Sidney “Sid” Turnquist
courtesy photo
Sidney Turnquist
POLSON — Sidney “Sid” Turnquist, 91, died on May 6, 2019. He was born in Polson on June 25, 1927, to Louise and Mark Turnquist. As a youngster he survived whooping cough, which they treated by giving him mare’s milk. His sister, Reba, was born four years later. He attended Round Butte country school grades one to eight and graduated from Ronan High School in 1945.
He assisted his father on the family farm where his family had originally homesteaded until 1950, except for the summers of 1949 and 1950 while he was in Yellowstone Park. As many born during the Depression, he believed in hard work and frugality. He wore the same blue down coat and Ronan Sporting Goods hat and had the same wallet with his lucky $2 bill in it for at least 30 years. As a teenager he was involved in the 4-H club where he showed sheep, a Hereford cow named Ada, and a Holstein named Josephine. He also had a pet sheep named Mert. His family also had draft horses and a palomino show horse named Rick. Sid loved farming and animals his entire life, and he missed living on the farm after he moved to “town.”
From the fall of 1950 through the fall of 1952 he served in the US Army with the 40th infantry division in Japan and Korea. He remembers hearing the song “Goodnight Irene” on the boat as they left San Francisco. On the return trip they encountered a typhoon and he was certain they weren’t going to make it.
While in Yellowstone he met Patricia “Pat” Wilson from Iowa. Sid and Pat married in Dysart, Iowa, on June 27, 1953. They originally settled in Iowa where he worked in the Quaker Oat Company, but they shortly moved to Bozeman later that year so that Sid could attend Montana State College and to get back to Montana mountains. Sid was an avid gardener, trout fisherman, skier, pinochle player, and huckleberry and cherry picker. The family cabins at Flathead Lake and Glacier Park were his favorite spots, and he spent many happy summers after retirement there. His favorite spot to fish growing up was North Crow, and he loved to hunt ducks and pheasants. He also loved to travel, especially to Hawaii. Sid spent much of the year watching sports; he loved all sports and was a regular at women’s basketball games and baseball games. He and his daughter, Tana, who was a women’s softball player, spent many, many summers at the ball field.
He graduated from Montana State College (now Montana State University) with a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences. He was in the first class to graduate from the newly completed Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. Following graduation, he was employed by the ASCS Department, through the US Department of Agriculture, a job he held until his retirement in 1985.
He and his wife had three daughters, Vicki, Bobbi, and Tana. His wife, Pat, died of cancer in 1974. Sid was active in the singles club, and went to the senior center, but he never remarried.
He is survived by his sister, Reba Turnquist of Seattle, Washington; his daughters, Vicki Turnquist of Billings, Bobbi (Bill) Clem of Bozeman, and Tana (Rob) Hoyem; his grandchildren, Dan (Angie) Clem and Greg (Joe) Clem of Seattle, Brady Hoyem (fiancé, Kaitlan) of Pullman, Washington, and Brianna Hoyem; his great-grandson, Kingston and his great-grand- daughter, Irony.
Sid lived on Bridger Drive in Bozeman for many years and then at Bozeman Lodge for 4 and one-half years. His family would like to thank Dr. Karen lzibicki and her nurse Pam; the staff at Bozeman Lodge; and Hospice of Bozeman Health.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service: www.dokkennelson.com.
