Harold Howard Battest, 87, of Eureka, MT, died September 9, 2015 in Kalispell, MT. His funeral will be Friday, September 18, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at Thelen Funeral Home in Redfield, SD. Pastor LeShea Avery will officiate. Burial will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Frankfort, SD. Visitation will be Thursday from 5-7:00 p.m. at Thelen Funeral Home in Redfield. www.thelenfuneralhome.com

Harold H. Battest was born February 13, 1928 near Frankfort, SD to William and Louise C. Meyer-Battest. Harold grew up on a farm three and half miles out of Doland, SD. Here, he spent 8 years at a Country School and then attended two years of High School. Each day for high school, he would walk three and a half miles to Doland and another mile to the school house. Harold was the fifth child of the family of nine. He had seven brothers and two sisters. Harold worked on the farm until he was eighteen and then he went out on his own. He traveled to North Dakota, where he started out picking potatoes. This only lasted for a day, for the school kids who got out of school at 4:00 pm picked more spuds than he did all day. Harold stated that "I was going to quit, but the owners said they needed someone strong to load and unload potatoes." Harold decided to stay, and work as a truck driver until harvest was over.

He left soon after harvest was over and went into the Military in 1951, during the Korean War. He served until 1953. After serving in the Military, Harold bought his own gravel truck and hauled gravel for 10 years. During this time he met the love of his life Vivian Shillingstad, in Mobridge, SD. They got married on October 17, 1953, and had three children of their own. They are Tamey, William and Michelle. In 1969, Harold lost the love of his life in a car wreck in Quinn, SD where they were living during this time. To support his family after his wife's death, Harold worked various jobs such as being a farmer, a rancher, bar owner, running heavy equipment and being a gold miner.

Harold had gotten an idea to move to Alaska. Once he moved to Alaska, he worked in the oil field of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. On June 6, 1981 Harold would meet his second wife Joyce Clark. He gained two more girls named Betty Gardner and Joanne Holmes. The family settled in to Fairbanks, Alaska, where Joyce worked as a book keeper, and dad continued to operate heavy equipment as a foreman. Dad like being a foreman because he could work there during the winter, and when summer came around he could work in the gold mines on his land. If someone was to ask him how he was doing mining, he would say "A Miner never talks about his claims, and he never did talk about his money." Dad mined for 20 years, so we think he was doing alright.

Harold retired in 1988 and moved to Eureka, MT where his wife Joyce was originally from. They purchased some land and built a place. Instead of completely retiring from working he started ranching, until Joyce passed away in 2005. He then sold out, and went traveling around the country.
Harold was a member of the Eureka VFW club and Eureka American Legion. During his free time, Harold enjoyed fishing, Hunting, playing cards and pool, and visiting family and friends. He truly loved his family and all of his grandchildren, which was the apple of his eye.

He is survived by his Daughter Tamey of Lexington, Kentucky, Son William and daughter in-law Dawn Battest of Rhame, ND, and his Daughter Michelle of North Pole Alaska. His grandchildren Michael and his wife Amber Battest, Autumn and her husband Michael Criswell, Marshall and his wife Bobbi Battest, Heather and her Husband Joey Reynolds, Samantha Beatson, Ashley Richardson, Sean Hasha. Great Grandchildren: Ashton and Carson Battest, Landon, Kyndree and Lyric Criswell, Jase and Halle Battest, Alycia, Joey, Elijah and Jasmine Reynolds, and three Brothers Lloyd (Dee) Battest of Doland, Richard (Alice) Battest of Beulah, ND and Norman Battest of Barstow, California.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wives Vivian and Joyce, his brothers: Bernard, Donald, Robert, Raymond, and his sisters Betty and Delores.

Dad had a saying that was known to all over the country. They would ask him how you doing and he would say "Terrible but I am use to it".