ON FEBRUARY 21, 2023 FRED STRADINGER PASSED AWAY QUIETLY AFTER A BATTLE OF PARKINSON'S AND DEMENTIA AT THE SPRINGS WHERE HE WAS SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND THE WORKERS THAT WERE CARING FOR HIM, AND SHAWNA GIBSON, WHO BECAME CLOSE TO HIM SHE KEPT HIM ACTIVE WHILE HE WAS WHEELCHAIR BOUND.

HE WAS BORN ON DECEMBER 5, 1939 IN ST. PAUL MINNESOTA TO JOHN AND IRMA STRADINGER. HE ATTENDED SCHOOL IN ST. PAUL. HE GREW UP WITH HIS 3 SIBLINGS, JEROME STRADINGER, JACK STRADINGER, AND MARY STRADINGER CARLSON.THEY SPENT MOST SUMMERS AT PLATTE LAKE AT THEIR RESORT, AND WORKED ALONG SIDE WITH THEIR PARENTS.

AFTER HE GRADUATED HE MARRIED THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE, AND PARTNER IN CRIME SUSAN RYAN STRADINGER, AND REMAINED MARRIED FOR 63 YEARS UNTIL FRED PASSED AWAY. FRED AND SUSIE HAD TWO SONS JERRY AND JIM STRADINGER. AFTER GRADUATION FRED WORKED AS A RESERVE DEPUTY ON THE RAMSEY COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT, A GAS ATTENDANT, AND THE  NEW BRIGHTON BANK TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY. HE THEN BECAME AN AUDITOR AND TRAVELLED TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT BANKS. WHILE HE WAS IN BUTTE WORKING AT THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK, HE FELL IN LOVE WITH BUTTE AND MOVED HIS FAMILY IN 1969 WHERE HE BECAME EMPLOYED FULL TIME. HE WORKED AT FIRST NATIONAL BANK, UNTIL IT WAS BOUGHT BY NORWEST BANKING COMPANY. HE CLIMBED THE BANKING LADDER AND BECAME THE CONTROLLER OF WELLS FARGO IN BUTTE, ANACONDA, AND DILLON AFTER NORWEST BOUGHT THEM. HE AND HIS WIFE SUSAN MOVED TO DILLON MONTANA,WHERE AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME HE RETIRED. HE WAS A GREAT FATHER AND GRANDFATHER AND SPENT HIS TIME WITH HIS FAMILY VACATIONING, BUILDING HOT RODS WITH HIS BROTHER JEROME STRADINGER, ATTENDING SEVERAL MEETINGS TO DIFFERENT BOARDS HE BELONGED TO, AND HIS MOST FAVORITE; GOING TO CAR SHOWS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

HE WAS A MEMBER TO SEVERAL BOARDS, THE MOST SATISFYING BEING A FOUNDING MEMEBR OF THE C.C.C.S. HE WAS ALSO ON THE WESTERN COLLEGE IN DILLON, DIOCESE OF HELENA AND A POLICE COMMISSIONER FOR BUTTE-SILVER BOW. FOR HIS TIME AWAY FROM WORK HE WAS AN ORIGINAL ORGANIZER FOR THE COPPER CITY CORVETTES, THE PIONEER STREET ROD ASSOCIATION, AND BELONGED TO THE MONTANA STREET ROD ASSOCIATION, THE GOOD GUYS, AND THE NATIONAL STREET ROD ASSOCIATION. HE LOVED HIS HOT RODS AND COULD STILL TALK ABOUT HIS CARS, WHICH WHOEVER KNEW FRED, WERE A FEW.

HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE SUSAN STRADINGER, HIS SONS JERRY STRADINGER, AND JIM STRADINGER, HIS GRANDSONS BRODIE AND LACHLAN STRADINGER, AND HIS GREAT GRAND DAUGHTERS, ARIA AND HALEY STRADINGER.

VISITATION WILL BE AT ST. ANN'S PARISH AT 10:00 A.M. FEBRUARY 24, 2023 FOLLOWED AT 11:00 WILL BE THE MASS AND ALL ARE INVITED TO A LUNCHEON AT THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS AT 224 WEST PARK STREET.

IN PLACE OF FLOWERS, DONATIONS TO THE A.S.P.C.A. AND WESTERN COLLEGE IN DILLON MONTANA.