Obituary: Gordon Edgar Sanderson
Author: Gordon Sanderson Family
Gordon Edgar Sanderson
Gordon Sanderson Family
Gordon Edgar Sanderson passed away peacefully on September 1, 2023, in Helena, Montana. He was 89 years old. Gordon was born on August 10, 1934, in Red Lodge, Montana, to Gustaf Sanderson and Margaret Nelson. He was the fourth of six children. When Gordon was five the family moved from Washoe to Toston, where the family lived for many years. Gordon attended elementary school in Toston and high school in Townsend at Broadwater County High School, where he graduated as the valedictorian of his class in 1952.
Gordon loved ranching and spent his life devoted to his calling and sharing his knowledge with those around him. He went to work for Sadie McMullin in the fall of 1953 on a ranch in the Crow Creek Valley near Toston. It was here that Gordon met the love of his life and best friend, Shirley Lewis, whom he married on August 24, 1957. The couple had four children, Laurel, Roger, Jeff, and Julie. Gordon and Shirley became ranch owners when the McMullins gave them the family homestead, Section 32, and 25 Hereford heifers. Later on, they acquired half of the Lewis Ranch. They expanded the ranch throughout his life. While running the ranch, Gordon was a long-time member of the Soil Conservation Board and the Crow Creek Stock Association, serving as their secretary. He was a prominent rancher in the Crow Creek Valley and was a well-respected member of the community, truly one of the last great cowboys of our time.
Gordon took great care of his cattle, he could frequently be found in the fields keeping an eye on the herd and ensuring that operations were running smoothly. A natural with animals, Gordon loved horses, dogs, and cattle, all of which adored him in return. He had a gift for training his dogs, whether it be with them working as cow dogs or teaching them tricks at home. His favorite dogs were Curley and Homer, both of whom he spoke of with great affection.
Gordon was friendly and kind, he was always willing to help a neighbor or stop to chat on the way to feeding cows or baling hay. He had a phenomenal sense of humor and was always ready to tell a joke and light up the room with a huge laugh and a smile. He took care of his family, teaching them the value of love, hard work, and dedication to a craft. He spent his life working beside his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren on the ranch that he built and loved. He worked on the ranch until he was unable to do so.
Gordon is preceded in death by his parents, Gustaf and Margaret, his brothers Norman, Ronald, and Gerald and his sisters Eileen and Enid, and a daughter, Laurel. He is survived by his wife of sixty-six years, Shirley, and three children, Roger Sanderson (Cindy), Jeff Sanderson (Ellen), and Julie Zipperian (Mark), all of Toston, MT, five grandchildren Casceila Miller (Albert) of Yakima, WA, JJ Smith of New Orleans, LA, Andrew Sanderson (Julianne), Sarah Sanderson (Dillon), and Ashley Sanderson of Toston, MT, and two step-grandchildren, Kellie Hamlet (Tanner) of Deerfield, CO, and Shawn Zipperian of Clancy, MT, four great-grandchildren, Rhiannon Miller, Oliver Miller, Tuff Sanderson, and Sawyer Sanderson, three step-great-grandchildren, Warren, Faith, and Nova, and sisters-in-law Susan Sanderson, Sharon Lewis, Myrna Sanderson, and their families. He will be missed by his family and community.
A Viewing will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home in Townsend. A Funeral Service is set for 10:00 a.m., Thursday, September 7, 2023, at the Watson Event Center in Townsend with burial to follow the service at Radersburg Cemetery in Radersburg. A reception will be held at the Bunkhouse Bar in Toston following the burial.
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