Jake Guth

Jake Guth, 88, of Bozeman died peacefully surrounded by his friends at the Gallatin Rest Home. Cremation has taken place and a celebration of his life will be announced at a later date. Jake was born June 18, 1921 and was the youngest of nine children born to Arthur Delbert Guth and Mary Ollie Burchum of Lepanto Arkansas. In the early thirties he moved with his mother to Chicago where he lived before entering the Army. During World War II he served with distinction and was a decorated radio operator serving in the Philippines. In 1945 he returned to Chicago to marry his sweetheart Anna Marie Gruenthaler. He then went to work for Argonne National Lab and loved to tell stories about meeting Physicist Enrico Fermi who worked there at that time. With the help of the GI Bill he enrolled in accounting and business courses and soon opened his own Insurance Agency in South Shore., Illinois. At one point he was the largest Kemper Insurance Agent in Chicago. In 1959 Jake joined the Lions Club and this would become his life long passion for which he willingly gave his time and energy. He was elected District Governor in1-A Illinois in 1961and awarded the 100% district governor award in 1962. In 1990-1991 he served as District Governor in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was one of the founding members that helped raise funds to establish and maintain the Illinois Camp for the Blind. He was editor of the Illinois Lions Magazine. During his lifetime Jake received numerous awards from the Lions Club International, including the District Governors Appreciation award, The Melvin Jones Award (founder of the Lions Club) and a Life Membership. In 2000 Jake and Marie moved to Bozeman where he made many good friends. He was a loving caretaker to his wife Marie until her death in 2005 and enthusiastically raised funds for the Memory Garden at the Gallatin Valley Rest Home. If it wasn#8217;t snowing he could be found on the Golf course. Jake was preceded in death by Marie, his wife of nearly 60 years and all of his siblings. He is survived by his daughters Patsy Emery, Kathleen DeHeer, Nancy (George) Dunbar of Bozeman, and his son Kenneth Guth of Los Angeles. He also is survived by his grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He delighted in being the patriarch of the family and will also be missed by many nieces and nephews. Memorials in his name may be directed to the Gallatin Rest Home Auxiliary,1221 West Durston, Bozeman, MT 59715, The Lions Club Foundation, 300 W. 22nd Street, Oak Brook Illinois 60523-8842 or Bozeman Deaconess Hospice, 915 Highland Blvd. Bozeman, MT 59715.