John K. Codden

John K. Codden

John K. Codden, 58, of Havre, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013, in the care of his daughters in Lincoln, Neb., due to complications from multiple sclerosis. Viewing will be 4 to 7 p. m. Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, at Holland & Bonine Funeral Home. Vigil services will be held at 7 p. m on Thursday at Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a. m. Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church with Father Daniel Wathen officiating. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery. His family has requested that memorial donations be made to the Montana Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society or to St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic School. Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements.

John was born on Sept. 20, 1954, in St. Paul, Minn., to Clayton and Pauline (Lugoski) Codden. The family moved to Havre while John was very young, and he attended school in Havre, graduating from Havre High School. Following high school, he attended Northern Montana College for a year. He married Katherine Church in 1974, and their union was blessed with three daughters. The couple later divorced, but they co-parented their girls well, and grew to be great friends.

He was hired on with Burlington Northern Railroad in 1974. He initially worked in the signal department and as an electrician in the mechanical department at the Havre Diesel Shop. He soon after became a foreman, working for many years in places such as Havre and Livingston, Mont., St. Paul, Minn., and Lincoln, Neb.. Due to the difficulties caused by the multiple sclerosis with which he had been diagnosed in 1987, he unfortunately had to take an early retirement in 1998.

John enjoyed riding and working on motorcycles. He loved to bowl in leagues and enjoyed hunting when he was a young man. His greatest pride in life was his family. John was very proud of raising his three daughters alone, and his grandchildren were a great joy to him. They always were able to bring a smile to his face. "To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world. " (Unknown) This is a quote John lived by and had hanging on his wall.

John is survived by his three daughters, Candice (Clark Darrah) Codden of Havre, and Pauline (Nathan Estell) Codden and Kerry Codden, both of Lincoln, Neb. ; his grandchildren, Kayla and John Berg, Jay and Cassandra Darrah, Amber and Abigail Estell, Eric Brewer, Savannah Fulton and Jacob Codden; his parents, Clayton and Pauline Codden of Havre; his brothers, Richard (Christine) Codden of St. Cloud, Minn., Edward Codden of Havre, George Codden of Sauk Rapids, Minn., Robert (Kim Nelson) Codden of West Chicago, Ill., and Michael Codden of St. Cloud, Minn. ; his sisters, Annette Byrd of Havre, Linda (John) Stilger of Alaska, and Katherine (Robert) Cappiello of Corpus Christi, Texas; and numerous nieces and nephews.