On the morning of April 8, 2016, Robert John Hitt passed away at Apple Rehab Cooney nursing home, after an extended illness, at the age of 85 years. Robert J. Hitt was born August 27, 1930 in Homer, Nebraska, to Amos Ralph Hitt and Ruth Jeanette (Sivill) Hitt.
At the time his father operated a blacksmith shop in Homer. The family moved around to find work, living in Idaho, Arizona, California and Washington state. After graduating from Bremerton High School (Washington), Bob entered the Army. After basic training at Camp Roberts in California, he was deployed by ship to Japan. The Korean War was in progress at the time. He served out 2 years of duty in Japan from 1951 to 1953. After being discharged, he returned to the Puget Sound area and worked primarily in the woods as a logger. He married Doris Marie Pedersen on July 30, 1953 in South Sioux City, Nebraska. They lived in Washington State for a while, before moving to Fromberg, Montana in December of 1953, where his father was operating his own blacksmith shop. Bob worked in a uranium mine in Wyoming and later for a pipeline construction company based in Fromberg, Montana. During this time period, they had two sons, James Robert and William Ralph.
In November 1959 he was hired by the Montana Power Company (MPC) in the Gas Department. The family lived at a MPC camp called Morel Junction, located one mile east of Warm Springs, Montana for the next 8 years. During this time Bob became an accomplished welder. In the spring of 1968, Bob transferred to an MPC natural gas compressor station at Absarokee, Montana, where he became the East Gas Line welder. He welded on high pressure gas lines and fabricated piping assemblies for several natural gas compressor stations in the central part of Montana. Bob and Doris moved to Helena, Montana in 1980, where he was a welder for the Helena Division of MPC. He retired from MPC in 1988 after 27 years of service. He worked for a few more years as a welder with his own portable welding truck.
Bob could build anything out of steel, and one of his hobbies was making knives (primarily hunting knives) from scratch. They were high quality and very popular with local hunters. In his younger years, He enjoyed hunting and fishing. He also had a fishing boat and fished the reservoirs on the Missouri River near Helena, Montana. In later years, he enjoyed reading and solving Sudoku number puzzles.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Sally Michelsen.
Bob is survived by his wife of 62 years, Doris Hitt; sons James Hitt of Butte, MT and William Hitt of Albany , OR; his sister, Shirlee Schlemmer of Renton, WA; grandsons Benjamin Hitt and David Hitt of Bozeman, MT, and numerous cousins, nieces and a nephew.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Thomas Weiner, the staff of St. Peters Hospital and staff at Apple Rehab Cooney nursing home for their compassionate care during his illness.
Cremation has taken place and the family is being cared for by Anderson Stevenson Wilke funeral home. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorials may be sent to First Baptist Church of Montana (Helena), 201 8th Ave., Helena, MT 59601, or the charity of the donor’s choice.
Please visit below to offer a condolence to the family or to share a memory of Bob.
Service Schedule
Services are pending at this time or no services will be held. If available, please see obituary for more information.
Service Schedule
Services are pending at this time or no services will be held. If available, please see obituary for more information.
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Kirby Lambert & Becca Kohl says
Dear Doris, Jim, and family, we’re so sorry to read of Bob’s passing. Know that we’ve been thinking about you, and are sending warm thoughts and love as you heal from this sad loss. Love from Becca and Kirby.
Michael and Svetlana Schwartz says
Thank you for sharing some of the history of Bob’s life, and his family. We will keep him in our thoughts and prayers as time goes by, he will certainly be missed. Mike and Svetlana Schwartz