Earl Otis Skogley

Earl Otis Skogley, 79, of Bozeman, passed away on March 16, 2013. He was born March 18, 1933 in Mott, North Dakota, the eighth of nine children, to Conrad and Ida (Rolfe) Skogley. Earl attended grade school and graduated as valedictorian from high school in Mott. He received his BS and MS from North Dakota Agricultural College in Fargo, his PhD from North Carolina State University and did Post-doctoral work at Cornell University. Throughout his life Earl did farm work, was a Teaching and Research Assistant at NDSU, NCSU, and Cornell, and was a Professor and Researcher of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition at Montana State University. On June 7, 1955, Earl married Clarice Lindstrom in Alexandria, MN. Together they raised three children; Jeff, Maren, and Bob. Earl was involved in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts as a Scoutmaster, served in various District Offices, earning both the Silver Beaver Award and the District Award of Merit. He was proud that both his sons were among numerous scouts in his troop to attain the rank of Eagle Scout. He enjoyed Bobcat Athletics, symphonic music, hunting, fishing, skiing, building, woodworking, model trains and restoring old cars. A 50-year member of Hope Lutheran Church, he recently built the faith chests which were given to each child baptized there. He was a member of professional societies Sigma Xi, Potash Phosphate Institute, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society of Agronomy, and the Western Society of Soil Science. His career included field and lab research, and inventing and patenting a device for soil testing, as well as being a much sought-after research consultant. Earl had a wonderful sense of humor, and was a loving husband, father, and grandfather - - a great family man. Earl was preceded in death by his parents, five siblings and three infant children. He is survived by his wife, Clarice, of Bozeman; his children Jeff (Melody) Skogley of Cascade, MT, Maren (Mike) Toohill of Lunenburg, MA, Bob (Sandra) Skogley of Missoula, MT; grandchildren Jennifer Skogley, Kristen Toohill, Jonathan Toohill, Katherine Skogley, Matthew Skogley; siblings Altha Perry of Kennewick, WA, Roberta Swanson of Vista, CA, and Gerald Skogley of Bismarck, ND; sister-in-law Jane Skogley of Exeter, RI; and numerous nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to any of the following; Hope Lutheran Church, 2152 Graf St., Bozeman, MT 59718, Boy Scouts of America, Montana Council at www.scouting.org, the Bozeman Cancer Center at the Bozeman Deaconess Foundation, 917 Highland Blvd., Ste 3200, Bozeman, MT 59715, or to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank, 620 Bond St., Bozeman, MT 59715 Friends may gather at Dahl Funeral Chapel from 7:00PM to 9:00PM on Friday April 5, 2013 to greet the family and share memories. There will be a Celebration of Earl's Life at 11:00AM on Saturday April 6, at Hope Lutheran Church followed by a reception at the church.