Eugene Ewalt Hamann, 87

Eugene Ewalt Hamann, 87, died Dec. 18, 2018, at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls.

Gene was born in Farmington Township, Minnesota, on Nov. 3, 1931. He and his four siblings Alden, Doris, Dwayne, and Ardell, moved to and grew up in Libby. He graduated from Libby High School and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy. During that time, he served in the Korean War and years later received medals for his service.

After the war, Gene came back to Montana to attend Montana State University in Bozeman to get his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1961. During his time in college, he married Beverly Jean Johnson in a double ring ceremony with his sister Doris and her spouse Kim. They all married on June 22, 1958. Not too long after, Gene and Beverly adopted three children together: David, Diane, and Jamie. He then went on to work in construction and lumber production until he retired in the late 1980s. He and his family moved numerous times for his career. The two most notable places they lived were Roseburg, Oregon, and Kalispell, where they settled down for the rest of his life.

During his life, Gene was an avid hunter, fisherman, coffee drinker, and liked to work in his garage. In his spare time he loved to spend time with his family, especially his grandchildren, friends, and anyone with a good story and some hot coffee.

Gene is preceded in death by his mother, Esther; father, Herbert; and his siblings: Alden, Doris, Dwayne, and Ardell.

Gene is survived by his children and their families. David lives in Pasco, Washington, with his wife Rosemary; Diane lives in Billings, with her husband Roy; and Jamie lives in Kalispell, with his wife Lori. Gene is survived by his grandchildren: Patty, Andrew, Travis, Tyler, Alex, and Ashley. He is also survived by his numerous great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

The memorial for Gene will be determined at a later date but is tentatively planned in the spring of 2019.