Donald (Don) Wayne Watterud, 84, peacefully passed into eternity at his home on Monday, May 15th, 2023, just shy of his 85th birthday. Don was born May 26, 1938, to Lester and Vernice Watterud in Glasgow, MT and resided in Bozeman, MT with his wife Elaine.
Don graduated from Opheim High School and continued his education at Los Angeles Community College in accounting. With his love of fast and classic cars, he attended automotive trade school where he fine-tuned his love of autobody/paint work and would argue that Dodge or Plymouth anything...was the only automobile to drive.
Both education and work provided Don the opportunity to live in several places including Opheim, Los Angeles, Glasgow, Sacramento, and upon retirement, Bozeman.
On March 5th, 1966, Don married Elaine Sather. Together they had two daughters, Denean and Kristi, whom he dearly loved. Don and Elaine were a true example of love and commitment to their family, as demonstrated by the celebration of their 57th wedding anniversary.
Don was drafted by the United States Army in 1960 in which he served primarily overseas until 1966. His various work opportunities included automotive bodywork at Newton Motors, water treatment engineering at AFCO, crop insurance adjuster at Federal Crop Insurance, and lastly a transfer to Sacramento to work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a federal investigator.
Throughout his life, you could find Don building houses, fixing cars, and doing bodywork. His interests later in life also included woodworking and gardening. Several hours were spent in his workshop and if you were lucky enough to receive one of his hand-tooled toys, enjoy a treat from his garden or fruit trees, you were truly blessed. He followed the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco 49’ers, and to his daughter’s dismay the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Don could always be found on the sidelines supporting his grandchildren’s sporting events—his voice of encouragement, displeasure, and coaching could often be heard among the spectators. Make no mistake, Grandpa was always there to support them.
Don had a twinkle in his eye and could often be heard saying “Way to go kid!” He was a straight shooter and a man of his word. His smile and kindness will be sorely missed.
Don is survived by his wife, Elaine; daughter, Denean (Marc) Mosman and their children Logan, Luke, and Lincoln; daughter, Kristi (Craig) May and their children Vale, Konnor, Quinton, and McKinlee; and siblings, Shirly Quiring, Larry Watterud, and LaDonna Wade. Don was preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Vernice Watterud; and brothers, Lyle and Leslie Watterud.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Dokken-Nelson in Bozeman on Monday, June 5th at 1:00 P.M. with a reception following at the May residence at 250 Red Fox Lane.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com [dokkennelson.com]
