Lawrence Losinski, age 90, of Miles City.

Lawrence Nicholas Losinski, age 90, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Miles City. Lawrence was born September 4, 1925 in Miles City in a private home, the fourth of seven children born to John and Maryann (Zabrocki) Losinski.

Lawrence grew up in southeast Garfield County. He attended first grade at the Hammond School when he was five as his mother was gone to St. Phillip because her father had passed away. School was intermittent that year as he was young and it was a cold 2 ½ mile walk or ride if his Dad would take them in the horse drawn sled. After first grade, his mother and the children moved to Cohagen for each school year. His chores at Cohagen included carrying their water from the store to their tar paper shack about two blocks away. He attended school through the 7^th grade.

In the late 1930’s, his older brothers joined the service. Lawrence was not accepted in the service because he was too young. He was instructed to go back to the ranch and help his father, who was getting up in years. He trapped skunks and coyotes for spending money and bought his first car, a Model A. Lawrence took over the operation of the farming and ranching when his ailing father, mother and younger siblings moved to Miles City.

In 1953, a young lady from down south by the name of Dorothy Little arrived in the area to teach school. She caught Lawrence’s eye and in August of 1954 they were married. They started their life together by working on the ranch. In late 1957, they purchased the Jordan Meat Market from Bill Hensleigh. In 1959 they decided city life was not for them so they sold the Meat Market to Jim Ryan and moved back to the ranch. Over the next 50 years they raised cows, sheep, pigs, work horses, corn, potatoes and wheat, in addition to six kids. He and Dorothy also had the “U-all” mail route for over 50 years, which was hauled on Monday and Friday, and between 1968-1973 they also had a daily route between Jordan and Miles City.

Many improvements on the ranch were made with the modern inventions that he witnessed in his lifetime. The progression from horse drawn implements to motorized automobiles and farm equipment; kerosene lanterns and Win-Electric generation to REA power; hand drawn water to flowing water from a hydrant and faucet; the ‘shack out back’ and baths in the middle of the living room in a metal tub to indoor plumbing; getting a telephone on a party line then progressing on to having internet and cell phone service and television.

During his lifetime, he spent countless hours stringing up electric fences. He pulled many tricks on his wife, kids, and later, grandkids with the fences. Everyone has their story to tell about how they got shocked by his fences. When younger, he had the passenger seat of his Model A wired so that when someone sat in it they would get a shock. It got so no one would ride with him, so then he wired the door handles. His sister-in-law told of when he was in a garage and the mechanic was trying to judge the spark with his ignition tester and Lawrence told the mechanic that he could tell by the feel. The onlookers couldn’t believe that he could stand to have hold of the sparkplugs. Another time, at a neighbors, he showed them how he could stop a tractor by grounding it out with his hands on the sparkplugs!

Lawrence loved to visit. Whether it was along the road; at a school house dance; a get together to play cards; on the phone; or a chance meeting in town, he always had time to “chew the fat”. In recent years, after moving to Miles City because of his and Dorothy’s failing health, he enjoyed sitting on the bench in Wal-Mart and visiting while Dorothy shopped. He enjoyed telling stories of the past and would share them with anyone willing to listen.

After Dorothy passed away in 2011, Lawrence moved to Kinsey to be nearer to Wade and Crystal. He enjoyed Crystal’s daily visits and appreciated her taking care of his needs. When Wade and Crystal moved to Miles City in the fall of 2014, he moved in with them and enjoyed the busy life his grand-daughters lead. After a fall in March, he moved to the Holy Rosary Extended Care where he was a resident at the time of his passing.

Lawrence is survived by his children: Ann (Bill) Wetherelt; Betty Lamendola; Phillip Losinski; Ruth (Dave) Hinnaland; Mike (Rhonda) Losinski; and Wade (Crystal) Losinski; his grandchildren: Travis (Shannon) Wetherelt; Tyler (Kim) Wetherelt; Kelsey Wetherelt; Elizabeth Lamendola; Michelle (Mark) Essel; Stephanie, and Matthew Lamendola; Birch Drew; Bethany Jackson; Cole (Kendra Stephenson) Hinnaland; Carmen (Alex) Schillinger; Courtney Hinnaland; Micheal Losinski; Tara (Braxton) Greenlow; Nicholas Losinski; Isabel and Cathleen Losinski; four great grandchildren: Ayden, Zeke, Tag and Kaelynn; one sister: Frances Ziebarth; and one sister-in-law Virginia Little. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife Dorothy; brothers: Conrad, Hubert, and Joseph; sisters: Wanda and Stella.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 1, 2016 at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home with family receiving friends from 4:00-6:00 p.m. followed by a Prayer Service at 6:00 p.m. and a time of sharing stories. Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, June 2, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Miles City. Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home of Miles City is in charge of the arrangements. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting: www.stevensonandsons.com.

Service Schedule

Family to Receive Friends

4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday June 1, 2016

Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home

1717 Main Street

Miles City, Montana 59301

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Prayer Service

6:00 p.m.

Wednesday June 1, 2016

Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home

1717 Main Street

Miles City, Montana 59301

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Funeral Mass

11:00 a.m.

Thursday June 2, 2016

Sacred Heart Catholic Church

Miles City, Montana 59301

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