William Bill Clauson

Visitation: Friday, June 12, 2009 at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City.

Family to Receive Friends: Friday, June 12, 2009 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City.

Funeral Service: Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Miles City.

Graveside Service: Custer County Cemetery with Masonic Graveside Rites.

William Richard Bill Clauson, age 81, of Miles City, passed away on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at his home in Miles City with his family by his side.

Bill was born in Miles City, Montana on January 1, 1928, the eldest of four children born to Axel and Coralynn Holton Clauson of Cohagen, Montana. He spent his young life on the farm at Cohagen with his family, completing grade school and high school at Cohagen, graduating in 1945 top of the class (of 4). One of the most vivid memories in his early childhood was a tornado in 1934, which took part of the family home and caused much destruction in the country. Bill often reminisced about some of the places he worked when things were slow at home as being great experiences and included trailing cattle and working for Harry Ross, the Jessens, and the Fred Reed herd he helped trail from Cohagen to Miles City in 1944 also worked for a time at Fallon for Inland Construction, and in the fall of 1949 worked for the Milwaukee Yards in Miles City. In 1952, Bill started courting his partner of 56 years, Phyllis Jacobson a telegraph operator in Miles City. They were married on December 26, 1953 and moved into a small trailer house on the ranch near Cohagen and began their happy life together. A son, Tim joined them in 1955, daughter Judy in 1956, and son David in 1959. When news of David joining them came they built a small home and thought it was a mansion after living in the little trailer home. The ranch started growing with the help of the children and small parcels of land becoming available. They started purchasing parcels of land including some from Ricki Williams, Svensons, Michaels, Secrest, Nelsons, and leasing some from McClung, Artz, Pfeifers and McKinney. Eventually a nice small ranch developed and was enjoyed and worked by the Bill Clauson family.

Bill served his community well, and was a member of the Masonic Lodge. He served on many boards including Community Club, Roping Club, Cemetery Board, Garfield County Hospital Board, ASC Committee, then the Farm Credit Services for 25 years and the Interstate FCS for three years. He also presently served on the Range Riders Museum Board and president of the Southeastern Montana Fiddlers. They sold the ranch in the early 1990s and moved to a little acreage in the Pine Hills east of Miles City selling in 2007 and moving into Miles City where they remained.

Bill is survived by two sons: Tim Clauson of Miles City, MT; David Clauson of Indiana; a daughter, Judy (Rob) Reukauf of Terry, MT; five grandchildren: Bret, Casey, Jesse, Jill and Robbyn.

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