Arthur H. Fast

He attended schools in Mt. Lake and various country schools in Lustre. Education was always a priority for him.
Arthur accepted the Lord as personal Savior at an early age and was baptized upon confession of his faith at the age of 13. His grandfather thought he should be a preacher and prayed to that end. He served as co-lay pastor for 11 years at the Lustre Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church, and continued as church moderator, a faithful Sunday School teacher, and active in the music ministries.
Art was always one to try new ideas and stood for his personal convictions. Besides being conservative in his politics, he also lived a simple lifestyle, spending little on himself. He had a gift for storytelling and friendliness, very interested in people and their stories.
Though he worked briefly on the Fort Peck Dam spillway construction, Art's primary occupation was farming. His entrepreneurial spirit got him involved in hauling cream, drilling water wells, delivering fuel and selling eggs.
Arthur H. Fast was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth K.; infant brother, Gerhardt; brother Peter W. Fast; sister Olga Wall; sons-in-law Robert Blackwell and Jim McKinley; and granddaughter Paris McKinley.
He is survived by three brothers and one sister, Arnold (Beth) Fast of Salem, Ore.; twins Harry (Adeline) Fast of Rickreall, Ore., and Helen (Larry) Fitzwater of Dallas, Ore.; and Marvin (Paula) Fast of Amity, Ore. He is also survived by his and Liz's children, Marlene Fast and Marjorie (Willard) Friesen of Mt. Lake, Martin (Karen) Fast of the family farm, Marliss (Eldon) Busenitz of Clio, Mich., Iris (Joe) Troche of El Paso, Texas, Marietta (Ron) Olfert of Lustre and Marla (Loch) Forbes of Chester. There are also 26 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren surviving Arthur H. Fast.
Family will receive friends Wednesday, April 9, at 5 p.m. at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel, followed by a friends and family sharing time at 6 p.m. The funeral service will be on Thursday, April 10, at 4 p.m. at Lustre EMB Church. Interment will be at the Fast Family Cemetery.

This obituary was originally published in the Billings Gazette.