By HDN Staff
William "Bill" J. Badgley, 83, died Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2001, at a Havre hospital of complications from asbestosis and congestive heart failure.
Visitation will be 6 p.m. Thursday followed by rosary at 7 p.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Eureka. Funeral services will be 11 a.m.
Friday at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, with burial to follow at the Tobacco Valley Cemetery with military honors.
Bill was born March 6, 1918, to Wm. H. and Agnes (Crowley) Badgley in Eureka. He moved with his family that year to Jordan where they had a homestead. He enjoyed riding horses in the wide open spaces. He attended a one-room school there until 1930, when the family moved to Wyola because of the drought. They ranched there until 1936, when they moved to Eureka and bought a ranch. He worked in the woods and helped around the ranch.
On March 4, 1941, he joined the Army. He boarded the Queen Elizabeth on March 19, 1942, and ended up in Australia. He served with the 116 Medics 41st Infantry Division, Company A, B and C. He was a combat medic in the islands, evacuating casualties off the front lines. He was rotated home in August 1945.
Bill married Marjorie Hume on Oct. 10, 1945, in Eureka. He worked in the woods and on the ranch.
From 1949 to 1953, he worked at the Libby Zonilite mine, driving a dump truck. He moved to Rexford and from 1953 until 1958, he worked in the woods for J. Neil's Lumber Company and as an independent short logger using horses. He hired on with the Forest Service in August 1958 and retired in June of 1979 because of his wife getting cancer.
He married Linnea Roseburg on Nov. 8, 1982, remained living in Rexford.
He enjoyed traveling, boating, fishing, walking and being with people. He was a snowbird for 16 years and spent most of the winter time in Earp, Calif., at the Wheeler Inn.
He was a member of the VFW.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Ross; an infant daughter, and his wife, Marjorie.
Survivors include his wife, Lin; sisters, Phyllis (Gilchrist) Kincaid of Central Point, Ore., Agnes Pluid of Kalispell, and Patricia Byers of Salem, Ore.; sister-in-law, Betty Badgley of Clarkston, Wash.; son, Michael F. Badgley of Havre; daughter, Barbara (Passon) Fournier of Havre; stepchildren, Virginia Radovich of Great Falls, Bruce Little of Butte, Guy Little of Menahga, Minn., and Lynn Little of Butte; six grandchildren; 11 grandchildren.
Arrangements are by Vial Funeral Home of Eureka.
