Rosary for Clyde P. Fickes was recited at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Livingston-Malletta & Geraghty Funeral Home. Mass of the Resurrection was celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church with the Rev. Fred Reidy as celebrant. Burial followed at St. Mary's Cemetery.

Mr. Fickes, 103, of Missoula, died of natural causes Tuesday, December 29, at St. Patrick Hospital.

He was born November 2, 1884, in Nelson, Nebraska, to Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Fickes. Reared in Bedford, Pennsylvania, he attended Ohio Normal University and moved to Montana in the early 1900's.

In 1907 Mr. Fickes became one of the first U.S. Forest Service rangers under President Theodore Roosevelt's administration. He was instrumental in designing lookout towers for the agency. He also wrote a book on building log cabins and established the U.S. Remount Station at Ninemile.

He remained with the Forest Service until becoming administrator of the Emergency Rubber Project in California during World War II. After the war, he became regional director of the U.S. Treasury Department's War Assets Administration. He retired in 1947 after 40 years in government service.

On the occasion of his 100th birthday in 1984, Mr. Fickes was appointed honorary chief of the U.S. Forest Service by its chief R. Max Petersen.

He served in the state National Guards of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Montana, and during the Mexican border fracas of 1916-1917 he served with Troop A, Montana Squardron of Calvary. He was Montana's oldest living National Guard veteran.

In 1914 he married Katherine McCrea in Kalispell. She preceded him in death in 1955.

Mr. Fickes was a member of the Missoula Senior Citizens, Elks Lodge 383, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church and was the oldest living member of the Knights of Columbus. He also was a lifelong active member of the Republic Party.

He married Corrine F. Otoupalik in Missoula on April 7, 1975, and is survived by her. Also surviving are a son, James, Laguna Niguel, California; a daughter, Mary Katherine Forsyth, Coronado, California; three step-sons, Charles Mollett, San Jose, California, Ernie and Hayes Otoupalik, both of Missoula; a step-daughter, Estella Bolen, Chico, California; 13 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

The Nelson Gazette, Thursday, January 21, 1988; pg. 8

Rosary for Clyde P. Fickes was recited at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Livingston-Malletta & Geraghty Funeral Home. Mass of the Resurrection was celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church with the Rev. Fred Reidy as celebrant. Burial followed at St. Mary's Cemetery.

Mr. Fickes, 103, of Missoula, died of natural causes Tuesday, December 29, at St. Patrick Hospital.

He was born November 2, 1884, in Nelson, Nebraska, to Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Fickes. Reared in Bedford, Pennsylvania, he attended Ohio Normal University and moved to Montana in the early 1900's.

In 1907 Mr. Fickes became one of the first U.S. Forest Service rangers under President Theodore Roosevelt's administration. He was instrumental in designing lookout towers for the agency. He also wrote a book on building log cabins and established the U.S. Remount Station at Ninemile.

He remained with the Forest Service until becoming administrator of the Emergency Rubber Project in California during World War II. After the war, he became regional director of the U.S. Treasury Department's War Assets Administration. He retired in 1947 after 40 years in government service.

On the occasion of his 100th birthday in 1984, Mr. Fickes was appointed honorary chief of the U.S. Forest Service by its chief R. Max Petersen.

He served in the state National Guards of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Montana, and during the Mexican border fracas of 1916-1917 he served with Troop A, Montana Squardron of Calvary. He was Montana's oldest living National Guard veteran.

In 1914 he married Katherine McCrea in Kalispell. She preceded him in death in 1955.

Mr. Fickes was a member of the Missoula Senior Citizens, Elks Lodge 383, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church and was the oldest living member of the Knights of Columbus. He also was a lifelong active member of the Republic Party.

He married Corrine F. Otoupalik in Missoula on April 7, 1975, and is survived by her. Also surviving are a son, James, Laguna Niguel, California; a daughter, Mary Katherine Forsyth, Coronado, California; three step-sons, Charles Mollett, San Jose, California, Ernie and Hayes Otoupalik, both of Missoula; a step-daughter, Estella Bolen, Chico, California; 13 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

The Nelson Gazette, Thursday, January 21, 1988; pg. 8