Lenhard Handel

Funeral Service: Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 10:30am at the Busby Mennonite Church.

Burial: will follow at the Melvin Small Ranch

Lenhard Handel was born in Streeter, N.D. on June 11, 1939 and passed away on June 30, 2008 in Salt Lake City, UT after suffering a heart attack.

Lenhard attended school in North Dakota. He served in the Navy and was honorably discharged due to the death of his father. He went home to take care of the family farm and his siblings. He came to Montana with a company that installed electrical transmission towers where he met and married Emma Carr who was the sister of the late Violet (Melvin) Small. He went to work for his brother in law, Melvin in 1967 and the two became best friends. Lenhard dedicated 40+ years to the ranch as he called the Quarter Circle ZF. He loved farming and had planted fields the day he got sick. He was looking forward to his 2008 wheat crops; he had many good acres in and record prices in store.The Handel Family hosts a reunion every five years and he had saved and planned for his 2008 - 4th of July trip to Wisconsin but he couldnt be gone too long as it was the beginning of haying season! He spoke of his planned airplane ride with his brothers with great anticipation. His other passion, fishing also had to take a backseat to farming.Although Lenhard never had children of his own, he was a terrific grandpa, uncle and papa to several generations up and down the creek. He always had time to listen, check the watermelons in the garden or to look at wish books with Becky, Heather, Bailey and Miah.Lenhard married Billie Thayer on May 16, 1986 in Sheridan, WY.

He is survived by his wife, Billie and her children Billy Maddux, Tamara McKennan and Kelly Long and grandchildren. His sisters; Minnie (Robert) Reck of MN, Carol (Dave) Busta of WI, Delores Thompson of MN, Linda (Robert) Villalobas of CA, Verletta Weigal (Johnny) of SC and his brothers Clarence (Geri) Handel of SD and Elroy (Karen) Handel of ND. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews and all of the kids who called him uncle, grandpa and papa.

He was preceded in death by his parents Edward and Bertha (Veil) Handel and sister Violet Ova.