Gerald 'Red' DeShazer

Gerald O. "Red" DeShazer, 65, of Libby died Monday, Jan. 29, 2007, at St. John's Lutheran hospital from natural causes.

He was born Jan. 30, 1941, in Eureka to Olen and Edna Smith DeShazer. Gerald grew up and attended school in the Eureka and Libby areas.

He entered the U.S. Navy at 17 and served from 1958 to 1961.

Gerald returned home to work in the woods for J. Neils Lumber Co., and then at Libby Dam, where he learned to run heavy equipment. In 1976 he worked on the AlCan Highway in Alaska.

Gerald married the former Sandra Alkire on Oct. 10, 1978.

In 1980, he returned to Montana and worked for Asarco. He started at Asarco when the company broke ground and left when the mine closed.

From 1993 through 1997, Gerald worked for Lincoln County Road Department and then moved to Iowa, where he worked construction and as a security guard until 2000.

In 2000, he returned to Montana and settled in Polson where Gerald worked at Polson Ready Mix. He retired in 2003.

Gerald enjoyed fishing and hunting.

Survivors include his wife; children Gary DeShazer and his fiancee, Becky, and Rebecca DeShazer, all of Libby, Samantha DeShazer of Polson, Jim Paul of Puyallup, Wash., and Lara Banks of Brush, Colo.; 11 grandchildren; brothers William DeShazer and Daniel DeShazer and his wife, Iva Mae, all of Libby, Robert DeShazer and his wife, Pat, of Eureka, Ray DeShazer and his wife, Marianne, of Coweta, Okla.; and a sister, Shirley Straley of Libby.

Services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at Nelson & Vial Funeral Home.