George Darrow
George Darrow, 90, died Feb. 25, 2015.
He was born in Osage, Wyo., to George and Marjorie Ord Darrow on Aug. 13, 1924. The family moved to Lewistown for a short time following the oil fields, then to Rochester, N.Y., where he attended high school. The family spent many summers traveling back and forth to the family ranch in Lusk, Wyo. The Ord Ranch remained in the family for more than 100 years and was a venue for many enjoyable annual family get-togethers.
George attended the University of Michigan, first receiving a degree in economics. He played football and was on the wrestling team there.
After graduating, he worked a short time for an export company, but he determined that an indoor job was not for him and took a job as a rough-neck in the oil field close to the family ranch in Wyoming. Gaining an interest in the oil field industry, he returned to the University of Montana to major in geology.
During this time, he received officer’s training in ROTC and enlisted in the Navy as an officer during World War II. He had completed specialized radar training and was preparing to ship out on a destroyer from San Diego when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, effectively ending World War II.
After his honorable discharge, he returned to UM to complete his geology degree. His first geology job was with Amerada Hess, in Casper, Wyo., later transferring to Billings. After a few years, he became an independent geologist.
In 1953, George married Eileen Riedl at the Crossbow Ranch, a dude ranch that they jointly operated during summers in the Beartooth Mountains near Yellowstone National Park. To this marriage of 16 years, four children were born — Roy, Karen, Reed and John.
They later divorced and George married Elna Eshom at Paladin farms in Bigfork, in 1976. George and Elna enjoyed 32 years together before she passed away in 2009.
As a Bigfork resident, George was involved in diverse business ventures. He and Elna mutually owned and operated the Kootenai Gallery in downtown Bigfork for more than 15 years. As the owner of Paladin Farms, George actively managed lentil, barley, mint and hay crops. He oversaw ranching operations for sheep and cattle and even owned and bred Percheron draft horses. At no time did George ever “retire.” He and Elna took regular winter sun-breaks for many years, mostly in the Southwest.
After Elna’s passing, George’s children did their best to fill the void by visiting often, inviting him for holidays and joining him in attending functions. He spent the last months of his life in his “winter apartment” at Prestige Assisted Living, in Kalispell, where his family and his dog Ginger visited often.
George made a great many contributions to the state of Montana and the community of Bigfork. He served in the Montana Legislature from 1967 to 1974, serving in both the House and Senate.
One of the chief legislations George wrote was the Montana Environmental Policy Act, an act that was successfully passed and still exists today, protecting and preserving environmental and water quality for all Montanans.
Throughout his lifetime, he actively participated in environmental organizations and stayed politically active, successfully influencing environmental legislation. On a local level, he spearheaded and served on various committees, one being an effort to conserve Cougar Canyon, a tract of state land on the mountainside above Woods Bay, as accessible public property.
George contributed to the Bigfork community as a founding member of the Bigfork Center for Performing Arts and of Sliter Park, and as a member of the Bigfork Chamber of Commerce. He served on the University of Montana President’s Advisory Council for more than eight years. George left many footprints during his time here on earth, both in the hearts of many and on the natural environment.
He was preceded in death by his son, John Robin Darrow, in 2010.
George is survived by his daughter Karen Darrow, of Whitefish; and sons Roy Darrow and wife Jeanne, with their two daughters, Pam and Megan, of Powell, Wyo., and Reed Darrow and wife Cathie, with their five children, Makayla, Jace, Lane, Rayna and Kamryn, of Kalispell; and brother Bob Darrow, of Denver, and first cousin Harry Sager, of Houston, along with their families.
George’s ashes will be scattered on the family farm on Red Tail Ridge by family. A celebration of life will take place at Bru-Mar Estate, south of Bigfork, on Friday, March 13, 2015, from 1 to 3 p.m. For driving directions, visit online at www.brumarestate.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that people give to a charity of choice.