Samuel Bakshas

Samuel E. Bakshas went into the loving arms of his Lord on Sept. 8, 2004, in Spokane, Wash.

Sam was born June 4, 1915, in Winifred to Peter Bakshas and Augusta Bikneris, immigrants from Lithuania,

As a young boy, he grew up on a farm, ranching, breaking horses and riding the rails with his brother, Paul, moving cattle from Montana to Chicago and Omaha. He also rode trails from Texas to Montana. He and his brother and sister, Martha, organized rodeos and provided the rodeo stock.

He also worked in Grass Range at the ranch of Roy Ayres while Ayres was governor of Montana. It was there he met Roberta Brown, the love of his life and partner in marriage for nearly 64 years, where she was cooking for the threshing crews. It was the coldest spot in the nation when Sam and Roberta were married Nov. 10, 1940, in Lewistown.

They moved to Seattle, Wash., where he worked in the shipyards. He then joined the Army Transport Service serving on the Gen. H.B. Freeman as a boilermaker, transporting troops between Japan and the United States. It was in Seattle where their oldest daughter, Marjorie was born. At the end of his service, he and Roberta moved to Whitefish, where their second daughter, Helen, was born.

Sam began working with the Bureau of Reclamation at Hungry Horse starting with the construction of the road to Hungry Horse Dam and then as a concrete inspector at the dam. He and his family resided in Hungry Horse until 1954. Upon completion of the dam, they moved to Columbia Falls, where he was employed by the Anaconda Aluminum Co. plant as a millwright.

Sam was instrumental in the formation and building of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Columbia Falls, where he was an active member.

In 1961, he moved to Pasco, Wash., and was employed at the Hanford nuclear plant with numerous contractors. Besides Hungry Horse Dam, he also worked on most of the dams in the Columbia and Snake river systems.

In, Pasco, he became a Shriner and was a member of the Dirty Dozen of the Columbia Basin Shrine Club of the El Katif Shrine Center in Spokane. He also belonged to the Loyal Order of Moose 482 and Moose Legion 166 Pasco; the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 274 Lewistown (50 year and life member); the Tri-Cities Elks Lodge 2755 (charter and life member); and the Masonic Lodge 89 Columbia Falls, where he was also on the Rainbow Board and earned a 50-year pin and is a life member, 32 degree and Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Millwright and Machine Erectors Local 1699. He was also a member of the Lutheran Church of the Master.

He bought a brand new 1959 Edsel in Kalispell and he enjoyed driving it in numerous parades in the Tri-City area. He traveled with the Edsel Club to various points earning awards for his car along the way.

Preceding him in death were his parents, brother Paul, and sister Martha Bakshas LaFountain.

Survivors include his wife Roberta and daughter, Helen, of Pasco; daughter Marjorie and husband William Gravelle, of Columbia Falls; and a half sister, Augusta (Hazel) Newlin Ciceric, of San Diego, Calif.; grandchildren Gregory Gravelle and wife Shelly, of Norfolk, Va., Anthony Gravelle, of Sioux Falls, S.D., and Tamara McMeans and husband Shannon, of Arlington, Texas; great grandchildren Meaghan and Travis McMeans, Josiah, Samuel, Jonathan, Benjamin, and Nathaniel Gravelle; and also many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held Sept. 15, 2004, at the Lutheran Church of the Master, in Pasco, Wash.

Contributions can be made to the Shrine Hospital, North 820 Summit Boulevard, Spokane WA 99201, or a charity of choice.