Richard David Winderl

Richard David Winderl, 85, longtime resident of Valley County, passed away at Valley View Home, in Glasgow, Mont., on the afternoon of Friday, June 28, 2019.

Services will be Monday, July 8, at St. Raphael's Church at 10 a.m., with burial in Highland Cemetery with luncheon to follow at the Parish Center.

Richard was born on March 22, 1934, to Theodore and Blanche (Rouse) Winderl. He was the ninth child of 10 sons. He lived on the family farm just south of Richland, Mont.

Richard attended Highland School through sixth-grade. He went to a boarding school in Great Falls, Mont., for a couple of years and then just started high school when he ended up in the hospital and from there he returned home to work on the family farm. In 1957, Richard and his brother, George, purchased the farm from their mother. He was also in the National Guard from 1958 to 1963. Richard and George also started moving houses/building in 1963 until they sold their equipment in 1978. They leased their farm out in 1997 and eventually sold it to their nephew, RJ.

Richard was a private person and kept many things to himself. If you are lucky enough to earn his trust, he would share personal stories with you. Along with his brothers, he liked spending time in the outdoors. They grew up hunting, trapping animals and working the farm to make a life for the large family. Richard said he first learned to shoot a gun after George gave him a shotgun and a box of shells. He always had an interest in guns and obtained quite a collection over the years. Richard also had a large gun shell collection and enjoyed re-loading empty shell casings. As an avid collector of guns and shells, he could tell you the history of each particular kind, how many were made, which one he had, and the value of it all. Richard was also a collector of coins and has many coin books filled. He also enjoyed finding and ordering coins for friends and family to complete their collections. Richard found pride in always getting the best deal.

Richard and George were almost always seen together, whether it was working on the family farm or going to town. They spent many hours together shooting gophers or whatever critter was in sight. Richard and George also enjoyed going to auctions and gun shows. They didn't necessarily come home with a purchase as they knew when something was a good deal. They knew the value of everything and would not spend a penny more. Richard also enjoyed his daily drives around the countryside, making sure everything was in its place and if it was not the neighbors were informed. He said he was the "neighborhood watch." Richard liked to watch a western movie and have a bag of popcorn before going to bed.

After George entered the nursing home in 2007, Richard continued to live on the family farm and would come to Glasgow every week to visit and get groceries. In March 2018, Richard ended up in the hospital and with failing health, went to live at Valley View Home. He enjoyed giving the caregivers a hard time and always seemed to know what was going on without ever leaving his room. Richard enjoyed watching the many birds that came to the feeders outside his room. He always appreciated his family and friends who came to visit him.

Richard is preceded in death by his parents; and seven brothers: Joseph, William, Frances, George, Steve, Louis and Charles.

Richard is survived by two brothers, Harold (Ann) Winderl, of Syracuse, N.Y., and Martin (Janet) Winderl, of San Francisco, Calif.; many nieces and nephews, including R.J. (Deb) Winderl, Richard Winderl and Teresa (Grady) Breipohl, of the surrounding area.