Charles "Butch" Wemple

Just Cremation

Butch (Charles Duane) Wemple, passed away at home surrounded by loved ones during the evening of March 1, 2023.  He was astounding in many ways, full of unshakeable confidence, loaded with free advice, and one of the most loving people anyone could meet.  Born in Hardin, Montana, to Clifford and Lillian Wemple, Butch was the middle child and oldest son of their five children.  After the family relocated to Missoula’s Northside in the 1950s, Butch and his brothers quickly became known for their enterprising charm selling newspapers on the streets of downtown.  Butch learned to street fight at an early age from his oldest sister Barbara.  High-school brought membership in two closely knit car clubs; the Happy Five, and the Gear Jammers, where blue jeans, fast sedans, brylcreem, and the freedom young men find cruising the blacktop and racing for pink slips shaped their days.  George Dahl, Kemper Hall, Gary White, and Chuck Hurt; these friendships remain dear to our family and gave Butch stability in the hardest of times.  Another dear friend, John Person of Florence, provided a counterweight to Butch’s drive to roam the western united states.  Each summer, family vacations included time at John’s ranch down the Bitterroot, bringing in the hay, tending cattle, and swapping stories late into the night.  Butch’s sister Janet was John’s wife and she shared his easiness of laughter and generosity to anyone in need.  These memories underpin immense swaths of our family mythology.    Butch’s lifelong friendship with George Dahl resulted in the most important event of Butch’s life, meeting the love of his life and unfailing companion Gwen Tiemyer, a striking young woman from the University area of Missoula.  She could match him on the dance floor (a life long passion for both), hold her own against his clever wit, and became his wife about a month after they met.  Butch was a dedicated family man and when Gwen became pregnant he began a series of colorful careers that spanned 60 years. A boilermaker, mill worker, insurance salesman, slaughterhouse worker, builder of Boeing 737 jet planes, and foreman of a crew who extracted molten metal from the brine of the Great Salt Lake - his unspoken wish was to be a history professor.  A dream he deferred to provide for our family.    Over the years the family lived in three states and bore a child in each.  Chuck in Montana, Mike in Washington, and Rebecca in Utah.  The family resettled to Montana in 1981.  Friendships along the way are too numerous to list here, but two of special importance need to be acknowledged. Carla and Bob Wiseman, and Ben and Emma Stolp.  Carla and Bob met Butch and Gwen when Butch worked for Boeing in Tacoma Washington.  They became dear lifelong friends, actually a more appropriate term would be family.  The friendship includes strong bonds between children of both families, and the Wisemans stopping by on their annual cross country road trip was always eagerly anticipated by Butch, even as his health began to fail.  The Stolps were neighbors in West Valley City Utah and became quick dancing partners with Butch and Gwen, and also expanded Butch’s world view with Emma’s perspectives from Holland, and the opportunity to craft and carve a handmade golden ring for Gwen under the guidance of master-jeweler Ben.  And that lifelong friendship with George Dahl, who married Gwen’s sister Dianne, carried through to working together in Utah, and boating together on Flathead Lake back in Montana.  This partial list of scores of friends and loved ones is intended to provide insight into the memory of Butch and is not intended to overlook or de-emphasize the importance of any other people dear to him.  Our home was always open to friends and family in need.  My sister, brother, and I all have dear friends who found shelter in my father’s generosity and understanding.  Their wishes and comfort after his passing have been enormously helpful to Gwen and his children.  Butch would not be pleased if we left out a couple more aspects of his life.  He was a veteran of the Army and looked back with pride on his time stationed in Naples Italy.  A self taught painter, Butch sought to capture the feeling of natural landscapes, the riffle of a boat sail, and overcoming the fear of loneliness. He grappled with his health in recent years and received a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease about two years ago.  Like many with that disease he suffered from hallucinations and an unnamable sense of fear.  Towards the end these hallucinations took on a bit more warmth as he carried on conversations with some of the friends listed above (both living and deceased).  Gwen never left his side, nor did his daughter Rebecca and grandson Jacob who served as the primary caregivers, bringers of comfort, and constant presence of safety and love. His son Michael ensured that the family could maintain a 24-hour vigil during Butch’s transition to home-hospice and final days.    He kept his sense of humor until the end.  A voracious reader, loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, brother, son, and friend.  The world is more because of him and less without him.  He is survived by his wife Gwen, daughter Rebecca Pace and son Michael Wemple (Kendra) of Missoula, and son Charles (Mary) of Houston, Texas, four grandchildren Rebecca Marie Kerstetter (David), James Michael Wemple (Rebecca), Sarah Elizabeth Pace, Jacob Dallas Pace, six great-grandchildren Liam, Bridger, Brody, Ava, Scarlet, and Tate, brothers Jim (Sarah) and Jerry (Linda), numerous nieces and nephews, in-laws, friends, and three members of the Happy Five - Chuck, Kemper, and George.  A celebration of life will be held at Orchard Homes Country Life Club on Sunday March 12 at 2:00 p. m.

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Charles "Butch" Wemple

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