Former Havre resident and Coast Guard veteran Howard Elvrom, 86, of Great Falls, a retired switchman for Burlington Northern railroad, died on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008, at a local care facility of natural causes.
His memorial service will be held at First Lutheran Church in Havre today at 2 p.m. Schnider Funeral Home of Great Falls is in charge of arrangements. Howard Orvis Elvrom was born May 15, 1922, to Inga and Henry Elvrom in Havre, where he was raised and educated, graduating from Havre High School in 1940. He attended the University of Washington in Seattle and Northern Montana College in Havre. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard aboard the USS Eberle during World War II and was discharged in 1946. He married Joan Settle on January 6, 1946, in Havre. Howard worked for the Great Northern Railroad, later the Burlington Northern Railroad, as a switchman until retiring in 1981. He and Joan retired to Salem, Ore., and wintered in Hawaii. He loved to travel and they wintered in Hawaii, taking many cruises. He loved Big Band music from the 40s and one of his favorite memories was seeing Rosemary Clooney in Hawaii. He loved meeting new people and his motto was: “You’re only a stranger once.” Howard was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Havre and Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Salem, Ore. Howard was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He will be missed by all who knew him. Survivors include his daughters, Susan (Robert) Malsam of Havre, Tove (Richard King) Elvrom of Missoula, Deborah (Gabriel Rodriguez) Elvrom of Bellingham, Wash., and Lisa (David) Syth of Bellingham; his sons, Tom Elvrom of Seattle and David Elvrom of Great Falls; a special friend, Ellie Prather of Salem; and eight grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joan Elvrom in 2002; his parents; his stepmother, Esther Elvrom; a sister, Mildred Elvrom; and a stepbrother, Cliff Peters. Memorials are suggested to Alzheimer’s Fellowship of the Northern Rockies, 2621 15th Ave. S. , Great Falls, MT 59405. Condolences for the family may be left at www.schniderfuneralhome. com.
