Clayton Lloyd Rockwell

On Oct. 7, 2021, Pastor Clayton Lloyd Rockwell went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spent his last hours recreating on the Yaak River, and it was the river that became his entry into eternity.

Clayton L Rockwell was born Nov. 12, 1962, to William W. Rockwell and Judith (Smith) Rockwell in Flagstaff, Ariz. He joined his older sister, Esther Elaine, and the family spent the next years moving to various U.S. Forest Service stations in Wyoming, Idaho and eventually Montana. Clayton believed in Jesus Christ at the early age of nine. From then on, he always had a heart for ministry and sharing the gospel.

Clayton attended high school in Salmon, Idaho, and graduated from Noxon High in Noxon in 1981. After backpacking through Europe for three months, Clayton headed north to Alaska, where he worked in a logging camp. He later spent a year in Glennallen, attending Alaska Bible College.

While in Alaska, he embraced his passion for trapping, hunting and fishing as well as sharing the Gospel with the native people in isolated villages. After his last semester in college, he headed to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, to jump aboard the Andrew McGee, a crab harvesting boat.

On a summer visit back to Montana, he met and fell in love with Pamela Duczek. They were married June 4, 1983.

They spent the summer living in the mountains of western Montana, specificially in the Big Hole Valley. That winter they moved to Hot Springs. There, they operated a gas station. It is where their son, Lael William Rockwell, was born.

Soon after, they moved to Troy, where Clayton worked at the ASARCO mine as an underground truck driver for two years. While in Troy, their second child, a daughter, was born. Caia Michelle Rockwell completed their little family. In 1987, the family spent time in Lima, running an outfitting company, post and pole plant, and starting a log home business.

The family relocated to Toston, where they planted roots. Over the next 24 years, Clayton and Pam raised their kids, built their log home company and founded Crow Creek Valley Bible Church, where Clayton served as pastor for more than 15 years. Owing to health issues, Clayton took a two-year sabbatical, during which Pam and Clayton travelled in a motor home to Arizona, Nevada and California, taking the opportunity to preach and evangelize.

In 2014, Clayton and Pam came home to Toston with the desire to continue in ministry work. Preaching and teaching were in Clayton’s blood and heart. He started to feel the calling again back into full-time pastoral ministry. Within two years, they were packed and ready to head north again, back to the Troy area and landing in the Yaak.

For the past six years, Clayton enjoyed serving as the pastor of the Yaak Community Church and serving the community in various ways. Clayton served as a volunteer firefighter and chaplain to the Upper Yaak Volunteer Fire Department. Clayton also served on the Boyd Hill Cemetery board.

He enjoyed spending time recreating across God’s creation, but his greatest passion was sharing the love of Jesus with everyone he met.

Clayton Rockwell was preceded in death by his parents, William and Judith Rockwell. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Pamela Duczek Rockwell; son, Lael (Alexa) Rockwell; daughter, Caia (Seth) Salusso; seven grandchildren; sister, Esther (Mike) England; parents, Roger and Jackie Duczek; and many other family members and friends.

A memorial service will be held at the Yaak Community Church at 27643 Yaak River Road, Yaak, MT at 11 a.m., Oct. 16. A graveside service will follow at the Boyd Hill Cemetery in the Yaak. A fellowship meal will follow afterwards at the Yaak Community Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting gifts of remembrance be made to Child Bridge, P.O. Box 310 Bigfork, MT 59911 or online at www.childbridge.org. Child Bridge finds and equips foster and adoptive families for children who have suffered abuse and neglect. This is a cause that was very near and dear to Clayton’s heart. On the website please select “In memory of” and name Clayton Rockwell.

Arrangements are under the care of Schnackenberg Funeral Home of Libby. Online condolences and memories may be shared by visiting www.schnackenbergfh.com.