Albert McCants

Memorial Service: Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City.

Albert James Jim McCants, age 71, passed away on April 25, 2011 at the Fallon Medical Complex in Baker, MT.

Jim was born August 1, 1939 in Miles City, MT, the son of Albert Benjamin and Ella Irene (Mendenhall) McCants. At age 5, Jim and younger brother Vern moved to the Ollie area when their mother married Kenneth Rustad. There, Jim learned farming, ranching and truck driving which became his passion most of his adult life, along with heavy equipment operating in Alaska. Jim served in Okinawa in the U.S. Marine Corps. Jim married Virginia Hirsch and they raised two sons, Dwayne and Daryl. They lived in Miles City and Billings, MT as Jim drove truck over-the-road, for Murphy, Garrett Feed, John Prince, Tom Tyler, Eckart Const., Wickens Const. and Hauck Transport (to name a few) hauling produce, furniture, bulls, gravel, oil rig equipment as well as singing in some of the bars and clubs. In 1975 he went to Alaska and hauled pipe for the Alaska Pipeline during its construction. He later moved his family to Alaska. He was truck foreman for Hunter Const. of Anchorage, hauled oilfield supplies from Anchorage to the North Slope for Vecko and then went to work on the North Slope for Arco Heavy Equipment, Conoco and BP via contractors Cold Weather, Pengo and Vecko.In 2001 he moved back to Montana, married DAlene (Dee Willman) Lamb and enjoyed RVing to Arizona in the winters. He never lost his love of truck driving, Alaska, flowers or gardening.

Surgery in 2005 began his 6+ year battle with colo-rectal cancer. He drove for a time for Steve Nelson and Corcoran Trucking of Billings and Eckart Trucking of Miles City.

Jim is survived by wife DAlene of Baker; son Dwayne (Teresa) of Alaska; three grandsons Dakota, Jeremiah McCants and James McCants of Alaska; sister Thelma (Bill) Witt of Billings, MT; brothers Vern (Linda )McCants of Billings, Allen (Jan) Rustad of Baker; step-brother Kenny (Sophia) Rustad of Farmington, NM; mother-in-law Monte Willman ; sister-in-law Roberta Willman of Plevna, MT; step-sons Norman Lamb and Fred Lamb; step-daughter Lisa Wade of Casper, WY; several nieces, nephews, aunts and cousins; four step-grandchildren and two step-great-granddaughters.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents, step-father, wife Virginia, son Daryl; a step daughter-in-law, Carla Lamb and special kitty Spunky.

Per Jims wishes, cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. at Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements and condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.stevensonandsons.com.