William 'Bill' Nathan Cuddy, 96

William "Bill" Nathan Cuddy, 96, of Thompson Falls, Mont., passed away at home Saturday night, April 18, 2015.

Bill was born on the family homestead near Eagle, Idaho, Feb. 28, 1919, the fourth son of Raymond and Annie Cuddy. In 1924 the family moved north by covered wagon to Southwick-Gold Hill area to farm and ranch. Besides three older brothers, Bill had three younger sisters.

Bill married Kathryn Rountree on Sept. 23, 1947. They had four children. On June 16, 1973, Bill married Lois Derr.

Bill served during World War II from 1942-1945 earning the rank of Sergeant, and was crew chief of his radar unit in Europe. He was honorably discharged on Oct. 29, 1945, with three Bronze Stars and a Good Conduct Medal.

Returning home to Gold Hill, Bill farmed and logged with his brother Elmer and their dad. In 1953, Bill quit farming to log full time in the Kendrick area. In 1959, he began logging in the Coeur d'Alene area and moved there with his four children to be near his logging operations. In 1966, he moved again with the family to Thompson Falls, Mont., where he logged in the area until his retirement in 2005.

During his retirement years, Bill followed baseball each summer, rooting for his favorite team from his recliner. Bill also enjoyed playing cards: poker, pinochle, cribbage, or if no one was available, his solitaire deck was always handy. He cherished visits from children, and especially the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Bill was a member of the Intermountain Logging Conference; a member of the Montana Logging Assoc., serving as president from 1978-1980; and a life member of the Elks from 1976.

Bill was preceded in death by his first wife, Kathryn; his parents; brothers Elmer, John and James Cuddy; sisters Ruth Armitage and RoseAnn Holt; and son, Robert Cuddy. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Lois Cuddy; children Thomas Cuddy, Jennifer Parent (Dennis), Lynne Martin (Glenn), Linda Cuddy, Cheryl Cuddy, Debbie Morse (Brent), Chris Moore (Debbie), Brett Moore (Cherie) and Anne Young (Jim); sister Wilma Watson; 13 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

Burial was May 2, 2015, at the Plains Cemetery. A reception in Bill's memory was held at the Thompson Falls Elks Club.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to Thompson Falls Ambulance Fund: P.O. Box 1055, Thompson Falls, MT 59873; Shriner's Hospital for Children: 911 W. Fifth Ave., Spokane, WA 99204; or Clark Fork Valley Home Health and Hospice: 10 Kruger Road, Plains, MT 59859.