Alva Fortner

Funeral services for Alva Fortner will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, January 26, 2008 at Stevenson-Wilson Funeral Home with Pastor Mike Morrison of the Church at the Barn officiating. Burial will follow in Mt. Pisgah Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m., Friday, January 25, 2008 at Stevenson-Wilson Funeral Home. Beloved husband, father, brother, grandpa and friend Alva Arthur Fortner, age 82, of Biddle, Montana passed from this life peacefully on January 17, 2008 at his home of natural causes.He was born into this life on September 29, 1925 to W.D. and Hester Fortner in Gillette, Wyoming. Alva spent his early childhood working with his dad on the ranch homesteaded in 1919 in Wright, Wyoming. In 1941, at only 16 years of age, Alva herded 1000 head of sheep from Wright all the way to the newly purchased Old Cross Ranch in Biddle, Montana with his dogs. W.D. and Alva were some of the first ranchers in Powder River County to have black-angus cattle. They traveled to Calgary, Canada where they purchased 40 head of heifers and 2 yearling bulls that were transported by rail to Gillette, and then hauled to the ranch in Biddle. Thus began Alva's journey in the registered Angus cattle business, in which he would thrive for over 50 years. One evening, Alva went to a card party at the O'Shays in Biddle. There he met Lorraine Oedekoven, the woman he would one day marry. They courted at the country dances at Spotted Horse, 4-G Dance Hall and the Recluse Hall. On June 12, 1951 Alva and Lorraine married in Gillette. With honor, pride and a lot of hard work, they raised 6 wonderful children on the ranch in Biddle often working construction or in the oilfields while running the cattle operation. Alva was very involved in the community and was always eager to share his many talents. He was a School Board Trustee for both the Biddle and Broadus school districts; spent 45 years as a Montana Hunter Instructor and over 20 years as a Montana Brand Inspector. His love and knowledge for the community brought him great pride. He shared his knowledge of that community when he volunteered at the museum in Broadus. He was also a volunteer for the Biddle Volunteer Fire Department. Alva found joy in every aspect of life. He believed in working hard and teaching his children to do the same. He spent many hours rebuilding and restoring old Red Jacket hand pumps, making chokecherry wine in the basement, paddle fishing with his wife and kids at Intake, hunting moose and elk with friends in Yellowstone, chasing bobcats in the hills and on the river with friends and family and calving heifers' right outside his back door. His grandkids got a kick out of grandpa when he brought the new state quarters to fill another spot in their book and loved it when he helped them harvest the garden that he worked so hard to plant last year. In turn, Grandpa loved having any of his grandkids drop by after school. He loved to hunt for the unexpected treasure in the endless yard sales and auctions he traveled to with Lorraine, often discovering another piece of the Anchor Hocking crystal he collected in the box of "junk" it was disguised in. He relished his trips to Florida where he would browse the flea markets and loved to walk on the beach in search of the perfect seashell that would fit the pattern. Like Florida, Alaska became a favorite place he loved to visit and go fishing for the (big one). Even the birds outside his window gave him hours of amusement. He would often call one of his grandsons to shoot the jackels from the window of Grandma's dining room. We will all miss that sweet smell of Black Cherry tobacco from his pipe, his endless supply of new jokes, his blue down vest with his green floppy eared cap, puttering along to his next destination in his maroon Ford Ranger pickup truck with a smile on his face. Alva is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Lorraine, and their children: son, Tim Fortner and wife, Gaylene of Broadus, Montana and their children: Blaine, Stacey and Lanissa; daughter, Gail Eggers and husband, Jack of Punta Gorda Isles and their children: Margret and Chris; daughter, Rita Fortner of Center Point and her children: Monique and Brittany; daughter, Christine White and husband, Doug of Sheridan, Wyoming; son, Joe Fortner and wife, Lori of Biddle and their children: Spencer, Kaitlin and Karli; son, Tracy Fortner and wife, Marcy of Townsend and their children: Amanda and Kaleb Fortner and Trenton Rowland of Sheridan, Wyoming; eight great grandchildren, Jade, Kyra, Dillion, Lucas, Emma, Jacob, Ben and Andrew; brother, Bob Fortner and sisters: Mossie Percifield, Cleo Clabaugh, Loree Sommerfeld and Ruby Wandrei along with many nieces, nephews and cousins. Preceding him on his journey to heaven were his mother and father W.D. and Hester Fortner, his brother Lester Fortner, his sisters: Eula Grey, Cora Craft and Doris Wolff. The family extends their deepest gratitude to Bridget Hemmer. Your guidance in this final chapter of Dad's life was very comforting and we thank you and the Caring Hands Organization so much. In lieu of flowers, a memorial may be sent to the Biddle Heritage Community Center or the Biddle Volunteer Fire Department, PO Box 356 Biddle, MT 59314. Memorials and condolences may be sent in Alva's name in care of Stevenson-Wilson Funeral Home, 210 W. 5th Street, Gillette, Wyoming 82716 or via the internet at www.stevensonwilson.com.