I've seen Curtis off-and-on over the years. The last I saw Curtis was near the end of October. In hindsight I think it was that day or the next when he got ill. I didn't know back then. It was when I was being an election judge for the election. Then the cattle, then the weather changed, and snow fell. I see Curtis less in bad weather as he isn't working outside. Then the end of November, the beginning of December, my neighbor Jan said Curtis was ill and she hadn't seen him in quite a while even though she had left food for him at his door a few times. I worked/talked with Jan and my neighbor Russ and we briefly talked with Curtis on the phone. Curtis sounded bad but at least he gave us the phone number of a couple who were his close friends and also were his trustees. We talked with them and they were looking out for Curtis, and that Curtis wanted to be left alone while he recovered. That's Curtis.
So we kept an eye out for Curtis and hoped he was recovering. But also Curtis doesn't believe in doctors and wouldn't go see a doctor. When Curtis was ill for almost a week this past Summer he wouldn't go see a doctor, even after he recovered. I suggested over and over the time afterwards that he should see a doctor. I stopped saying that for a while as he would get annoyed and I didn't want him to stop talking with me.
So that is why it was a surprise, but not a surprise. Overall he seemed to be in decent health other than his illness this Summer. So a surprise he died. But no doctor visit, so not a surprise.
No funeral, but today there was a graveside service for Curtis. He was buried in a cemetery west of Kalispell. This cemetery was created in 1895. It is not large and there are only a small number of plots left. The grass is native grass. The grass is not mowed and is all natural. Russ has family members buried there. Curtis had seen the cemetery in the past when he and Russ stopped there. Curtis liked the cemetery.
Curtis had a natural burial. That is, no coffin. This cemetery apparently is the only cemetery in Flathead County that allows a natural burial.
Curtis was laying in his grave when we got there. The funeral home prefers that instead of having people watch a body carried/laid into a grave. He was under a sheet. I was told he was dressed with his motorcycle vest as Curtis liked to ride his motorcycle and almost always wore his vest when he did so. And buried holding his bible as Curtis was a religious man in his later years.
There was short service and then people shared a few stories about Curtis. There were only about a dozen of us there. After the service was over, I and many others used shovels and took turns helping the gravedigger put the dirt back into the grave and cover Curtis.
His close friends and I are going to miss Curtis.
Curtis helping Donna and I with a new calf back in March 2022.
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