Jesse Russell Gleason (Russ) was born March 23, 1935, in Choteau, Montana to Jesse Leon Gleason and Alyce Mae Jacobs, and died at the age of 87 on July 8, 2022, in the Benefis Teton Medical Center (BTMC) in Choteau, Montana. Russ graduated from Choteau High School in 1953 and then spent three semesters at the Montana School of Mines in Butte, where he worked in the Kelley and the Mountain Consolidated mines.
Russ was awfully lovesick for Miss Mary Lou Ely at the time, and found it difficult to concentrate on his studies, so he decided to quit school early and in 1955 he joined the U.S. Navy with two friends from high school. He was stationed in Pearl Harbor, where he spent many hours painting the USS Walker DD 517. After “going together” since July 20, 1952, Russ finally married his sweetheart from Fairfield on January 18, 1957, while he was home on leave from the Navy. Russ was discharged from the Navy in October 1957.
Subsequent to serving his country, getting a college degree was always the plan, so Russ and Mary later went to Montana State University in Bozeman, where she earned her Bachelors in nursing and he earned his Bachelors in Agricultural Education in 1963. They passed their love of learning and value of education on to all five of their children, the first two of whom were born in Bozeman. With Joe and Stacy their family was begun. Heather was the next child to be born, after Russ and Mary went to live and work on the Ely family dairy farm (Teton Dairy) southeast of Fairfield. This is where they would spend the rest of their lives.
Russ is survived by his children, Joseph (Sheri) Gleason, Stacy (Rich, Jeff) Brening, Heather (Tyler) Moulton, Fauneil (Luhi) Purcell, Jessica (Joseph) Bruno; and many grandchildren and other loved ones.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, visit the Croxford Funeral Home website.
