GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE                                                              Sunday, September 15, 2002

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David Lincoln Blatter

  CASCADE -- World War II Navy veteran David Lincoln Blatter, 75, who formerly worked for the Great Falls Police Department, died Tuesday at his home south of Cascade of natural causes.

  Visitation is 4 to 8 p.m. today at Helena Funeral Chapel and 9 to 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Helena. His funeral is 10:30 a.m. Monday followed by a luncheon at the church. Burial with military honors is 6:15 p.m. Monday in Sunset Memorial Gardens in Helena. The funeral procession will leave the church at 6 p.m.

  Survivors include his wife, Terri Blatter of Cascade; his children Colleen Walker of Pleasant Grove, Utah, Patsy Blatter of Boise, Idaho, Duane Blatter of Salt Lake City, Mark Blatter, Bryan Sandrock and Chris Sandrock, all of Helena; a sister, Eva Blaylock of Idaho Falls, Idaho; brothers Calvin Blatter of Great Falls and Kay Blatter of Chinook; and 20 grandchildren.

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THE BLAINE CO. JOURNAL NEWS-OPINION                                Wednesday, September 18, 2002

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David Blatter

  David Lincoln Blatter, 75, passed away while sleeping in his favorite chair at hi~ home a few miles south of Cascade in the late evening hours of Wednesday, September

2002. Funeral services were held at 10:45 am. on Monday, September 16, at the LDS Church ~ Helena and for two hours David was honored by individual recol lections from his wife and chil­dren. His brothers Calvin and Kay Blatter and a nephew, Jim Livingston, sang two of his favorite songs. David was car­ned to his final resting place in the Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery in his company s ar­mored car. The graveside cere­mony included a blessing of the site by his son Mark, the pass­ing of the flag to his wife by the U.S. Navy Honor Guard, and a special tribute of full-dress per­sonnel representing the man­agement of his company (Secu­rity Armored Express) as well as each of its 16 branches. Ar­rangements were by Helena Fu­neral Chapel.

  David was born in Ammon, 1D on December 22, 1926, to Swiss immigrants William and Olga Blatter. He was raised dur­ing the Depression years on a sugarbeet farm near Chinook with his two sisters and six brothers. It was there that he learned many important lessons, including the importance of fain­ily and the value of hard work.

  In 1943. at the age of 17, he followed his brothers Calvin and Melvin into World War II, serv­ing in the U.S. Navy to the end of the war. Following his dis­charge David returned to Chi­nook where he completed his high school education and con­tinued farming for a short time before joining th Chinook Po­lice Dept., and later the Great Falls Police Dept.

  Showing signs of his entre­preneurial spirit, he started the Merchant Police in Great Falls during the 1950s. He later sold this business to his brother Ken and moved to Denver, CO to work for the Armored Motor Service of Denver (which was later sold to Wells Fargo Ar­mored Service Corporation). He retired from Wells Fargo in 1980 and, in true entrepreneurial fash­ion at the age of 54 started his own company-Security Ar­mored Express.

  From 1980 until his passing, he built his company on a tradi­tion of excellence and led those who followed him with hard work and perseverance. His company began with one truck, and today his legacy is represented every day across the states of Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho,
Washington, Nevada, Oregon and Colorado by 41 armored cars, 100 courier vehicles, eight large line-haul trucks, and five airplanes.

  On March 4. 1952, married May Tracy in Idaho Falls, ID and they had four children together over their 30 year marriage. The couple later divorced. On May 11, 1984, David married Maureen “Tern” O’Connell in a private home ceremony among family and friends in Great Falls. David and Tern spent the next 18 years together building his dream from literally nothing.

  His passion was his busi­ness, Security Armored Express, he eagerly anticipated every visit from his family and grand­children, he derived a great deal of pleasure from reading, wood­working, hunting, fly-fishing, floating the Smith River, and soaking in a hot tub. Having been a Montana State Golden Glove Champion boxer in his younger years. David remained an avid boxing fan. He also had a love for classic music, old western songs, and religious hymns.

  He is survived by his wife, Tern of Cascade; two daughters, Colleen (Jerron) Walker of Pleasant Grove, UT and Patsy Blatter of Boise, ID; two sons, Duane (Joy) Blatter of Salt Lake City, UT and Mark ~Jacquie) Blatter of Helena; stepsons, Bryan and Chris Sandrock both of Helena; one sister, Eva Blay­lock of Idaho Falls, ID; two brothers, Calvin Blatter of Great Falls and Kay Blatter of Chi­nook; and 20 grandchildren.

  He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Bethene Furness; and four brothers, Will­ford, Levi, Melvin and Ken                                                                                                           A00013B2002SP18

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