Nick Pankratz

Nick Pankratz, age 93, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great- grandfather, passed away on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, at Valley View Nursing Home in Glasgow, Mont.

Family will receive friends on Thursday, Nov. 15, from 7 to 9 p.m., at Bell Mortuary in Glasgow. Funeral services will be Friday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m., at the Glasgow Evangelical Church with Pastors Seth Runner and Frank Lenihan officiating. Burial will take place in Highland Cemetery.

He was born on Feb. 26, 1925, in Lustre, Mont., the son of Peter P. and Helena (Falk) Pankratz. He was raised, attended grade school and had two years of Bible School in Lustre.

On Nov. 26, 1947, he married Irma Peters, the love of his life, in Larslan, Mont. They lived and farmed in the Ossette Community between Larslan and Lustre, where they raised their family. Due to Irma's failing health, in 2004, they moved to Glasgow where Nick actively cared for her with love and attention. Nick was active in the community where he taught Sunday School and served on the Larlsan Mennonite Church Board, the Lustre Christian School Board and the Norval Electric Board.

Nick was a kind and gentle man who taught his love for the Lord by his example. His faith in Jesus Christ was evident in his life and as he read the Bible to his family each morning before breakfast, he shared it. His discipline was fair and many times flexible; we always respected him because he was noncritical, loving and caring (and he could give a hard spanking!) He will always be remembered for the twinkle in his eye, his sense of humor which sometime caught us off guard and tickled our hearts, his bolo tie and cowboy hat. He could give a mean pickup ride chasing cows and always enjoyed talking ranching!

Nick moved to Nemont Manner in 2012, then to Valley View Nursing Home in 2017 where he was at his passing. He lived an active life on the farm helping with the farming and cattle until his move to Glasgow. He enjoyed going to the sales ring to keep up with the price of cattle, walking at the Civic Center three times a week, driving to McDonalds to meet the guys for coffee, and attending EUB Church. He enjoyed company and would never turn down a chance to go out to eat or take a drive.

He was preceded in death by his son Bruce in 1955; his wife of 64 years in 2011; seven brothers, Pete, Londo, Walter, Bill, John, Henry, and Richard; one sister, Lydia Dirksen; and one son-in-law, David Lund.

Survivors include five children, Bonnie (Marlin) Reddig, of Wolf Point, Mont., Lorene (Brent) Hintz, of Billings, Mont., Wesley (Jodie) Pankratz, of Glasgow, Charles (Sonya) Pankratz, of Great Falls, Mont., and Cheryl (Jody) Faul, of Glasgow; 12 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; one great- great- grandchild; one sister, Helen (Jim) Hall, of Billings, seven sisters-in-law, Marjorie (Richard) Pankratz, of Malta, Mont., Marjorie (Larry) McKay, of Monroe, Wash., Marion (Elmer) Kesterke, of Trochu, Alberta, Canada, Carloyn (Larry) Anderson, of Mesa, Ariz., Norma (Neil) Cromwell, of Portland, Ore., Ella (Ray) Stenka, of Loveland, Colo., Carolyn (Lavern) Peters, of Lewiston, Mont .; and one brother-in-law, Robert (Deanna) Peters, of Alberta, Canada.

Memorials can be sent to Lustre Christian High School.