James Nordhagen

James Arnold Nordhagen, 92, of Westby died in Wolf Point on Nov. 6, 2021.

The son of Edward and Marie (Gabrielson) Nordhagen, he was born Dec. 14, 1928. He was a lifetime member of the Westby Assembly of God Church, which is where services were held on Wednesday, Nov. 10.

He grew up and attended school in Westby. As children, he, his brothers and sisters would spend hours shoveling snow off the lake below their house so they could ice skate.

Seventy-one years ago, he married Jennie Nelson on Oct., 23, 1950. They moved to the family farm three miles south of Westby where they raised their three sons, Alan, Jeffrey and Blair. Besides farming, welding and raising cattle, he drove the mail truck to Flaxton, N.D., for six years. He spent several summers custom combining in Kansas with his brother Milo and nephew Arnie.

His love of fishing, hunting, horseshoes, motorcycles and airplanes took him many places. Horseshoes was a game that he loved to play and would play frequently, winning several tournaments including two state titles in Montana. He loved to fish and frequented lakes in Montana, North Dakota and Canada. Nelson Reservoir near Fort Peck was a lake he visited often. He loved taking his grandchildren fishing and teaching them everything he knew. Hunting geese, pheasants and deer were also favorite pastimes.

He had pride in owning two airplanes and, during the only lesson he had, he landed the plane during a snowstorm for the instructor. He shot approximately 700 coyotes one winter with his brother Bud as his pilot. He loved to talk about his airplane days and all of the flights he would take and all of things he would see.

In his later years, he spent many hours making beautiful wood projects for family and friends.

He is survived by his wife, Jennie Nordhagen of Westby; sister, Marlys Syme of Plentywood; sons, Alan of Westby, Jeff of Bozeman and Blair of Clancy; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his brothers, Milo and Bud Nordhagen; sister, Marian Berezay; and infant daughter.