Youngest of Bigfork clan passes away

Jay Eslick will always remember the fun he had with his little brother, Lee.

The two would ride horses on the family farm north of Bigfork, getting into mischievous trouble that young boys do. Jay remembers when they were riding double bareback at the farm, when they came to a tree. Jay, on the front of the horse, yelled “Duck!”

Lee answered “Quack.”

The tree branch knocked Lee off the back of the horse.

Lee Eslick, youngest of the Eslick family in Bigfork, died last week at the family home near the Swan River in Bigfork.

The Eslick family has deep roots in Bigfork. Their father, Joe Eslick, was superintendent of Bigfork schools for 27 years. He still lives on the family farm.

Lee was a gregarious personality who took to drama, acting and singing in high school. His outgoing personality suited him well as a bartender at the Garden Bar. “He was a warm and generous person,” Jay Eslick said. “He had such a loving heart. And he always loved Bigfork.”