George Junior Ahlquist

George Junior Ahlquist was born on June 16, 1919, to Gustav Johann and Ingeborg Godtheim Ahlquist near Sidney. He was the 11th child out of 12. He passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2008. Since October 2007, he resided at St. John's Retirement Center, Billings.

His elementary schooling was done in country school Epworth, Mont., for grades one through eight. He graduated from high school in Sidney in 1936. George then went on to Montana State University in Bozeman. He graduated in 1942 with a degree in chemistry.

After college graduation, George served in the U.S. Army from August 1943 until January 1946. He attended code-breaking school near Washington, D.C. Shortly thereafter, he was deployed to London and turned over to the British Intelligence for final training. Following that, he was assigned to a signal intelligence company attached to the 15th Corps 3rd U.S. Army. In this capacity, he served in the Normandy, Northern France and Central Europe Campaigns, and ended the European war in the Salzburg, Austria area in May 1945.

After the military, George worked in Wisconsin in a pulp and paper mill and then moved to the West Coast. He ventured to Brazil as a self-employed contractor, working for a two-year contract for Lutcher SA. to start a pulp mill and train a new crew. On return to the U.S., George obtained employment with Weyerhaeuser, Pulp and Paper Division based in Longview and Federal Way, Wash., as a development and research chemist for 20 years. He traveled as part of his work, going to Sweden, Japan and Venezuela. He retired from Weyerhaeuser in 1985. George did not stop, though. He continued for 10 years after retirement as an independent consultant in the pulp and paper industry for various companies.

George lived in Tomahawk, Wis., after the war, Longview, Wash.; Albany, Ore.; Pasco, Wash.; Longview again and finally Auburn, Wash., before moving to Billings in 2007. George married Ena Roy McNeill in 1946. From that union, two children were born. He was divorced in 1974 and married Zora Mills in 1974.

George is survived by his daughter, Sheila Roy Ahlquist, Linton, Cambridgeshire, England; daughter, Lorna McNeill Ahlquist, wife of Neil Kay, Innellan, Argyll, Scotland; grandson, Kieran Spence Ahlquist Kay; and granddaughter, Katerina Marshall Ahlquist Kay.

Preceding George in death are: wife, Zora; wife, Ena; and all 11 siblings including George M., Esther, John, Alfred, Opal, Edward, Ruth, and four siblings in infancy.

George appreciated the wonderful care given by St. John's staff, and the special support offered by Ronda and Wendy and in Auburn by Florence, and Donna on his trip to France. Services will be the last weekend in January in Billings and Sidney.