Cover photo for Ira "Shorty" Williams's Obituary
Ira "Shorty" Williams Profile Photo
1921 Ira "Shorty" 2011

Ira "Shorty" Williams

September 5, 1921 — August 21, 2011

*** Video Tribute is available by cliching on link above  ***Ira “Shorty” Williams, age 89 of Spearfish, and formerly Ekalaka MT, died Sunday August 21, 2011 at the Spearfish Regional Hospital. The funeral service will be held 11am Friday August 26th, 2011 at the Belltower Community Hall near Ekalaka, MT. A visitation will be held 5 to 7pm Thursday, with a 6pm public prayer service, at Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche. Interment will take place at the Beaver Lodge Cemetery, in Ekalaka, MT with military honors. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Ekalaka Volunteer Fire Department or the Carter County Museum. Ira Thomas Williams was born September 5, 1921 in Piniele, Montana. He was the son of William and Annie (Smith) Williams, and the 4th of 11 children. Shorty attended a rural school in Carter County, Montana. He worked as a ranch hand for Clyde Sandon, and during World War II he served his country in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945. On September 1, 1948 he was united in marriage to Laura Marjorie Roadifer at her parents’ home near Sundance, WY. To this union, one daughter, Fay, was born. Following their marriage they made their home on his uncle Roy Williams’ ranch, until purchasing their own ranch located on Box Elder Creek, near Ekalaka MT in 1950. In 1991, Shorty’s grandson Charlie and his wife Monica joined him and Laura on the ranch. Upon selling the ranch in 2003, Shorty moved to Ekalaka where he enjoyed having his grandson Charlie (and Monnie), great granddaughter Stacey (and Mike), and their children nearby. After having some health issues, he moved to Spearfish in 2010 where he was close to his daughter Fay (and Gary), and granddaughters Rita and Marie. Shorty’s favorite pastime was visiting family and friends, and playing cards. He always had a great sense of responsibility for family, and he enjoyed the young children. For many years, he was active in the VFW, American Legion, and the Belltower Community Club. He was a clerk for the local school district most of the years his daughter was in school. He was very proud that during the winter of 1936, when he was just 15, his father entrusted him to winter a herd of calves 1 ½ miles outside of Belle Fourche on a place near Red Water. When he started school he had heard his older brothers and sisters read the primers so much he knew the stories by heart. When the teacher asked him to read, he would recite the stories to her. She wised up in a hurry that he couldn’t actually read, and took a book and cut it up, putting the pictures on the wrong pages to force him to learn. One year when there wasn’t a teacher, his parent made him and his siblings go to the school house anyways, five days a week to do school work. Shorty always had a saddle horse or two during his ranching days. His favorite was Blaze in the 1950’s and he was still taking about Blaze to his last days. He also had a milk cow and Annie was a favorite with him and his grandchildren. He enjoyed his chickens as well, and even after selling his ranch, he enjoyed keeping them at the ranch for a time. He enjoyed a full long life and claimed he was retired most of his life as his place was small and he and Laura and later he and Charlie, could easily handle the work. “Shorty” is survived by his daughter, Fay (Gary) Hersey of Belle Fourche; 3 grandchildren, Charles (Monica) of Ekalaka MT, Rita of Spearfish, Marie (and fiancé’ Daniel Subiate) of Belle Fourche; 2 great grandchildren, Stacey (Michael) Ashbrook, Searraha Droppers; 3 great great grandchildren, David, Zander, and Christian Ashbrook; 1 sister, Lois Hopkins of Gillette WY; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; and 9 brothers and sisters. DATE OF BIRTH September 5, 1921 Piniele, Montana DATE OF DEATH August 21, 2011 Spearfish, South Dakota FUNERAL SERVICE 11:00 A.M. – Friday – August 26th, 2011 Belltower Community Hall Rural Ekalaka, Montana OFFICIANT Rev. Wally Fox HONORARY CASKETBEARERS Chris Hanson                                                            John Neece CASKETBEARERS Kim Curry                                                  Steve Rosencranz William Kennedy                                              David Wolff Ronnie Rosencranz                                          Tyler Wolff INTERMENT Beaver Lodge Cemetery Ekalaka, Montana MILITARY HONORS Am. Legion Post #60, VFW Post #7885
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Ira "Shorty" Williams, please visit our flower store.

Guestbook

Visits: 41

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Send Flowers

Send Flowers

Plant A Tree

Plant A Tree