Jack Winthers

1929 - 2025

Jack Winthers

August 6, 1929 - October 14, 2025

Jack (John) Winthers, in his own words:

"Ol' Jack won't be slapping his banjo around anymore as the cold wind blew and he croaked, expired, turned up his toes, bit the dust, hit the wall, went under and just plain up and died on October 14, 2025 at home with family at his side."

"When I am dead, cry for me a little, think of me sometimes, but not too much. Think of me now and again as I was in life at some moment if it is pleasant to recall, but not for long. Leave me in peace, and while you live, let your thoughts be with the living." This is from an old Indian prayer.

I do not want a funeral. Perhaps there will be a memorial somewhere so I can hear my bluegrass friends once more. I don't want anyone to feel bad. I would prefer that they celebrate my life, and the fact that I have lived a good long life and maybe made a difference to someone or something along the way.

I was born August 6, 1929 in Polson, Mont. to Ranied Brekke Winthers and August Winthers. I was told I weighed eleven pounds. I had two sisters, Ida and Hazel; one brother James; and two half-brothers, Vernon and Carl Utsond, all of whom are deceased.

I graduated from Polson High School in 1947. I am very proud to be one hundred percent Scandinavian as well as part acquired Indian.

I enlisted in the Army and had one and a half years of active duty in Germany in 1948 and 1949, and five years in the reserves, and a short time in Korea in 1951. I was a heavy equipment operator and demolition man.

My life's work was mostly in the Forest Industries as a logger, industrial forester, sawmill design and mill management. In Missoula I worked in forestry, small log mill design and management and on special assignments that took me to Canada and the eastern U.S. for Evans Products of Portland, Ore. I was also involved in sawmills in Washington, Oregon and Papua, New Guinea.

After I retired in the Bitter Root Valley in 2000 I drove a dump truck hauling gravel for roads in the Sapphire Mountains. It was hard to quit my working life. I met the love of my life, Jean Herbert in 1953 while working in the Swan Valley for the Land Department of the Northern Pacific Railroad at Condon, Mont. It took three years to convince her we should marry. We had two fine boys, Kristian and Eric, who were the best and greatest things that ever happened to me.

My hobbies at one time or another included music, photography, woodworking, home construction and skiing. Skiing as a part time instructor that evolved into fulltime work as Ski School Director at White Pass, Wash. and later, ski instructor at Vail, where I taught private lessons, classes for twelve years and worked the hiring clinic for new instructors for several years. I skied for more than fifty years with no injuries.

Music was another important part of my life. I enjoyed playing an open back, five string banjo clawhammer style. Over the years that we lived in the Bitter Root valley, we went to many Bluegrass Jams around the country and made a lot of friends. Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com.

Daly-Leach Chapel

1010 W. Main Street

Hamilton, MT 59840

4063632010