Thomas Christian Moe, Sr.

Thomas Christian Moe, Sr. (Tom) was born in Minneapolis, MN on March 24, 1923, the third of five children, and passed away on June 6, 2015 in Bozeman, MT at the age of 92. His parents, Dr. Thomas Moe and Florence (Anderson) Moe, moved to Warroad, MN for a few years and then settled in Moose Lake, MN, a small town near Duluth where Dr. Moe practiced medicine. Tom grew up in Moose Lake and graduated from high school in 1941, on the eve of World War II. After high school he attended the University of Minnesota and enlisted in the Naval Aviator program of Naval ROTC. He began pilot training in 1942 and got his Wings in 1944. Tom flew multiple engine airplanes including the B-17 Flying Fortress (he flew one under the San Francisco East Bay Bridge); the PBY, a flying boat built for landing on the water; and the PB4Y2, a four-engine bomber. He and his “Navy buddies” were trained for the invasion of Japan, in which casualties were expected to be very high. Japan was never invaded and in 1945 Tom was sent to the Philippines to help secure the region and to search for lost planes and ships. He tracked typhoons by flying into the eye and following the path of the storm. Tom remained on active duty in the Philippines until his discharge in 1946. He returned to the University of Minnesota and served in the Naval Reserve until 1947. In January, 1947, Tom met his future wife, Ellen Rue Brown. On February 1, 1947, they went to a dance on their first date, and they got married at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, IA less than five months later on June 22. Tom and Ellen moved to Bozeman, MT in 1948. Tom attended Montana State College on the GI Bill and majored in agricultural economics. After graduation in 1950, Tom and Ellen bought a small cattle ranch in Maiden Canyon near Lewistown, MT. Even though Tom grew up as a doctor’s son in Minnesota, he took to Montana and to ranching “like a duck to water.” In 1957, the couple moved to the farm settled by Ellen’s parents in 1917, and they raised their three children there. Tom was a very successful farmer with a profound respect for the land, and he continuously educated himself about the newest and best agricultural practices. He never really retired from farming and worked as much as he could until he and Ellen moved into the Bozeman Lodge in 2012. In 2011, when Tom was 88 years old, he planted 25 spruce trees for a new shelter belt with some help from his kids. He operated a combine for harvest every year for 63 years; his last year on the combine was in 2013. In their later years, Tom and Ellen traveled to Peoria, AZ to spend their winters swimming, playing golf, and hiking in the Arizona deserts where they enjoyed learning about the plants and animals of the Sonoran ecosystem. They loved the time in their Arizona community and made many new friends on their winter holidays. Tom lived a big life. He worked hard and he played hard. He loved Montana and the outdoors and enjoyed hunting, fishing, skiing, waterskiing, swimming, golf, and sailing throughout his life. He loved packing into the Bob Marshall Wilderness and told many good stories about those trips. Tom was friendly and outgoing; he had a great laugh and a memorable smile. He could strike up a conversation about anything with a perfect stranger. There was nothing that Tom loved more than a good practical joke and he was the instigator of many pranks. He had lots of funny sayings and sprinkled them liberally throughout his conversations. Tom loved science and geography and he read many scientific magazines and books. His memory for facts and his grasp of each subject that he studied (astronomy, geology, and ecology) were astonishing. Tom and Ellen were married for almost 68 years and they were in love until the very end. Tom was so proud of his three children, Tom Jr., Dave, and Jeanne, and he loved them so much. He loved his three grandchildren, Brian, Devin, and Laurie, and his two great-grandchildren, Trace and Mia. Tom’s family meant everything to him. Tom was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church in Lewistown, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Surprise, AZ, and most recently became a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bozeman. He was a member of the American Legion since his discharge from the Naval Reserves in 1947. Tom is preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Florence Moe; his siblings, Mary Louise Moe, Betty Nelson, Kenneth Moe, and Roger Moe; by his grandson, Devin Moe; and by his daughter-in-law, Elizabeth (Hall) Moe, late wife of Tom Jr. He is survived by his wife Ellen; his three children Tom Jr.; Dave and daughter-in-law Barb (Colver) Moe; Jeanne Moe and son-in-law, Dean Littlepage; two grandchildren, Brian Schofeldt and Laurie (Moe) Edwards; grandson-in-law, Matt Edwards; and two great-grandchildren, Trace and Mia Edwards. Tom is also survived by his beloved niece, Sharon Nelson, and nephew, Todd Nelson. Tom’s family wishes to thank Rocky Mountain Hospice, the staff at The Bozeman Lodge, and the nurses and caregivers at Spring Creek Inn for their compassionate and professional care in the last few months of his life. His family will bring him home to Lewistown later this summer and celebrate his wonderful life with a memorial service. To honor Tom’s memory, his family suggests making a contribution to the Central Montana Community Foundation, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, or the charity of your choice.