Obituary for Edward Wayne Deegan
Edward Wayne Deegan, 87, passed away Saturday December 31 at the Pioneer Medical Center in Big Timber.
Ed was born on September 2, 1929, the fifth and youngest son of Emmett and Lola (Rees) Deegan. He attended school in Big Timber until he and the math teacher had a window shade dispute. He quit school and enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Corps at age 16. After basic training he was deployed to Germany for the next 2-1/2 years during the Berlin Air Lift period. He worked in the Finance Department and played basketball with several service teams, and earned his GED while in Germany. He was honorably discharged from Mountain Home, Idaho on July 20, 1949.
After discharge he worked for a short time at Aalgaard Grocery, then for Northern Pacific Railroad welding ribbon rail, then for Strickland Construction. In l956 he married and worked on oil rigs out of Baker, Mt. He next worked with a Shell Oil Company seismograph crew over much of the U.S. Transfer to Oklahoma brought on a severe case of Mountain Homesickness that could only be cured by moving back to Montana. Next Ed worked for Montana Highway Dept. on a core drill crew. In 1972 he bought his last and favorite job, a small ranch on the East Boulder where he spent the rest of his working years raising cattle and sheep. Ed worked hard, was a fun companion, a loving son, husband, brother and uncle.
Sister Mary Etzold, brothers Bud, Bob, Alva, baby Albert, sisters Kitty Tronrud and Patsy Nelson all preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife Beth, sister Phyllis (Kenny) Strickland, sisters-in-law Margaret Deegan and Dukes (Woolsey) Hansen, brother-in-law Jim Woolsey and a loving and loved “herd” of nieces and nephews and long time dear friend Ray Swanson and wife Doris.
Ed was born on September 2, 1929, the fifth and youngest son of Emmett and Lola (Rees) Deegan. He attended school in Big Timber until he and the math teacher had a window shade dispute. He quit school and enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Corps at age 16. After basic training he was deployed to Germany for the next 2-1/2 years during the Berlin Air Lift period. He worked in the Finance Department and played basketball with several service teams, and earned his GED while in Germany. He was honorably discharged from Mountain Home, Idaho on July 20, 1949.
After discharge he worked for a short time at Aalgaard Grocery, then for Northern Pacific Railroad welding ribbon rail, then for Strickland Construction. In l956 he married and worked on oil rigs out of Baker, Mt. He next worked with a Shell Oil Company seismograph crew over much of the U.S. Transfer to Oklahoma brought on a severe case of Mountain Homesickness that could only be cured by moving back to Montana. Next Ed worked for Montana Highway Dept. on a core drill crew. In 1972 he bought his last and favorite job, a small ranch on the East Boulder where he spent the rest of his working years raising cattle and sheep. Ed worked hard, was a fun companion, a loving son, husband, brother and uncle.
Sister Mary Etzold, brothers Bud, Bob, Alva, baby Albert, sisters Kitty Tronrud and Patsy Nelson all preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife Beth, sister Phyllis (Kenny) Strickland, sisters-in-law Margaret Deegan and Dukes (Woolsey) Hansen, brother-in-law Jim Woolsey and a loving and loved “herd” of nieces and nephews and long time dear friend Ray Swanson and wife Doris.
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