Donald “Whitey” Edwin Wilson

Donald “Whitey” Edwin Wilson, 86, passed away peacefully in his sleep early Aug. 31, 2024, in Libby, Montana. 

Born to Walter and Annie Pearl Wilson in Great Falls, Montana on Aug. 2, 1938, he was eight of nine children.

Whitey grew up in Choteau/Augusta/Simms areas, where he was an active child with a happy-go-lucky demeanor. At the age of seven, his mother passed away and he was raised largely by his older siblings and he gave them a run for their money at times. 

Most notably when he was 10 years old and walking on the train tracks with a buddy who fired a .22 round that ricocheted off the tracks and punctured his rib cage. He lived with the bullet for 30-plus years until he couldn’t stand the discomfort and had it surgically removed.

Before his 18th birthday, Whitey enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving from 1956-1959. Stationed on the USS Hornet as a gunner’s mate, he saw different parts of the world, including Japan. While enlisted and on leave back in Montana, Whitey had his first child, Patti. 

After his Navy service ended, he moved home to Choteau and married his wife of nearly 65 years, Doris, on Dec. 29, 1959. Together they had three children, Bill, Corinne and Steve.

Whitey worked various parts of construction most of his life. He helped build the Minuteman missile silos near Great Falls before moving to Hungry Horse to work at the aluminum plant in Columbia Falls. He also helped build the Rexford (Flathead) Tunnel that kickstarted the construction of Libby Dam. 

Joining the Operating Engineers Union in 1967, Whitey worked for Morrison-Knudsen during the construction of Libby Dam as a batch plant operator. He commuted from Hungry Horse to Libby Dam via the McKillop cutoff— in a 1949 2 WD yellow Ford truck— for almost a year before the family permanently relocated. Having found a place to call home, Whitey and Doris planted their roots in Libby.

After the dam days, Whitey helped build the Libby Landfill, where he was teasingly called “head dump rat.” He was also employed several years with Lincoln County as an equipment operator, known particularly for his dozer skills. He often remarked about the work he did placing the boulders still seen between the Flathead and Lincoln County line.

In the early 1980s, Whitey and Doris found the balance between “work hard, play hard” when they invested in the Branding Iron bar and dance hall south of Libby. For almost a decade they provided a popular venue for live music and dancing. 

In his retirement, Whitey remained a family man and social butterfly. He always had a well-timed joke or story for anyone. He was truly a man that never met a stranger.

Even on his more painful days, he’d always keep his humor and say he was simply suffering from a case of too many birthdays. Whitey was a fighter, sometimes figurative and sometimes literal. He was proud of his humble beginnings and the life he and Doris built. A union man and patriot through and through, he was known for his strong convictions and not shy about his old school Democrat leanings. A drive by Whitey and Doris’s front lawn was a clear picture of how he was casting his ballot.

Whitey always had a pulse of the goings-on across the state. He had a paper for every day of the week, including the Choteau Acantha and Missoulian, but he particularly loved Libby’s paper days. A steadfast member and reader of The Western News, you could count on seeing Whitey making his town rounds every Tuesday and Friday. 

And while he was collecting the latest print at The Western News, he was certain to take a couple candies from the candy jar to bring home to the grandkid jar. If you saw Whitey at the Legion or Torgy’s, you could be sure he was greeted with a smile and a “must be paper day.”

Whitey loved sports, whether the pro leagues or hometown. Regardless of if he had grandkids participating, Whitey tuned into Logger radio, often tinkering in his garage or writing “D Wilson” on all his tools, while he listened to the play-by-play. 

An athlete himself, he played football and basketball, and placed third in the 100-yard dash for the state of Montana as a freshman.

Whitey also loved sweet treats. He had his first taste of ice cream when he was 12 years old and he never forgot it. Lucky for him, he married an excellent baker, and he was not shy about braggng about Doris’s pies and her special crust.

Many may not know this, but Whitey is not the first Whitey in his family. His older and fair-haired brother, Junior, claimed that nickname fame. But among Donald’s coworkers and friends, it quickly became his revered nickname, too.

Whitey is preceded in death by parents Walter Sr. and Annie Pearl Wilson; brothers Ludwig Gorwell, Vernon Wilson, Walter Jr. Wilson, Harold Wilson and Richard Wilson; sisters Margaret Groot, Mabel Webster, and Myrtle Wilson; and his beloved Jack Russell named Archie. 

He is survived by his wife, Doris of Libby; Daughter, Patti (Buzz) of Bozeman; son, Bill of Libby; daughter, Corinne (Chuck) of Libby; son, Steve (Debbie) of Libby; grandkids Kelsey of Kalispell, Jill of Walnut Creek, California, Shayna (Josh) of Troy, Kasey (John) of Libby, Shelby (Michael) of Libby, Tana of Libby, Spencer of Libby; nine great-grands; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A renowned jokester and ‘shenanigator,’ there are a lifetime of stories and memories— too many to publish here— so please join the family at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, for graveside services at the City of Libby Cemetery, to include a full military service, followed by a reception at the American Legion.

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