Owen Montrose

Thursday, August 20, 2009
Owen Montrose

Owen Ellis Montrose, 85, of Mountain Home, passed away on Aug. 16, 2009, at a Boise care center.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009, at Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel.

Inurnment will follow at Mountain View Cemetery with military honors by American Legion Post #26. Cremation was under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel.

He was born Feb. 14, 1924, to Arthur and Tina Montrose in Hagerman.

Owen worked on ranches and mines in Mountain City, Nev., until he enlisted in the US Navy in 1941. While in the Navy, Owen served as a gunners mate and was involved in four major battles in the South Pacific. He served aboard the USS Golden City and later on the USS Wisconsin.

While on a weekend leave in Washington, D.C. Owen met the love of his life, Lottye, and three days later, on March 16, 1946, they were married.

In 1949 Owen and Lottye moved from Mountain City, Nev., to Elko, Nev., where they raised their four children. Owen owned and operated Montrose Steel Fabrication, known for building the Spring Creek Horse Palace, from 1963 to 1978. Owen retired from the steel business and purchased a tractor trailer, leasing it to Pirkle, a Wisconsin-based trucking company, for eight years.

He retired in 1986 and resided in Mountain Home.

Owen loved animals and in his free time he enjoyed refurbishing old instruments, tuning pianos, playing pool, hand crafting miniature piano music boxes, making wine and beer, photography, and snowmobiling.

He played many musical instruments but his favorite was the banjo. Owen loved attending the Fiddlers Festival, and had a lifelong love for music.

Survivors include his loving wife of 63 years, Lottye; children, Tyna (Kenny) Cromwell, Trudy (Brad) Templin, both of Reno, Nev., and Ted Montrose of Boise; grandchildren Craig Redenius, Dustin Redenius, both of Reno, Nev., Gary Grasmuck of Mountain Home, Theo (Ryoko) Montrose of Long Beach, Calif., and Stephanie (Jeremy) Propp of Boise; a great-granddaughter Zoe Propp of Boise; and a sister, Marjorie (Jack) Streeter of Mountain Home.

Owen was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Tina; his four brothers, Ted, Price ³Turk², Norman, and Robert; two of his sisters, Marian, Coila; and one daughter, Terry ³Baby² Montrose.

Owen was a wonderful father, grandfather, and friend, to all who were blessed enough to have him in our lives. He will be greatly missed.