Obituary: Louis Mastin Voss

Louis Mastin Voss, 94, passed away peacefully in his sleep April 1, 2017, while residing at Bee Hive Assisted Living in Columbia Falls.

He was born in Havre, Montana, Feb. 7, 1923, to Rude and Etta Mastin Voss, the fourth of eight children. He attended Lakeview Mountain school until he was 14. Times were tough in those days; people had only what they could make or do for themselves. Dad recalled that he ran a trap line as soon as he was big enough, trapping skunks and other critters for cash money.

When he was 14, Louis moved with his family to the Flathead area, where he finished schooling as an eighth grader at the Nyack school. He signed on with the CCC as a railroad section worker and sent the money he earned home to his parents.

After WWII started, Louis moved back to Havre and enlisted in the military. However, a farm injury prevented him from being eligible for military service. He spent the next eight years in Havre working for Eddie's Bakery in the mornings and Great Northern Railroad in the afternoons. During this time, he met the love of his life, Rena Faltrino, while he was remodeling houses for her father, Joe Faltrino. Louis and Rena married in 1943. Their first child, son Joe, was born in 1945. Daughter Lindalee came next, followed by another son, Larry, all born in Havre.

Louis and Rena operated the Havre Ice Company for eight years, harvesting large blocks of ice from reservoirs and lakes near Havre for Great Northern Railroad boxcars hauling perishables. Dad recalled harvesting up to 8,000 tons of ice from Fresno Reservoir during one winter before boxcars known as "reefers" equipped with a refrigeration system became common. The reefers essentially ended the era of block-ice cooled boxcars. For several summers Louis worked as a heavy equipment operator with the Bullhook Flood Control Project south of Havre. By 1953 the project was completed and he and his crew moved the big construction machines from Havre, Montana, to Salt Lake City, Utah, driving (not hauling) eight of the huge pieces of equipment at a top speed of 25 mph in a caravan along Highway 15, Monday through Friday, a feat accomplished after two long weeks on the road.

In 1956, Louis and Rena moved their family from Havre to the Flathead where he signed on at the Columbia Falls Aluminum Company. Soon after the move, their fourth child, daughter Arlene, was born in Kalispell. Louis was employed at Anaconda for 28 years until his retirement in 1982. Dad always had plenty of energy so while he was working at Anaconda he and Mom bought a portable saw mill and for five years in his "spare" time they contracted to cut custom lumber for private landowners all over Flathead, Lake and Lincoln Counties, among others.

In spite of just eight grades of formal education, Louis was known for his remarkable engineering talents. He was a mechanic, a carpenter, wood worker, furniture maker and inventor. He could visualize a gadget to save time and energy for a task and then build it in his shop. He never ran out of ideas. He manufactured his own custom water skis, including kid- sized skis which made it possible for just about every kid in the neighborhood to learn to water ski. It seemed like he always had a pickup load of kids wherever he went - his own and a bunch of their friends.

After he retired, Louis and Rena travelled extensively to mine gold and dig sapphires, which they then learned to facet. They loved to hunt and fish, and they both had snowmobiles and trailbikes that they wore out traipsing around the country with their friends.

Louis will be remembered for his deep love of family, wonderful sense of humor, his unending curiosity about everything, and his incredible memory. He never backed away from hard work and was always ready to help a friend. His was a life well lived.

Louis was preceded in death by Rena, his beloved wife of 64 years, parents, Rude and Etta Voss, brothers Dale Thompson, Edwin Thompson, Glen Voss and Bobbie Voss and his sister Nona Grant.

He is survived by sisters Ruth (John) Dalimata and family and Marion Morris and family. Also surviving are his children Joe (Shirley) Voss; Lindalee (Dave) Cleveland; Larry Voss and Arlene (Ron) Fish; grandchildren Jolene (Ralph) Van Hee, Tony Voss, Jamie (Jennifer) Kanzler, Brad James and Marie James, Jason (Roxanne) Fish and Eric Fish; 10 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and many cherished in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

Special thanks to hospice and to the amazing staff at the Bee Hive in Columbia Falls for the compassionate and loving care Louis received during his time there.

No services are planned at this time. A celebration of life will be held later this summer.

Columbia Mortuary is caring for the family.