Independent Record
Helena, Montan Obituary
12-21-1943
William Skelton, 93,
Noted Figure Of Old West, Dies Resident of Montana 78 Years Counted Many Thrills in Life Geyser, Dec. 21.—William Skelton of Geyser, first settler in the Judith basin and one of the most colorful figures of pioneer days
!r. territory and state, died early Monday in a Great Falls hospital after an illness of four days. He was 93 years of age.A resident of Montana for 78 years, Skelton counted among his experiences brushes with Indians
in which he narrowly escaped with his life, work as a wood chopperfor Missouri river steamboats, gold seeker, range rider, rancher and cattleman. He still owned, at the time of his death, theranch which he homesteaded In1880. On Dec. 2 Mr. and Mrs.Skelton celebrated the sixty-fourth anniversary of their wedding at their home here. Funeral services will be conducted In Great Falls Wednesday at 2:30 p. m.,with the Rev. T. Malcolm Jones
officiating and burial will be in Highwood cemetery.William Skelton is survived by his widow, Mrs. Vaitleain Skelton,and seven children. The latterare Mrs. Martha Coughlin andCarl Skelton of Geyser, Peter A.
Skelton of Twodot, Stanford Skelton of Stanford, Mrs. JamesHogan of Chicago, Mrs. William Sweeney of Helena, and John Skelton of Seattle. All will attend the funeral.
Born in England Oct. 22, 1850, William Skelton first came to Montana in 1865 and for a time worked as a woodcutter for steamboats plying the Missouri to Fort Benton. Later, with a friend, Tom Dwyer, he joined a gold
rush to the Black Hills.
He returned to Montana in 1876, the year Chief Sitting Bull and his warriors annihilated General
Custer and his Seventh cavalry.
At the Little Big Horn river some of the Indians saw Skelton and Dwyer and were about to attack them when Sitting Bullull motioned them back.
He then motioned to the white men to dive into some willows,which they did, managing to escapewith bullets whizzing about them.