Obituary from The Independent Record:
Ben Epstein Jr. of Helena and Cut Bank died surrounded by his family on April 19, 2009, at the Big Sky Care Center in Helena after a long struggle with COPD and emphysema.
Ben was born in Shelby on Dec. 10, 1926, to Ben and Pearl (Mitchell) Epstein of Ferdig. He and his parents followed the oil fields to Oilmont, Erickson school area east of Conrad and to Sunburst, where he attended grade and high schools. He quit school in 1944 at the age of 17 to join the United States Navy and served in the Pacific campaign. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1946 and returned to Sunburst to work for the Texas Refining Co.
In 1948, he married Shirley Snyder. Ben and Shirley Epstein raised four children at the Whetstone oilfield camp north of Cut Bank: Larry (Callie) of Cut Bank, Mark (Bernie) of Kent, Wash., Marilyn (Steve) Davidson of Cut Bank, and Judy (Rod) Siring of Dillon. Ben worked many years for Carter/Exxon in the Cut Bank and Kevin-Sunburst oilfields and as a drilling supervisor in early development of the North Dakota and Eastern Montana fields. Ben retired from Exxon, and he and Shirley moved into Cut Bank. He worked for a time for Cut Bank Gas Co. before entering into a partnership with Fred Walters to create Montana Oilwell Acidizers, an oilfield service company at Cut Bank which he operated until his retirement.
While raising his children, Ben was a leader in Boy Scouts and 4-H, as well as working with the youth program of the Cut Bank Saddle Club. He was a life member of the Cut Bank Elks Lodge. He loved to camp with his family and hunt and fish (he especially loved ice fishing) and was an active member of the board of the Cut Bank Golf and Country Club.
In 1991, Ben's wife Shirley died suddenly. In 1992, he married Coreen Gibson of Cut Bank. Coreen's grown children, Jerry (Sherrie) Gibson of Helena, Deb (Dean) Hendrikson of Livingston, Wes (Lauri) Gibson of Houston, Texas, and Lynne (John) Brown of Cut Bank, joined his extended family. Ben and Coreen spent winters in a new life for them both at Sedona, Ariz., among a host of great friends and summers among Montana family in Helena. It was at Canyon Mesa at their home in Arizona that he introduced Coreen to his lifelong love of the game of golf.
Ben was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley; son, Mark Epstein; and by his parents. He is survived by his children and stepchildren and a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren who have brought him a great deal of joy in his later years.
Funeral services are set for Saturday, April 25, at 1:30 p.m. at St. Margaret's Catholic Church in Cut Bank. There will be a no-host gathering on Friday evening, April 24, at 7 p.m. at the Cut Bank Elks Lodge to celebrate Ben's life among his friends and family. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of St. Peter's Hospital of Helena, the Parish of St. Margaret's Catholic Church or to the charity of donor's choice. Arrangements are under the care of Retz Funeral Home of Helena and Whitted Funeral Chapel of Shelby.
Ben Epstein Jr. of Helena and Cut Bank died surrounded by his family on April 19, 2009, at the Big Sky Care Center in Helena after a long struggle with COPD and emphysema.
Ben was born in Shelby on Dec. 10, 1926, to Ben and Pearl (Mitchell) Epstein of Ferdig. He and his parents followed the oil fields to Oilmont, Erickson school area east of Conrad and to Sunburst, where he attended grade and high schools. He quit school in 1944 at the age of 17 to join the United States Navy and served in the Pacific campaign. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1946 and returned to Sunburst to work for the Texas Refining Co.
In 1948, he married Shirley Snyder. Ben and Shirley Epstein raised four children at the Whetstone oilfield camp north of Cut Bank: Larry (Callie) of Cut Bank, Mark (Bernie) of Kent, Wash., Marilyn (Steve) Davidson of Cut Bank, and Judy (Rod) Siring of Dillon. Ben worked many years for Carter/Exxon in the Cut Bank and Kevin-Sunburst oilfields and as a drilling supervisor in early development of the North Dakota and Eastern Montana fields. Ben retired from Exxon, and he and Shirley moved into Cut Bank. He worked for a time for Cut Bank Gas Co. before entering into a partnership with Fred Walters to create Montana Oilwell Acidizers, an oilfield service company at Cut Bank which he operated until his retirement.
While raising his children, Ben was a leader in Boy Scouts and 4-H, as well as working with the youth program of the Cut Bank Saddle Club. He was a life member of the Cut Bank Elks Lodge. He loved to camp with his family and hunt and fish (he especially loved ice fishing) and was an active member of the board of the Cut Bank Golf and Country Club.
In 1991, Ben's wife Shirley died suddenly. In 1992, he married Coreen Gibson of Cut Bank. Coreen's grown children, Jerry (Sherrie) Gibson of Helena, Deb (Dean) Hendrikson of Livingston, Wes (Lauri) Gibson of Houston, Texas, and Lynne (John) Brown of Cut Bank, joined his extended family. Ben and Coreen spent winters in a new life for them both at Sedona, Ariz., among a host of great friends and summers among Montana family in Helena. It was at Canyon Mesa at their home in Arizona that he introduced Coreen to his lifelong love of the game of golf.
Ben was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley; son, Mark Epstein; and by his parents. He is survived by his children and stepchildren and a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren who have brought him a great deal of joy in his later years.
Funeral services are set for Saturday, April 25, at 1:30 p.m. at St. Margaret's Catholic Church in Cut Bank. There will be a no-host gathering on Friday evening, April 24, at 7 p.m. at the Cut Bank Elks Lodge to celebrate Ben's life among his friends and family. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of St. Peter's Hospital of Helena, the Parish of St. Margaret's Catholic Church or to the charity of donor's choice. Arrangements are under the care of Retz Funeral Home of Helena and Whitted Funeral Chapel of Shelby.
Obituary from The Independent Record:
Ben Epstein Jr. of Helena and Cut Bank died surrounded by his family on April 19, 2009, at the Big Sky Care Center in Helena after a long struggle with COPD and emphysema.
Ben was born in Shelby on Dec. 10, 1926, to Ben and Pearl (Mitchell) Epstein of Ferdig. He and his parents followed the oil fields to Oilmont, Erickson school area east of Conrad and to Sunburst, where he attended grade and high schools. He quit school in 1944 at the age of 17 to join the United States Navy and served in the Pacific campaign. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1946 and returned to Sunburst to work for the Texas Refining Co.
In 1948, he married Shirley Snyder. Ben and Shirley Epstein raised four children at the Whetstone oilfield camp north of Cut Bank: Larry (Callie) of Cut Bank, Mark (Bernie) of Kent, Wash., Marilyn (Steve) Davidson of Cut Bank, and Judy (Rod) Siring of Dillon. Ben worked many years for Carter/Exxon in the Cut Bank and Kevin-Sunburst oilfields and as a drilling supervisor in early development of the North Dakota and Eastern Montana fields. Ben retired from Exxon, and he and Shirley moved into Cut Bank. He worked for a time for Cut Bank Gas Co. before entering into a partnership with Fred Walters to create Montana Oilwell Acidizers, an oilfield service company at Cut Bank which he operated until his retirement.
While raising his children, Ben was a leader in Boy Scouts and 4-H, as well as working with the youth program of the Cut Bank Saddle Club. He was a life member of the Cut Bank Elks Lodge. He loved to camp with his family and hunt and fish (he especially loved ice fishing) and was an active member of the board of the Cut Bank Golf and Country Club.
In 1991, Ben's wife Shirley died suddenly. In 1992, he married Coreen Gibson of Cut Bank. Coreen's grown children, Jerry (Sherrie) Gibson of Helena, Deb (Dean) Hendrikson of Livingston, Wes (Lauri) Gibson of Houston, Texas, and Lynne (John) Brown of Cut Bank, joined his extended family. Ben and Coreen spent winters in a new life for them both at Sedona, Ariz., among a host of great friends and summers among Montana family in Helena. It was at Canyon Mesa at their home in Arizona that he introduced Coreen to his lifelong love of the game of golf.
Ben was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley; son, Mark Epstein; and by his parents. He is survived by his children and stepchildren and a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren who have brought him a great deal of joy in his later years.
Funeral services are set for Saturday, April 25, at 1:30 p.m. at St. Margaret's Catholic Church in Cut Bank. There will be a no-host gathering on Friday evening, April 24, at 7 p.m. at the Cut Bank Elks Lodge to celebrate Ben's life among his friends and family. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of St. Peter's Hospital of Helena, the Parish of St. Margaret's Catholic Church or to the charity of donor's choice. Arrangements are under the care of Retz Funeral Home of Helena and Whitted Funeral Chapel of Shelby.
Ben Epstein Jr. of Helena and Cut Bank died surrounded by his family on April 19, 2009, at the Big Sky Care Center in Helena after a long struggle with COPD and emphysema.
Ben was born in Shelby on Dec. 10, 1926, to Ben and Pearl (Mitchell) Epstein of Ferdig. He and his parents followed the oil fields to Oilmont, Erickson school area east of Conrad and to Sunburst, where he attended grade and high schools. He quit school in 1944 at the age of 17 to join the United States Navy and served in the Pacific campaign. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1946 and returned to Sunburst to work for the Texas Refining Co.
In 1948, he married Shirley Snyder. Ben and Shirley Epstein raised four children at the Whetstone oilfield camp north of Cut Bank: Larry (Callie) of Cut Bank, Mark (Bernie) of Kent, Wash., Marilyn (Steve) Davidson of Cut Bank, and Judy (Rod) Siring of Dillon. Ben worked many years for Carter/Exxon in the Cut Bank and Kevin-Sunburst oilfields and as a drilling supervisor in early development of the North Dakota and Eastern Montana fields. Ben retired from Exxon, and he and Shirley moved into Cut Bank. He worked for a time for Cut Bank Gas Co. before entering into a partnership with Fred Walters to create Montana Oilwell Acidizers, an oilfield service company at Cut Bank which he operated until his retirement.
While raising his children, Ben was a leader in Boy Scouts and 4-H, as well as working with the youth program of the Cut Bank Saddle Club. He was a life member of the Cut Bank Elks Lodge. He loved to camp with his family and hunt and fish (he especially loved ice fishing) and was an active member of the board of the Cut Bank Golf and Country Club.
In 1991, Ben's wife Shirley died suddenly. In 1992, he married Coreen Gibson of Cut Bank. Coreen's grown children, Jerry (Sherrie) Gibson of Helena, Deb (Dean) Hendrikson of Livingston, Wes (Lauri) Gibson of Houston, Texas, and Lynne (John) Brown of Cut Bank, joined his extended family. Ben and Coreen spent winters in a new life for them both at Sedona, Ariz., among a host of great friends and summers among Montana family in Helena. It was at Canyon Mesa at their home in Arizona that he introduced Coreen to his lifelong love of the game of golf.
Ben was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley; son, Mark Epstein; and by his parents. He is survived by his children and stepchildren and a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren who have brought him a great deal of joy in his later years.
Funeral services are set for Saturday, April 25, at 1:30 p.m. at St. Margaret's Catholic Church in Cut Bank. There will be a no-host gathering on Friday evening, April 24, at 7 p.m. at the Cut Bank Elks Lodge to celebrate Ben's life among his friends and family. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of St. Peter's Hospital of Helena, the Parish of St. Margaret's Catholic Church or to the charity of donor's choice. Arrangements are under the care of Retz Funeral Home of Helena and Whitted Funeral Chapel of Shelby.
Bio by: A Marine's Daughter
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