pain you now feel.
Mike & Nancy,
We are saddened to learn of the passing of your father. We hold you up and your family up in prayer. God bless you all in the days ahead.
Steve & PJ White
Bozeman
Jack was a great friend of my wife Joan and me. We served in the Army together at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland l955 to l957. I was a banker in Stevensville, Montana till 1979 but we always kept in touch all these years by phone and xmas card. Mike you and Jean had a great Dad and Mother and we will miss them also. Our prayers are with you. I just hear of your loss today 8/20/10 when I called and found the phone was disconnectec.