James Walter Eichhorn

James Walter Eichhorn passed away Sunday, March 13, 2016 at home in the hands of his granddaughters Jackie and JayLee. He was just 8 days shy of his 104th birthday.

Jim was born March 21, 1912 in Miles City, Montana to George and Ida (Manternach) Eichhorn. In 1919 the Eichhorns moved to Scobey, Montana where Jim attended school and worked on the family farms. He was smart enough to skip the second grade. By 12 years of age he broke his first saddle horse, was driving horses on all the farm machines, including 9 head behind a triple gang plow. Jim was 13 when he went to his first dance. At 15 he bought his first pistol. He shot over 5000 rounds through that gun and taught himself how to twirl it like they did in the movies. He played catcher for the Line Coulee All-Stars.

Jim moved to Missoula in 1929. He worked various jobs, including a Texaco station and at the Ursuline Sisters' dairy in St. Ignatius. He spent that winter in a cabin up Valley Creek near Arlee trapping coyotes. Jim returned to Scobey from 1930 - 1933 to again work on the family farm. He went back to Missoula. He forged a deep friendship with Paul Bunyan (Norman Means). They were fishing partners for over 50 years. Jim worked at the sugar beet factory until 1934 and Lightning Gas; then started his own Farmer's Union Station in Arlee in 1935.

Jim was most proud of his career with the Northern Pacific / Burlington Northern Railroads. He took a two-year diesel engineering course by mail which enabled him to be hired as a brakeman with the Northern Pacific Railroad. He was promoted to conductor in 1940. During WWII Jim was 'froze to his job'. By 1942 he had run every train the NP Railroad had. He held a regular conductor job in 1943. He ran freight trains to Helena, Phillipsburg, Paradise, Polson, up the Bitterroot, as well as the Northcoast Limited passenger train to Butte and Amtrak to Spokane. He was selected to run Amtrak's Turbo Train from Missoula to Butte on its way to the east coast. He was number one in seniority for the Rocky Mountain Division when he retired in 1975. He worked all 39 years without a reportable injury (even though he was known to run from box car to car on top of a moving train). Jim loved the railroad. He discovered many a fishing hole or chokecherry patch from the back of the caboose. He was thankful to have a job that allowed him to hunt, fish, have horses and travel.

Jim met Grace Erickson, his dance partner of 69 years at a dance in Wallace, Idaho in 1940. They were married in Missoula in 1941and he later adopted her daughter Donna. Jim and Grace's daughter Sally Jo was born in 1942. They bought a half city block where they had a garden, raised chickens and had horses. Jim bought stock in the Mineral King Mine in Saltese. He learned how to set timbers to frame up tunnels. He would take his family and horses to the mine for a week or two at a time where they stayed in an abandoned house. They got ore out of the mine. In the 50's Jim built a trailer court on his half city block. He was awarded best trailer park in Missoula County several years running. It truly was a park. In 1955 he procured a lifetime lease from the Montana Power Company for 300 acres which included Cherry Gulch and Waterworks Hill. He kept his horses there 35 years. Paul Bunyan lived there for nearly 30 to care for the horses. Daughter Sally was tragically killed in 1970. Jim and Grace adopted and raised granddaughter Jackie Sue. Jim took many pack strings into the Bob Marshall Wilderness and hunting camps, mainly Fish Creek. He taught us how to identify trees, wildflowers and made sure we always new who to vote for. Jim's love for horses was immeasurable. He treated 3 generations to adventures of hunting, fishing, camping, steak rides, boating, berry picking, playing cribbage, building, fixing… Almost all of which included horses. He loved to be outdoors and he loved to work. Jim and Grace bought property on Flathead Lake in 1963. After retiring from the railroad, Jim finished building his lake house, was training and selling horses and took up competitive trail riding. He and his horse Colonel won several rides and awards. In 1978 he started clearing trail for the U.S. Forest Service. (He'd been doing it with the Back Country Horsemen long before that.) Jim was very active in the preparations and celebrations of Montana's Centennial in 1989. He went on the Bitterroot Wagon Train from Stevensville to Bannack. He took 7 horses on the Great Montana Cattle Drive and went on the Wyoming Centennial Wagon Train as well. Jim and Grace sold their trailer park and moved with their horses to the lake full time in 1990. In 1995 they sold the lake house and moved into a new home in Polson. Jim noticed too late his driver's license was expired in 2009. At 97 he passed both the written and driving tests. (His current license is valid until 2017. And no, he hasn't been driving lately!) Jim lost Grace in 2010. After two years alone he moved from his own home into Jackie's when he was 101 where he remained until his death.

Jim was a member of the Elk's Hellgate Lodge #383 for 75 years, the National Democrat Society, Lake County Democrats, Back Country Horsemen (Missoula & Mission Valley), The First United Methodist Church, Masumola Club, Mission Valley Friends of the Arts, Polson Fairgrounds Inc.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, 2 sisters, 9 brothers, daughter Sally Jo Olsen, wife Grace. He is survived by daughter Donna, his devoted granddaughter Jackie Sue (Leroy) Trujillo, great grandson Jimmy Trujillo, great granddaughter and favorite riding partner JayLee Trujillo, great-great granddaughter Winter Rose.

A celebration of Jim's life will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Polson on Saturday, March 19th at 10:30 am with luncheon to follow. Burial has taken place beside in wife and daughter in Missoula.

When asked if he lived in Montana all his life, Jim always replied, "Not yet." It is with heavy hearts, yet great respect and admiration that we can now say his answer is "Yes".

Read James Eichhorn's Obituary and Guestbook on www.groganfuneralhome.com.