Austin Stratton, 87, a retired teacher from Lothair,
passed away Tuesday, January 3, 2006 at the Liberty County Nursing Home in
Chester due to natural causes. Graveside rites and burial with military honors
will be held at 9:30 a.m., Friday, January 6th at the Devon Cemetery
followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in
Shelby followed by a luncheon. Whitted Funeral Chapel is in charge of
arrangements. Condolences can be sent to the family at
www.whittedfuneralchapel.com.
He is survived by his sister, AlVera (Lysle) James of Havre; nieces, Lonny Baily of Chandler of AZ, Janna Severson of Wasila, Alaska, Terry (Chuck) Lorentzen of Kalispell, Mychell Shearer of Havre and nephews, Ron (Carleen) Severson of Kalispell and David James of Havre. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Grayce Johnson.
Austin was born September 7, 1918 on the family farm north of Devon to Lucius and Freida Stratton. He attended country school and graduated from Shelby High School in 1937 and then went to work for the C.C.C. camp in Glasgow. He was called into the service during the war and served in medical corps while stationed in Panama. Upon returning to the states, he was stationed at Baxter General Hospital in Spokane until his discharge in 1945. He then attended Washington State University in Pullman for veterinary science. He went on to attend Pasadena (CA) City College for carpentry and then graduated from Northern Montana College in Havre with a teaching degree. Austin taught in many schools in Montana.
Upon retirement, he traveled extensively through Europe and South Africa where his mother was born. He crusaded twice for Billy Graham at the conference in Amsterdam and in 1992 he was with Campus Crusades for Christ where they sang on Red Square in Moscow.
In spite of all his travels abroad, Austin maintained a home in Lothair for the last fifty years.
The family suggests memorials to the Marias Museum, 206 12th Ave. South, Shelby, MT 59474.