On March 7, 2019, Milton Barstad decided to quit fighting Alzheimer’s disease. After struggling on his admittance to FMDH, he settled down for a relaxing day of family visitations and then just drifted off peacefully.
Milton Ingvar Barstad, age 78, was born in Glasgow, Montana at FMDH on April 16, 1940 to Ingvar Barstad and Myrtle (Paulson) Barstad. Milton went to school in Glasgow and graduated from Glasgow High School in 1958.
After high school Milton worked on the runway at the Glasgow Air Force Base. He spent summers doing what he loved, helping his father on the Barstad Farm. In the winter he went to Denver. Then traveled to California to do various jobs including driving machinery on a rice farm. He then joined the National Guard and after training hired on the Great Northern Railroad in Glasgow and retired after 35 years of service.
He married Roberta Thompson on his 25 th birthday. Milton enjoyed Montana’s two biggest lakes, Fort Peck and Flathead, fishing, boating, swimming, and water skiing. After he grew his white beard, Roberta would look back and feel as if she were pulling Santa.
Milton was an avid bicycle rider which he was seen by many on the Tampico Road, or the face of the Fort Peck Dam, or riding to Nashua or Hinsdale depending on the wind.
He also liked driving the combine and checking on all the wheat fields wherever he traveled on vacation or on the train.
Survivors include his wife of almost 54 years, Roberta and their three children, Mitchell (Dawn) Barstad, Brent (Danelle Murch), and Callie Pennington; grandchildren, Spencer, Banner, Skylar, and Ryder (Mitch’s children), Colton and Breanna (Brent’s children), and Mikayla and Cameron (Callie’s children); his brothers, Marvin (Georgia), and Harvey, and their sons and families. He was preceded in death by his parents, four aunts and Uncle Henry.
His funeral will be 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, March 14, 2019 at the First Lutheran Church in Glasgow, Mt. with Pastor Todd Wright officiating. Private family burial will be at a later time.
In Lieu of flowers the family welcomes donations to the Alzheimer’s Association, the New Glasgow Swimming Pool or the Pioneer Museum.