Gaylord Huckins

Gaylord Ellis Huckins died on July 1, 2010 of cancer at Park Haven Retirement Community in Manhattan. He was born on January 12, 1930 on a ranch out side of Broadus, Montana near the Powder River, a son of William McKinley Huckins and Mary Drayton Ellis. Gaylord served in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1953. He was stationed at Ft. Scott, San Francisco, CA and in Alaska. Gaylord was a lifetime member of the American Legion Post 87 in Manhattan. He worked for the Montana State Highway Department with the surveyor crew for thirty years. Gaylord and his wife Gertrude traveled all over Southwest Montana while he worked for the highway. They lived many years in Whitehall before and after he retired, and in 1989 they moved to Manhattan. In October 2006, they moved to Park Haven Retirement Community. Gaylord was a very caring and giving person to his family and friends with great generosity. He was loved in return and admired by his family. Gaylord loved his garden, to eat out, and take rides to see animals around the valley. Gaylord married Gertrude Lorain Miller Rogers on March 8, 1958 in Bozeman, Montana, and they were married 49 years until her death in 2007. His parents William and Mary; brothers Warren and Ben Huckins; and stepson Jerry Rogers also preceded him in death. He is survived by two brothers, Claude (Carol) Huckins of Butte and Sidney (Elaine) Huckins of Townsend; sister Betty (Earl) Quast of Texas; stepson Jack (Karen) Rogers of Belgrade; brother-in-law Robert (Betty) Miller of San Jose, CA; four step-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. No funeral services are planned; cremation and ashes interment by Dahl Funeral Chapel will be at Dry Creek Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to Shodair Childrens Hospital, 840 Helena Ave., Helena, Montana 59601.