Obituary - Earl O. Wasson

Earl O. Wasson, a WWII U.S. Army veteran and farmer, passed away at Hi-Line Retirement Center in Malta on October 13, at the age of 101 years.

Funeral services will be 2:00 P.M., Saturday, October 20, 2018, at the Kirkwood Memorial Chapel. Interment with military honors will be in the Malta Cemetery

Earl Ordean Wasson was born to Orrin F. Wasson and Clara Christofferson Wasson at Velva, North Dakota, on February 28, 1917. He graduated from Velva High School. In 1937, he came to the Malta area to work in the Ruby Gulch mines at Zortman.

In April 1942, Earl went into the U.S. Army 877 Arbonne Engineer Aviation Battalion and served in World War II, including landing on Omaha Beach. He built the first landing strip on Omaha Beach at the beginning of Operation Overlord, Invasion of Normandy at Omaha Beach. He served in England, France, Belgium and Germany, and was discharged October 1945.

Earl married Marie Jane Blunt on January 19, 1946, at Camas, Washington. They had a daughter and two sons born to them. In May 1948, Earl and Marie came to Montana to work at North Bench Farms in northern Phillips County, and purchased it over a period of time.

Earl was a director on the Board of Big Flat Electric for many years. He also served as a director for Montana Grain Growers, served on the school board at Whitewater Schools, and was a member of the Malta Men's Club for many years.

Dad was born and raised on a farm and lived all his life growing wheat crops in North Dakota and Montana. He was admired and respected by people from all of that industry. After his family, farming was his passion.

Earl was preceded in death by his father and mother; his sister Lois Ashby of Malta and his brother-in-law and partner, Billy Ashby; sister, Joyce Carriere, and brothers, Ray and Wilbur Wasson.

He is survived by his spouse of 72 years, Marie J. Wasson; daughter, Linda Hoover (Larry Sasaki) of Havre; sons, Alan Wasson (Connie) of Loring, and Kent Wasson (Maureen) of Whitewater; his niece Marla Sisco of Malta, nephew, George Ashby of Rawlins, WY; grandchildren, Kevin Hoover, Kelli Cox, Lance Wasson, Gregg Wasson, T.J. Wasson, Kyle Wasson and Nichole Wood, as well as 19 great grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren.