John J. Bone

RED LODGE - John J. Bone, 77, of Red Lodge, died Sunday, May 21, 2006, after battling cancer for several years. He was born on July 25, 1928, in St. Louis, Mo., a son of James J. and Estelle Bone.
John worked for the Rio Grande Railroad in Denver after graduating from high school. While in Denver, he met and married Mona Hagen in 1953. In December of 1953, they moved to Red Lodge, where they raised their three children. John worked for and later owned Hagen's Plumbing and Heating. He became a master plumber in 1963. After their divorce in 1978, John married Dorothy Jones of Billings in 1980.
After closing the Red Lodge business, John worked for Williams Plumbing in Bozeman and at Big Sky before retiring in 1999. John and Dorothy were divorced in 1996.
John loved to ski and was a member of the Beartooth Ski Patrol for 27 years. He received the distinction of being named Patroller of the Year from 1975–1976. John held life memberships in the National Ski Patrol #3089 and the Beartooth Elks Lodge #534. He was a Red Lodge Volunteer Firefighter for several years, and was instrumental in the operation of the original Willow Creek Ski Area.
John was an avid coin collector for the past several years, and he loved to play golf with his buddies in the "Buffalo Herd."
Survivors include his children, Mickey (Randy) Moret of Belgrade, Kelly (Bob) Miner of Belfry and Patrick Bone of Red Lodge; his grandchildren, Sherry Miner of Red Lodge, Lindsay Miner, Brandon Bone and Amanda and Caleb Addy, all of Billings, Taylor Fitzgerald of San Francisco, and Danielle Kindsfather of Bozeman; his brother, Gerry (Nancy) Bone of Kansas City, Mo.; and two great-grandchildren who called him "Poppa Great."
John was preceded in death by his parents and a grandson, Justin Kindsfather.
Funeral mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 25, at St. Agnes Catholic Church. Cremation will follow, with interment at a later date in the Red Lodge Cemetery. Visitation will be from 1 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, at Smith-Olcott Funeral Chapel. The casket will be closed at the church.
Memorials may be given to Beartooth Hospice, Box 590, Red Lodge MT 59068 or to the charity of one's choice.