John Robert Stensrud was born in Maddock, ND on June 9, 1934, to Alvina Smerer Stensrud and Horace Stensrud. The Stensruds moved to Shelby, Montana when John was 10. The family moved to Great Falls when John was 15.
Over the years, John worked at many jobs. He cooked in, and once owned a restaurant. He was a meat cutter (where he lost the tip of one finger), he worked as a used car salesman, and later, operated a used car lot in Black Eagle with his friend. They called it Ill Eagle Auto Sales. He drove trucks and worked as a mechanic repairing all kinds of vehicles including big trucks, skills he learned from his father. At one point not long after moving to Great Falls John drove a delivery truck for Meadow Gold from Great Falls to the Hi-Line.
In 1957, John met and married Chris. They had two boys, Robert Allen Stensrud (deceased) and John Jesse Stensrud of Fernley NV, They divorced in 1961.
John met his 2nd wife, Ruth Barkley, in the winter of 1961. They have two daughters, Crystal Stensrud Anderson of Havre, MT and Sandra Stensrud of Fernley, NV.
In 1965, the couple moved to a 4-plex with a shop building in Black Eagle which they later purchased. In 1986, John purchased a used truck from a former boss and began his own trucking company.
John and Ruth moved to a place along Belt Creek in Armington. A few years later they moved to Great Falls.
John passed away quietly in his sleep early Tuesday morning, December 28, 2021. In addition to his wife, Ruth; and the children mentioned above, John Jesse (aka Jay), Crystal and son-in-law Randy Anderson, and Sandi; John is survived by 5 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, visit the O'Connor Funeral Home website.
