Fred Meyer

TOWNSEND - Fred C. Meyer, 79, of Townsend, a lifelong rancher and horseman, died of natural causes Monday at a Townsend care facility.
Rosary is 7 p.m. Thursday at Holy Cross Catholic Church. Funeral Mass is 10 a.m. Friday at Holy Cross, with burial in Holy Cross Cemetery. Connors Funeral Home of Townsend is in charge of arrangements.

Fred is survived by his wife of 59 years, Joye; daughter Beth of Great Falls; brother Marvin (Mary Lou) Meyer of Townsend; half-brothers Ken (Cheryl) Moody of Butte and Jay (Colleen) Meyer of Stevensville; half-sisters Lynn (Nick) Nemsgren of Billings and Trudy (Barry) McLean of Whitehall; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Fred was born Sept. 23, 1928, in Helena, the son of Agnes (Riis) and Henry A. Meyer. He attended schools in Winston and Townsend. He married his high-school sweetheart, Joye Lynch, on Nov. 5, 1949. They spent their entire life together ranching in the Townsend area.
After his love for his family, his greatest joy was working with horses and collecting western memorabilia. He lived the life of a true cowboy and was recognized by winning the "Million Miles in the Saddle" award in June 2005. 

Together Fred and Joye worked tirelessly in the restoration of St. Joseph Catholic Church and were instrumental in getting it placed on the National Historic Register. The old church stands on a hill overlooking the valley they called home for so long.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father, daughters Martha Jean and Margaret Ann; and a sister Jean.