Hector Speckert
courtesy photo
Hector Speckert
POLSON — Hector Speckert, 88, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family, on Jan. 7, 2020, at the Polson Health and Rehabilitation Center. He was born on June 3, 1931, to Otto and Frassie Speckert in Marysville, California.
He grew up in Marysville where his family raised peaches and almonds. As a child he spent much of his time with his cousins and fondly remembered hiking Mount Lassen and riding horses with them. Hector was an avid skier in his youth, a skill he learned from his father, and he even went skiing while in his 70’s.
Hector married Carole Bell and joined the Air Force in 1951. They were stationed in Anchorage, Alaska, until 1955. He and Carole later divorced. Hector then married Irmgard Platten in 1957 and moved to the Speckert Ranch on the south shore of Flathead Lake. There he raised potatoes, cherries, cattle and horses. Many people worked for Hector at the ranch over the decades and if you worked with him for a short time or a few seasons, you always came away with a story to tell.
Hector was a thoughtful man and took his time to make decisions, sometimes longer than he should have. He was a talented mechanic who loved attending auctions and over time amassed quite a collection of farm machinery and old cars. In his later years his favorite things were riding around the ranch, spoiling Wiley the corgi with treats and truck rides, and going for milkshakes and ice cream every day.
Hector was preceded in death by his parents, Otto and Frassie; and his sister, Bernice and her infant daughter.
Hector is survived by four children: daughter Delpha (Joe) Henry of Marysville; sons, Steven (Lynn) and Michael (Gay); and youngest daughter, Susie (Jim), all of Polson. He also leaves behind five grandchildren: Chloe and A. J. Henry, and Michael, Sophia, and Meghan Speckert along with extended family.
A memorial service will be held on Monday, Feb. 3, at 2 p.m. at the Polson Community Church located at 1814 First Street E, just south of St. Joseph Hospital. Memories and condolences may be sent to the family at: www.thelakefuneralhomeandcremation.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of The Lake Funeral Home and Crematory.
