Hjalamar Arnold Tweten

Hjalmar Arnold Tweten, 91, died Thursday, July 18, 2013, of natural causes at the Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital in Glasgow, Mont. Although our hearts are broken, we celebrate his joyous return to the arms of our Heavenly Father.

He was born in a little log house in Nashua to the late Jacob and Jensina (Hartvikson) Tweten on March 17, 1922. He went to grade school at a country school and then went to Nashua for high school where he graduated in 1941.

In the fall of 1941, he went to sheet metal school in Tacoma, Wash. Upon completion of this school, he worked at Boeing Company in Seattle, Wash., building the first B-17 bombers. He was working here when Pearl Harbor was attacked.

In 1945, he got a farm of his own north of Nashua and lived there up until 2008 when he moved into the Nemont Manor. Even though he was technically “retired,” he farmed until his last day.

In the words of Hjalmar, on March 30, 1947, he married a “chick” from Texas, Jessie Raye Nix. He has always claimed that at that time in history, most girls her age wanted to marry a Norwegian, so she must have considered herself fortunate.

In 1969, he worked at Glasgow Air Base for 11 years while still working on the farm. He also worked on the Fort Peck Dam. Throughout the years, he was a member of the Bethel Lutheran Church of Grain and involved in the Elks, Farmers Union and Sons of Norway.

He and his late wife, Jessie, had two children, Vicki (Tweten) Bell and Lane Tweten. He loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren with all of his heart. They were a never-ending supply of joy and pride for him as he was to them.

His charm and quick wit will be missed. His memory will live on through many loved ones.

Preceding him in death are his wife of 60 years, Jessie Tweten; and one brother, Leonard Tweten.

Survivors include one daughter, Vicki Bell and her husband, Matt,of Palmer, Alaska; one son, Lane Tweten and his wife, Jodi, of Bristow, Iowa; nine grandchildren, Christopher Bell and his wife, Samantha, of Wasilla, Alaska, Nicholas Bell and his wife, Charity, of Wasilla, Collin Bell and his wife, Lindsay, of Wasilla, Ashley Wessel and her husband, Brian, of Palmer, Alaska, Jamie Tweten of Macon, Mo., Lindsey Whittle and her husband, Jason, of Macon, Dustin Fails and his wife, Nicole, of Buckeye, Ariz., Cody Fails of Walnut, Iowa, and Ashley Fails of Bristow, Iowa; 15 great-grandchildren, Shaelynn Bell, Kaylee Nelson, Sean Bell, Tayler Bell, Zackery Bell, Jaxson Bell, Jameson Bell, Kambree Wessel, Kolby Wessel, Faith Whittle, Noah Whittle, Eli Whittle, Rylie Whittle, Teegan Nefzger and Genevieve Fails. He is also survived by his best friend, Mary Ann.

Funeral services were held Sunday, July 21, at 5 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Glasgow, followed by interment in the Highland Cemetery in Glasgow.

Bell Mortuary of Glasgow was in charge of arrangements.