By HDN staff
GEORGE BLEHA
CHINOOK George Bleha, 86, long time Lone Tree Bench farmer and rancher, died early Friday, July 30, 1999 at the Sweet Memorial Nursing Home in Chinook after a short illness.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, Aug. 3, in Saint Gabriels Catholic Church with burial followed at Alice Nash Memorial Cemetery on the Lone Tree Bench. A reception followed at Bill and Elaine Thompson ranch.
He was born at Chicago on June 9, 1913 to Czechoslovakian immigrants George and Suszie (Racko) Bleha. His family moved to Raglan Bench in Montana to homestead when he was 2. He attended grade school there before moving to Chicago to live with an aunt and attended one year of high school there.
He returned to Montana and worked at various ranches, including Miller Brothers.
On July 31, 1936 he married Helen Magda in Havre. In 1937 they moved to Chicago where he worked as a receiving clerk for Montgomery Ward.
They moved to Seattle in January 1943 when he worked in the shipyards. He also worked at Hanford, Wash., on the component parts for the atomic bomb. He taught welding and blue print reading for the boiler makers union.
They moved back to the Raglan Bench in 1950 to farm and ranch. In 1988, they moved to Chinook and in May of 1997 he entered the nursing home.
He loved to play cards and was an avid Chicago Cubs fan.
He is survived by his wife, Helen of Chinook; daughters, Elaine Thompson of Lone Tree Bench, Joyce Ann Sexton of Lexington, Ky.; four granddaughters; three great-granddaughters; sisters, Alga Bleha and Louise Kelly, both of Cicero, Ill.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a son, Kenneth, a granddaughter, Joice Kay Bleha; a brother, John and a sister, Edith.
Memorial may be sent to Sweet Memorial Nursing Home.
Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.
