LEWIS DEVON (PETE) RANSIER Obituary (1929

Lewis (Pete) Ransier passed away Jan. 11, 2017, after a 20 year battle with kidney disease. Pete was born Dec. 26, 1929, to Otis and Jane Sara Ransier in Pleasanton, Kan., joining a family that eventually included 13 brothers and sisters. He graduated from Amsterdam County High School in Missouri in1948. While in high school Pete was the high school basketball captain, and after moving to Rexford, he continued to play on Rexford's men's team, which competed against teams from Eureka to Trego. Pete served in the United States Navy on the destroyer USS Rodgers and received an honorable discharge in 1949. Pete and his wife Elizabeth were charter members of the Holy Cross Lutheran Church and worked diligently to support the recruitment of the first full-time Lutheran pastor to the Eureka area. The effort was successful in bringing Pastor Pullman to the community circa 1953. Pete served as the president of the AAL- Aid Association for Lutherans and as Sunday School supervisor for approximately 10 years. His wife Elizabeth also taught Sunday School and vacation bible school and was the church organist for a number of years. Pete and Elizabeth also participated in the construction and finish work of the new Lutheran church that was built circa 1960. Pete first came to Montana in 1944 but returned to Missouri to finish high school and worked as a ranch hand until his graduation. In 1947 Pete returned to Montana and worked in the coal mine at Roundup. After his discharge from the Navy, Pete married Elizabeth Fuller (whom he referred as his Sweetie Pie). After their marriage they moved to the Eureka area, where he worked for Leighty sawmill in the Yaak. In 1951 Pete went to work for J. Neils Lumber Company, later known as St. Regis, and retired in 1986 after 35 plus years of loyal service. During this employment period he had many different job functions, but his primary love was being a logging crane operator. After Pete's retirement, he planted 15,000 Scotch pine Christmas trees on their Pinkham Creek property. In 1987 Pete became self-employed, operating the Nash Window Repair service for Lincoln County. Pete never considered himself retired and continued Christmas treeing and working on the home place on Pinkham Creek until his demise. He enjoyed playing the guitar and dobro. He also was an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction material, always wanting to learn more. Pete is survived by his wife Elizabeth and their four children, Donald, Susan, Karen and David. Services are scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, at 2 p.m. at the Eureka Baptist Church, located at 355 9th St. East. In lieu of flowers, any memorial contributions can be made to the local VFW Post.