FRED CICEL SPRINGER obituary

Fred Cicel Springer, 74, who farmed south of Kremlin for 49 years, passed away Friday, Oct 9, 2009, at Northern Montana Hospital of natural causes.

Cremation has taken place and the celebration of his life will be 11 a.m. Friday at the Fifth Avenue Christian Church with Rowlie Hutton officiating. Memorial contributions in Fred's honor may be made to the Hi-Line Sletten Cancer Center or to your favorite charity. Services and arrangements were entrusted to Holland & Bonine Funeral Home. Fred was born April 30, 1935, in Havre, Mont., to Claude and Blanche (Bjertness) Springer. He grew up on a farm north of Havre with his parents and 13 siblings. He and his brother, Martin, joined the Army in 1954 and served in Germany and were both honorably discharged in 1956. Fred returned to the Havre area and worked various jobs until he married Betty Adams on March 24, 1960. The couple moved to the Purdy farm near Kremlin and worked there until 1971 when they rented a farm south of Kremlin. Fred always liked to keep busy, and in the wintertime he would work various jobs such as working on the water pipeline for the Hi-Line Water District and also worked as a telephone installer for R.E.A. Fred and Betty had three children, Kevin, Cindy and Lisa. He was a member of the Kremlin Lutheran Church and served on the council. He served on various boards, the FHA, the FSA and many years as a 4-H leader, and he was president of the Livestock board. Fred enjoyed the outdoors, farming, fishing, collecting belt buckles, watching bull riding and attending family dinners and was an avid Dallas Cowboys fan. He had a great sense of humor and always kept his shop and barn in meticulous condition. His greatest attribute was that Fred always had time to visit with anyone. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Vurl, Clyde, Ruel, Glen, Cliff and Lynn; and sisters, Eva McIntosch, Deloris Allen, Vera Swinney and Buelah Brown. Fred is survived by his wife of 49 years Elizabeth “Betty” Springer of Kremlin, Mont.; children, Kevin (Lisa) Springer of Kremlin, Mont., Cindy (Jeff) Martin of Tacoma, Wash., and Lisa Springer-Laster of Vancouver, Wash.; eight grandchildren; his brother, Martin Springer of Havre, Mont.; sisters, Ila Knudson of Cranbrook, British Columbia, and Betty Anderson of Harlem, Mont.; and numerous nieces and nephews.