Elden Lien

Visitation: Wednesday, July 19, 1 -7 p.m. at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point.

Funeral Service: 10 a.m. Thursday July 20 at First Lutheran Church in Wolf Point

Interment: following the service at Greenwood Cemetery

Elden Ray Lien, 79, passed away suddenly with his family lovingly surrounding him and with Dolores at this side at Deaconess Hospital on July 16, 2006. He was the third of six children, born on September 9, 1926 in McCone County to Clara Martinsen of Mound City, ND and Halvor Lien of Odland, Norway. Elden and Halvor, his father, farmed the family homestead together. Upon his parents moving to town, he and Dolores moved onto the family farm near Sand Creek in 1951 and continued the farming until he retired in the late 1990s. After retirement and the selling of the farm, they continued to reside there and call it home. Having survived a bout with lung cancer eight years ago and his mobility hampered somewhat by the need for oxygen, he spent many enjoyable days sitting on the porch of his fathers home (now his home) watching the wild life in the early mornings and the late evenings. Elden was truly interested in history and in particular Montana history. Being an avid reader, he had a never-ending supply of facts about the growth of Montana and especially eastern Montana. Not only were the stories he passed on actual happenings that he had read, but he knew where many of the early homestead locations had existed of the early settlers. Along with physical locations of the homestead sites, he could also tell you the personal stories of the people and their survival conditions of those early years.

Elden is preceded in death by his father, Halvor; his mother, Clara; his brother, Harold (who died in World War II); his infant brother, Ingvald; and his grandchildren (Dusty, Shannon, and Baby Lien). Elden Lien and Dolres Loendorf were married December 1947 in Miles City.

Elden is survived by his wife, Dolores; two daughters; Darlene (Dave) Twitchell and Linda (Bob) Shumway; and five sons, Wayne (Polly Braaten) living in Minot, ND; Jim (Terrie Hansen) living in Rapid City, SD; Steve (Shellie Crippen) living in Butte; Lester (Kali Taylor); and Lynn (Laurie Stone). He is survived by many grandchildren and great-grandchildren that were the joy of his life.