Henry Hank Watts

Visitation: Thursday, June 25, 2009 at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City.

Family to Receive Friends: Thursday, June 25, 2009 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City.

Funeral Service: Friday, June 26, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Miles City.

Graveside Service: Custer County Cemetery

Henry Hank Watts, age 97, of Miles City passed away on Monday, June 22, 2009 at the Holy Rosary Extended Care in Miles City.

Hank was born in Conde, South Dakota on January 26, 1912, the son of Henry Jason and Isabelle (Meyer) Watts. He attended grade schools in South Dakota until the family moved to Hysham, Montana in 1924. He finished his schooling there and returned to the family farm. He joined the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCCs) to help support his family and served out his term in Montana. After the Cs, he worked for area farmers in Hysham, Sanders and Forsyth. Hank married Lydia Reichert on December 9, 1936 at Forsyth. In 1942, they purchased a irrigation farm at Kinsey, Montana. They grew sugar beets, raised sheep and cattle, and milked cows most of their years there. In 1991, they sold the farm and retired to Miles City where they lived out their years.

While on the farm he was known for his ability to revise machinery and design them to meet the demands of soil textures in the area. He knew how to improve the soils to produce high yield crops, of which he won numerous awards. During his early years on the farm, he and some of his brothers formed the Watts Orchestra and played for local dances and get-togethers. He played the violin, mandolin, and spoons.

Another hobby he enjoyed during later years was collecting antique barbed wire. He was a member of a collectors corporation for 37 years and won many top awards. He became a founding member of the Fence Riders Wire Collectors Incorporated. His collection included close to 300 different wire samples. It has been left to the Range Riders Museum in Miles City where he has enjoyed membership for years.

He also belonged to Montana Stockgrowers and was a past member of the Kinsey School Board. He was instrumental in the building of Faith Lutheran Church at Kinsey, serving as treasure from its inception until its closure when it merged with First Lutheran Church in Miles City. He and Lydia formed a non-denominational community bible study in Kinsey and enjoyed the fellowship and sharing of the Word. When unable to attended worship services at First Lutheran, he enjoyed worshiping through the radio broadcast even in his last months.

Hank is survived by a son, Robert H. Watts of Forsyth, MT; two daughters: Jeannie M. (Bob) Bird of Bismarck, ND; Judi (Steve) Erickson of Greeley, CO; two brothers: Harvey of Miles City, MT; and Herb (Dottie) of Livingston, MT; a sister, Isabelle Myran of Miles City, MT; twelve grandchildren, twenty five great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Lydia, a daughter Kandace Ginther, a sister, Annabelle Jone's, and five brothers: Homer, Howard, Harry, Herman and Harold.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 25, 2009 with family receiving friends from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 26, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Miles City. Interment will follow in the family lot of the Custer County Cemetery.

Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the First Lutheran Church or the charity of one's choice.