Leonard Johann Hustad, 89 of Bainville, MT, passed away on March 28, 2023 at Roosevelt Nursing Home in Culbertson, MT after a full and long life.

Born May 12, 1933 in Lustre, MT, Dad grew up during the Great Depression and World War II. He was the third child of Norwegian immigrant Anton & Alma (Kjensrud) Hustad. He joined older brother Myron and sister Doris, not long after, Russell and Marlon were born. The 5 siblings filled their simple tar paper shack. Dad’s simple up bringing played a large part of who he would be. He left school after the 8th grade finding work on the Hustad farm, as a laborer on the Glasgow Air Force base, as well as, a delivery driver for a local gas company.

On October 20, 1957 Dad married Betty Eschenbacher and together they raised two sons Don and David, whom mom brought into their marriage. I was born in 1958 and the family was complete. In 1965, we moved back to Mom’s family farm, north of Bainville, where they raised their family and continued to work the farm together. They truly were a great pair, working side by side, as they milked cows which they delivered to local customers. Dad was a hard worker, a man of many trades and incredibly stubborn. This was a testament to his strong Norwegian heritage. When they moved to Bainville, he found his true passion for farming and ranching. He was known as a “frugal” guy often going to auctions to buy machinery and other things that he might need one day. Growing up during the depression, he used what he had, fixed what was broken and saved “everything.” If you didn’t have the money to pay for it, you simply did without. He never found a used tire he didn’t like. To our recollection, he never once bought a new tire. He taught me to be self-sufficient and even made me fix my own bike tires. Sometimes figuring it out was the best lesson.

Dad had a sweet tooth and never turned down chocolate or a chocolate milk shake. Mom made the best ones. He loved rodeos, cowboys and good old country music. He was even known to dance every now and then. He enjoyed riding horse until he had his hip replaced. Mom later found out he was trying to use a step ladder to get on the horse. She threatened to have her son-in-law cut every rung on the ladders to keep his feet on the ground. After mom’s passing we realized the depths of their teamwork. He was never quite the same after she passed away. Dementia was slowly taking over; the man we once knew and loved was slipping farther away. We choose to remember him as the cowboy and great man he was.

The greatest joy in Dad’s life was to spend time with his grandkids and great grandkids. They affectionately called him Papa. Papa loved when we all gathered, to simply be together. Dad loved a good joke and he would often tease my girls, Jennifer, Jill and Jackie that they were his favorite granddaughter, until the next one came around and then he would tell the next one the very same thing. Dad was preceded in death by his wife, Betty; son, Don; brothers, Russell, and Myron and sister, Doris (Brandt). He is survived by daughter, Lyanna and son-in-law, Clark “Bill” Gable of Bainville; son, David of Nashua, MT; and brother, Marlon (Charlotte) of Billings, MT; 7 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.