Theodore Suta

Theodore Peter Suta was born at the family farm on October 16, 1932. He was the first-born child of Peter and Hannah (Lozing) Suta. He was followed quite quickly with three other siblings, Henry (Carolyn), Ben (Marge), and Violet Moran. With a nine-year break, they had Dian (Jess) Patrick and Rudy (Sherry). Being raised on the farm 15 miles west of Sunburst, Ted attended the Oil Field School before entering and graduating from Sunburst High School in 1950. After graduation, Ted attended one semester of college at Northern Montana College in Havre before enlisting in the Air Force. Ted was stationed in Japan as a flight engineer on a B-29 refueling squadron. After his discharge from the Air Force, he came back to the family farm. Here he met Maxine Gallup and was married October 6, 1956.

Together they had three children, Carol (Byron) Beley, Joni (Bruce) Schonebaum, and Mark (Miki) Suta. In 1963, Ted moved his family to his farm southeast of Cut Bank. Unfortunately, in 1988, he lost his wife, Maxine, to cancer. Six years later he met Gloria Maxwell Hannon, and after a short courtship, they married in 1994. Gloria had four grown children that Ted treated as his own: Rene (Andi) Isola, Ryan (Jean) Hannon, Kelly (Ron) Kinyon, and Shelly (Dave) Wallewein. Ted continued working on his farm until the age of 80, but stayed closely behind the scenes. He always enjoyed reading and seeing grandkids. He seemed to enjoy his combine rides most when his granddaughter, Kim, was the operator. In his younger years, he played Bridge and Pitch. He was on the board of Glacier Electric and Farmers Grain. What he really loved was his farm and never strayed very far from it.

He is preceded in death by his parents, first wife Maxine, and his brother Ben. Between Ted, Maxine, and Gloria, they have 12 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Donations in lieu of flowers can be sent to Park View Center for home-delivered meals or St. Paul Lutheran Church.

Services will be held at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Cut Bank, Montana, on Thursday, April 24, at 11:00 a.m.