David (Shanks) Hustad

David (Shanks) Hustad, 70 years old, of Nashua, Mont., passed away Sunday, June 18, 2023, at his home surrounded by his family.

Services will be announced later, with a private family casting ceremony at the family farm.

David was born Sept. 6, 1952, in Williston, N.D., to Norman Lewis Shanks and Betty Lou (Eschenbacher) Hustad.

David attended school in Bainville, Mont., graduating in 1971. Afterwards, he worked for his father's, Norman Shanks, business as a painter. He married Lottie Jane Hensley in 1973 in Harlem, Mont. They settled in Glasgow, Mont. Two children were born to this union, Nikita "Nicky" and Kari, before divorcing at a later time. He later started a business, picking up grain samples from Elevators along a route stretching the Hi-Line from Great Falls to Plentywood and delivering them for testing. In time he also picked up movie reels from the movie theaters in addition to picking up film rolls along his route to take for processing.

He was a self-taught diesel mechanic with a love for Volkswagens. He spent a period of time working on people's vehicles at his home, first in Glasgow and then in Nashua, Mont., after relocating there in 1992. He spent time as his daughters' babysitter and had fun teaching the grandkids how to build towers out of VHS tapes and playing video games. In his later years he worked alongside his son-in-law, Ralph Kress for Kress Welding & Fabrication, Inc., retiring after 10 years.

David was preceded in death by his granddaughter Samantha Mae Stratton; his father, Norman Shanks; his step-mother, Sherry (Chaney) Shanks; his mother, Betty Hustad; his brother, Donald Hustad; his brother, Danny Lynn; and his step-father Leonard Hustad.

David is survived by his children, Nikita Kress (Ralph), of Vandalia, Mont., and Kari Hustad (Donald Page), of Rawlins, Wyo.; his siblings, Lyanna Gable (Bill), Dean Shanks (Denise), Robert Shanks (Karen), Dana Martin (Terry), and Lisa Albrecht (Jeff); in addition, David is survived by his grandchildren, Vincent Norhiem (Karissa), Trenten Stahl, Jessie Johnson (Mia), Janna Johnson, John B. Johnson V; his great-grandchildren Aiden and Bentley Norheim, Graycen Johnson, and Laken Stanton; and many nieces and nephews.