Bud Curran

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Bud Curran, 85, of Miles City passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, at the Holy Rosary Healthcare after a short illness.
Bud was born June 16, 1926, near Rosebud Creek in Rosebud County. He spent many wonderful days playing with his siblings and cousins on the place of his grandfather, George Parkins. Mr. Curran attended grade school in the Lee community of Rosebud County.
When he was a senior in high school at Colstrip he joined the Army. He enlisted on March 24, 1945, and was sent to Japan where he was stationed with the 934th Engineer Construction Group. He was discharged Nov. 28, 1946, as a Technician 4th Grade.
Bud returned to eastern Montana and worked at various jobs. He eventually settled in Miles City. One of his first employers was L.P. Anderson and they were lifelong friends.
Bud started his own "dirt moving" business in the 1950s.
On Nov. 11, 1951, he and Mildred "Mickey" Lancaster were married. They had one daughter, Karen Leah. The couple were married for 40 years, until she died from cancer in November 1991. Some of his best times he spent was with his family, enjoying his grandchildren and later his great-grandchildren.
In 1966 he was in a joint venture with Bob Rask and did contracts for the Army Corps of Engineers at Fort Peck.
Bud then started his own trucking business, as well as utilizing heavy equipment. During the 1970s he also worked for Ray Jerrel. He continued trucking, hauling grain for local farmers and grain elevators.
Mr. Curran and Bonnie Ashley were married Oct. 22, 1993. They enjoyed taking trips, especially to see his grandchildren. He was planning to take a trip to see his grandson and family this month.
Mr. and Mrs. Curran enjoyed watching old movies, sometimes muting the show and making up their own dialogue. He always said he was not a "cat man," but grew to like several of their cats, Pumpkin and Kato.
Bud was happiest trucking. He did not want to retire, even though he was 85. He almost got his wish; he was hauling grain this August and shortly afterwards he got sick. He did not get to finish the harvest season and that bothered him even though he was not feeling well. Someone told Mr. Curran this year he was the oldest person in Montana to hold a Commercial Driver's License (CDL), but this was never verified.
Mr. Curran had a wonderful sense of humor. He gave a lot of people nicknames and had a variety of sayings. He always enjoyed little children.
Mr. Curran was a member of the Eagles Lodge, a life-time member of the VFW and American Legion. At one time he belonged to the Moose Lodge.
Bud's survivors include his wife, Bonnie Curran; his daughter, Karen (Bill) Dutton of Jordan; his brother, Joe (Helen) Curran of Colstrip and Mary McCuistion of Missoula; his grandson, B.J. Murnion, and his wife, Marsha, of Lamoille, Nev.; granddaughters, Meghan Murphy of Vancouver, Wash., and Cari Murnion of Billings; and five great-grandchildren, Baylee, Kelli and Heston Murnion and Tristin and Sydney Murphy.
Bud's survivors also include his extended family: Barry (Jolene) Dutton, Mary (Wayland) Pluhar and Jennifer (Darren) Pitcher; their children: Jentry and Javon Dutton, Maggie and Angus Pluhar, Khyrsten, Kamryon and Liv Pitcher; six nieces: Rachel Stester, Cindy Curran, Valerie Maher, Kathy Coate, Sandy Bradford and Marie Armstrong; three nephews: George Hill, Gill Hill and Jim Curran; and a special nephew, Moe Rademacher.
Also surviving him are his wife's family: Darlene Ashley, Sandra (Ed) Helgeson, Joann (Kenny) Borrego, Judy (Vince) Binder, Dean (Sue) Ashley and Mary Ashley; and their children, his nephew and nieces, Kevin, Dan and Nicole Helgeson and Carrie Roth, Chris and Kendra Borrego, Katie Olson, Paul and Nolan Binder, Sara, Mary and Quinn Ashley.
Bud was preceded in death by his first wife, Mildred "Mickey" Curran; his mother, Mary Hill; his grandfather, George Parkins; his siblings, Jim Curran and Bill Hill; his brother and sister-in-law, Irving and Belva Lancaster; their son (his nephew), Larry Lancaster; and his mother-in-law, Susie Dent.
Funeral services were on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 11 a.m. in the Grace Bible Church.
Burial, with military honors, will be in the Custer County Cemetery.