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Bernard Jules Wenger

Bernard Jules Wenger, 85, passed away Oct. 12, 2016 after a long, courageous battle with cancer. He was born in Jackson to Jules and Leonne (Foussard) Wenger. At 17, he joined the Air Force and proudly served through the Korean Conflict. Afterwards he returned home to Dillon and received a bachelor of science in education at Western Montana College.

While attending college he met and married Cleo Bagley on Aug. 22, 1954. A year later they started their family with the birth of their first child. After graduating in 1956 he moved his family to Townsend where he began his teaching career. In 1959 he moved Cleo and their three children to Columbia Falls where he built his family the home where they lived for 35 years. During his time in Columbia Falls he went back to school and earned a master’s degree in counseling and psychology.

When not attending school during the summers he worked on building the Plum Creek Particle Plant and for Glacier National Park.

Upon retiring from the Columbia Falls School District he worked full time in Glacier National Park which left the winters open for Cleo and him to travel south.

They eventually became snowbirds and lived in Florence, Arizona. In 2011 the yearly trip became too much and they moved to Florence, Arizona as permanent residents. In January, his health failed and he and Cleo moved to Casa Grande, Arizona to live with their daughters, Debbie and Dianna. In August, Cleo and Bernie proudly celebrated 62 years of marriage.

He is survived by his wife, Cleo Wenger, his daughters Debbie Wenger, Dianna Wenger, and Kari Wenger (Leroy Slicker); his sons Rodney Wenger (Pegi), and Charles Scott Wenger (Susan); his sisters Peggy Actis and Yvonne Hull (Frog) and a brother, Richard Wenger (Rosemary). He is also is survived by nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Bernard was preceded in death by his parents, an infant son, his youngest son, John Jules Wenger, and a grandson, Mathew Thomas Slicker.

A memorial will be held sometime next Spring in Dillon with burial at Fort Missoula.