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Michael John Ihnat

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Michael John Ihnat

Posted: 17 Aug 2010 9:32AM GMT
Classification: Obituary
Surnames: Ihnat
Published in the Missoulian on Thursday, July 1, 2010

GRANTSDALE - Michael John Ihnat (Mike), 88, of Grantsdale, passed away at the Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital, early morning Wednesday June 30, 2010.

He is survived by wife of 69 years, Edith of Grantsdale; their children, Suzanne Wendel of Brownstown, Mich., Kathleen Piska (Jerry) of Marietta, Ga., Monica Ihnat of Yachats, Ore., Michelle Hasenkamp (Gene) of Hastings, Neb., Michael Ihnat II (Cece) of Buffalo, Wyo., Roxanne Oravetz (Steve) of Missoula, and Jorja Dunlap of Butte; brother, John Ihnat of Nashua; sisters, Mary Johnston of Fort Peck, and Virginia Gray of Kalispell. He is also survived by 14 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mike was born in Nashua, on Jan. 20, 1922, he was preceded in death by parents, Joseph Ihnat and Suzannah Ihnat; siblings, Anne Burns, Helen ByField, George Ihnat, and Pauline French.

Mike joined the Navy at age 21, and served on a troop transport ship during World War II as a Boilermaker Third Class on the USS President Hayes. After returning home, he helped construct the Fort Peck Dam. For the next 25 years, he took a job as superintendent building electrical substations across the USA before returning to Montana in 1977.

He brought his wife and family back to the Bitterroot where Mike built their home in Grantsdale. Mike then took a job as line inspector for Bonneville Power Co. working in all the Northwestern states for 10 years. In 1987, Mike had a stroke. He and his wife then returned home to retire.

Mike was very talented designing, building and finishing cabinets and various furniture pieces as a hobby in retirement. He also was an avid gardener, designing and maintaining the home and grounds where he and his family lived for the past 33 years. Mike was able to craft, fix or design anything using his hands, and his lively sense of humor and personality touched forever anyone who knew him.

A wake service will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, July 5, at the Daly-Leach Chapel in Hamilton. Funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 6, at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, 411 S 5th St., in Hamilton, with Father Jack Darragh officiating. Graveside services will follow at Riverview Cemetery in Hamilton, with military honors presented by the Hamilton American Legion, Marine Corps League-Bitterroot Detachment and the US Army.

Donations may be given to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church of Hamilton.

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