Edward Thomas Milliken, 88

Edward Thomas Milliken, 88, of Hamilton, Mont., passed away Thursday, Jan. 17, 2008 at Valley View Estates in Hamilton.

He was born on May 21, 1919, at his grandfather's homestead near Sawyer, Idaho, the eldest son of Leonard and Margarette (Donahue) Milliken.

Ed started working at the age of 14 on a horse powered hay baler, he began working in the logging camps at 19, joined the Army in 1942 where he made Sgt. "T" as part of the 807th Tank Destroyer Battalion in the ETO. Upon his discharge he and his brother, Bill, went back to logging.

Ed married Dorothy Davis in 1958 and had one son, Dan born in 1959. They lived on grandfather Milliken's place near Jewel Lake, Idaho, until keeping up with the logging forced a move to the Bitterroot Valley in 1969. Here he and his family stayed, purchasing property near Sula, falling in love with the country and the people.

Ed loved the outdoors and animals; keeping cows, horses and dogs as long as he lived.

In the late '70s, their son having joined the Coast Guard, they began spending the winters in Arizona, where they acquired many new friends and worked for a horse outfit just outside of Scottsdale. After eight years of this, transporting two horses and a temporary household became too much. They stayed on the place near Sula until poor health forced them to sell and move to Hamilton.

Ed was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy in 2006 and brother Bill in 1985.

He his survived by son Dan, daughter-in-law Donna, sister-in-law Erma, niece Joyce and many friends.

Did Ed have a good life? He would have said. "You bet."

Memorial services will be scheduled for late May. Arrangements are under the care of the Daly-Leach Chapel.