CLARENCE MURRAY, Obituary, Fergus Co., MT USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. "List transcribed and organized by Betty (Phillips) Distad, GmomDistad@aol.com. All rights reserved." Copyright, 1998 by Betty (Phillips) Distad. This file may be freely copied for non-profit purposes. All other rights reserved. Lewistown Paper 6-21-1992 Clarence “Joe Beartracks” Murray, 83, of Lewistown died early Sunday morning at his home after a long illness. He was born Feb. 26, 19[M in Dixon, the son of William and Alphonsine Murray. He received his education in Billings and Plains. He worked for his parents herding sheep in the Broadview area and on the farm at Plains. In 1927 he started working for the Forest Service in the Thompson Falls/ Noxin area. In 1930 he went to work for the Park Service and in 1934 he began working for the Anaconda Copper Company as diesel mechanic foreman until World War II began. In 1941 he joined the U.S. Coast Guard. He designed the bomb bay for the B-29 and was a public relations person for many federal assignments until his discharge in 1945. He then returned to Montana and began his career in law enforcement. He served as sheriff of Rosebud County, worked as a bank examiner, truck driver, guide and supervisor for the missile installations throughout Montana. He worked as an investigative reporter for 28 years and wrote far the Western Livestock. His last assignment was the Centennial Cattle Drive in 1989. 1976 he was in charge of the Bi-Centennial Flatboat Expedition, a project involving a flatboat trip from Fort Peck Dam to Louisiana on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers for six months. He was a member of the Moose Lodge of Lewistown, VFW Post No. 9426 of Billings, Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association and Federation of American Police. On July 16, 1988 he was united in marriage to Catherine Frederick in Lewiston, Idaho. He is survived by his wife, Catherine of Lewistown; five sons, Darrell of Billings, William of Great Falls, Donald of Dillon, Clarence of Butte, and Patrick Shane of Salem, OR: eight daughters, Lois Mehus of Billings, Helen Amen of Bruneau, ID, Jackie Murray of Butte, Merle Adams of Proctor, Nonna Anderson of Boulder, Marlene Cofer of Sacramento, CA, Catherine Hankins of Missoula and Rose Marie Murray Muller of Lewistown: one dear friend, Merle Jo Murray of Boulder: one brother, Ted in Mexico: three sisters, Maisie Nunan of Seattle, Wash., Mary Moody of Phoenix, Ariz. and Bessie Nesbit of Livingston. Twenty-six grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Funeral liturgy for Clarence Murray was Wednesday St. Leo’s Catholic Church with interment following in Calvary Cemetery. Friends may make memorials to the Kalispell Regional Hospital or the charity of their choice and they may be left at the Cloyd Funeral Home. f