Ernest L. Kemmis

1935 - 2025

Ernest L. Kemmis

December 23, 1935 - January 16, 2025

Ernie was born in Fairview, Montana to Lilly S. and Orra R. Kemmis of McKenzie County, North Dakota. He attended one-room schools, often arriving on horseback, or by horse-drawn sled or wagon. Ernie learned farming and livestock care on the family farm. He began high school in Sidney, but when the family moved to eastern Montana, he attended Richey High School, where he played basketball with the Richey Royals and performed in school plays before graduating in 1953.

Following high school, he worked in Richey briefly before joining the U.S. Army in 1954. He was stationed at Fort Ord, California, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in Germany, and at Fort Carson, Colorado. He was eventually selected for elite color guard duty, before his honorable discharge in 1957.

In Colorado, Ernie met Sharon Kay Green, and the two married in 1957. Ernie then entered Colorado State University where he completed a degree in agricultural economics. The recent graduate went to work for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in 1961. Sharon and Ernie welcomed two children, Teri and Ron in the early years of their marriage. In Billings, the children began school and the family enjoyed weekend getaways to their retreat above Red Lodge. The marriage ended in the early 1970s, and Sharon and the children moved to Iowa.

Ernie remained in Montana for his entire BLM career, with only a few exceptions. He was briefly detailed to Washington, D.C. in 1963, where he was deeply moved by watching President Kennedy's funeral cortege. In 1964-65, he was detailed to Denver, where Ron was born. In 1967, he was tapped to work for 3 months in Nigeria with a team of American agricultural experts to study and advise local officials regarding grazing practices. His experience there was summed up in a monograph that he co-authored, entitled Land management study of Northern Nigeria. Otherwise, aside from a brief (and mosquito-beleaguered) tour of duty at the Malta, Montana station of the BLM, he remained in Billings for his entire career, culminating in his service as Chief of the Division of Planning and Environmental Coordination.

Ernie married Carol Vaughan in 1978; they lived in Billings where he retired. He enjoyed gardening, yard work, driving trips to the Oregon Coast with Carol, and watching and feeding backyard birds. He also enjoyed oil painting and became quite skilled in landscapes. He was a regular contributor to the editorial page of the Billings Gazette, commenting on a range of civic and political matters.

Ernie was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Mary Lou Richey, and his brother David, as well as Sharon and Carol Kemmis and two of Carol's children, Karen and Mike. He is survived by his sister Sharon Lininger, brother Daniel Kemmis (Jean Larson), daughter Dr. Teri (Jim) Pipe, son Ron (Ginny) Kemmis, two grandchildren, two great grandchildren, several loving nieces and nephews, stepchildren Kim (Bill) Lamdin, Konnie (Rick) Jansma and Cary (Renae) Barnett, and four beloved step grandchildren.

A celebration of life is being planned for spring, 2025.