GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE Sunday,
October 31, 2004
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John P. Wilson Sr.
MISSOULA - Air Force veteran, Harlem native and former Chinook resident John
P. Wilson Sr., 61, of Missoula, a businessman, died of cancer Wednesday at his
residence.
His memorial service is 2 p.m. Saturday at
Survivors include sons John Jr. (Laura) Wilson of Denver and Brian
Wilson of Portland, Ore.; sisters, Lois Butcher of Chinook, Phyllis Rouland and Marilyn Kinzle, of
Missoula, and Judy Bacon and Candy Wilson, of Bigfork; a brother, Robert
(Hazel) Wilson of Sandy Hook, Conn.; and three grandchildren.
Additional survivors include numerous nieces and nephews; his companion,
Carol Handy; and his dog, Underfoot.
John was preceded in death by his mother and father, Robert and Esther;
his brother, Bill; and his sister, Helen.
John was born Feb. 21, 1943, in Harlem, the seventh of eight children.
He was raised and educated in
His father purchased the Cozy Corner in Chinook in the late '50s and
John helped in the confectionery.
He joined the Air Force in 1962, and was stationed in
John's professional career began at UBC as a picture framer while he
attended college. In 1969, he opened the Art Attic. In 1970, his second son,
Brian, was born.
He later sold the business and became an independent sales rep,
traveling through seven Rocky Mountain states and
western
John continued to travel and sell through 1995. He bought the
John and Bonnie separated in 1984, and he
married Goldie Indreland in 1989.
He always put family first and was the motivator of a majority of the
family gatherings. His positive influence and continuous support for several
nieces and nephews on their journeys into adulthood will carry his legacy for
many years and generations to come.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Hospice of
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THE MISSOULIAN Sunday,
October 31, 2004
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John P. Wilson Sr.
1943 - 2004
MISSOULA - John P. Wilson Sr. was
taken to be with the Lord after a courageous battle with cancer on Wednesday,
Oct. 27, 2004.
John was born in Harlem on Feb. 21,
1943, to Robert and Esther Wilson, the seventh of eight children.
His childhood years were spent at
grade schools in Harlem, Roundup, Terry and finally Chinook in northern
He enlisted in the Air Force in 1962
and was stationed in
After an honorable discharge, John
and Bonnie moved to
In 1969, at the age of 26, John's
entrepreneurial spirit kicked in and he opened the Art Attic with partner Al
Hamm. This business included picture framing, antiques, an art gallery and
supplies for the trade. In 1970, John and Bonnie's
second son, Brian, was born.
John became sole proprietor of the
Art Attic in 1971. The business was sold in 1978 so he could focus on selling.
In 1976, he had chosen to take his knowledge of the picture-framing trade to
the streets. He began as an independent sales rep covering seven Rocky Mountain
states and western
He started the
He took great pride in the fact that
even though his travel was extensive, he made it a
priority to be home on Friday nights to watch his two sons participate in
athletics from 1980 to 1988.
His skills in working with his hands
were countless. One of John's favorite cliches was,
"It is better to do it right the first time than to have to do it over
again." On numerous occasions, people have said they had never encountered
a person who was so skilled and knowledgeable in so many areas.
John invented a product called the
"Band-It" that is still used in the framing industry. He also started
an oval and circle wood picture frame manufacturing company in
John continued to travel and sell
through 1995, during which time he also entered into a partnership in the old
dairy building on
John and Bonnie separated in 1984, and he married Goldie Indreland
in 1989. They lived in
John's passions were any projects
that included hard work, creativity and ingenuity. Most of all, John enjoyed
taking something old and making it new, including houses, cars, buildings,
furniture and way too many other things to list.
His goals in life were very simple:
to work hard, always put family first and be there for others in their time of
need. His main love was all things family. He was the anchor to the
He would often measure the depth of
his friendships based upon the person's ability to hang on in a mean game of
cribbage or pinochle.
Father John, Grandpa John, Brother
John, Uncle John, Friend John will be sorrowfully missed by all who had the
pleasure of knowing him.
John is survived by his older son,
John Jr. and his wife Laura and their three children, Blake, Zachary and Lia of Denver; son Brian Wilson of Portland, Ore.; sisters
Lois Butcher of Chinook, Phyllis Rouland and Marilyn Kinzle of Missoula, and Judy Bacon and Candy Wilson of
Bigfork; brother Robert Wilson and wife Hazel of Sandy Hook, Conn.; numerous
nieces and nephews; his companion Carol Handy; and his dog, Underfoot.
John was preceded
in death by his mother and father Robert and Esther, his brother Bill, and his
sister Helen.
Memorial services will be held at 2
p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at
In lieu of flowers and should friends
so desire, memorials may be sent to Hospice of Missoula, 800 Kensington Ave.,
Missoula, MT 59801, in memory of John P. Wilson Sr.
Arrangements are by Garden City
Funeral Home & Crematory.
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HAVRE DAILY NEWS Monday,
November 1, 2004
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JOHN WILSON
MISSOULA - John P. Wilson Sr., 61, died Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004, at his
home in
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at
John was born on Feb. 21, 19423, to Robert and Esther Wilson. He
attended grade schools in
John enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 19562 and was
stationed in Watertown, N.Y. There he met Bonnie Loson
and they were married in 1965. After an honorable discharge, they moved to
In 1969, John opened the Art Attic with partner, Al Hamm. The business
included picture framing, antiques, an art gallery and supplies for the trade.
In 1971, John became sole-proprietor of the Art Attic. In 1976, he became an
independent sales representative covering seven Rocky Mountain States and
John invented a product called the Band-It that is still used in the
framing industry. He also began an oval and circle wood picture frame manufacturing
company in
John and Bonnie separated in 1984, and he
married Goldie Indreland in 1989. They lived in
John enjoyed hard work, creativity and ingenuity. He also enjoyed taking
something old and making it new, including houses, cars, buildings, furniture,
etc.
John was preceded in death by his mother and father, Robert and Esther
Wilson; brother, Bill; and sister, Helen.
Survivors include his sons, John (Laura) Wilson Jr. of Denver, Colo.,
and Brian Wilson of Portland, Ore.; sisters, Lois Butcher of Chinook, Phyllis Rouland and Marilyn Kinzle of
Missoula, Judy Bacon and Candy Wilson of Bigfork; brother, Robert (Hazel)
Wilson of Sandy Hook, Conn.; three grandchildren; companion, Carol Handy;
numerous nephews and nieces; and dog, Underfoot.
Memorials may be sent to Hospice of
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