Ricky Lloyd Werdal, 66, of Choteau died from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy on December 5, 2024, at Benefis Teton Medical Center. Ricky was born on March 30, 1958, in Scobey to Melvin and Eileen (Miller) Werdal. He grew up in Scobey and graduated from Daniels County High School.
He and Susy Shaver were married in about 1980 and were blessed with a daughter, Rikki. They were divorced several years later.
On August 21, 1993, Rick married Jennifer Tennant in Glendive. Rick and Jennifer added three boys, Jesse, Cole and Jordan Jacob to their family. Rick lived in Glendive and Scobey, and he and Jennifer had a little farm with cattle and sheep outside Peerless where they lived for six years. Work brought the family to Fairfield for a couple of years, and they lived in Choteau for the past 19 years.
Ricky made a career out of working in the oil fields and as a diesel mechanic. He had worked for Frontline Ag Solutions and Bouma Truck Sales and retired, medically, from Big Sky Equipment in Conrad in 2019.
From the time he was a boy, Rick loved the outdoors, and he enjoyed different activities all year round. He taught his boys how to hunt big game and birds. He hunted with a rifle and a bow, and he enjoyed fishing for walleye on lakes from his boat. Fort Peck Lake and Tiber Reservoir were two of his favorite places in the world.
He enjoyed taking the family camping, water skiing, inner-tubing and, during the winter, sledding.
Rick enjoyed watching Fox News and sports on television, particularly football. He was fond of the Minnesota Vikings, but his favorite team was the Choteau High School Bulldogs.
Rick’s deepest love, though, was for his family. He was always so proud of his children, and he loved to brag about their accomplishments. Losing his youngest son, J.J., in a 2018 vehicle accident, broke his heart.
Rick and Jennifer ended their marriage in 2020.
His survivors include his mother, Eileen Werdal of Choteau; his ex-wife, Jennifer Werdal of Choteau; his daughter, Rikki Kindler of Great Falls; his sons, Jesse Werdal of Strawberry, Arizona, and Cole (Paige) Werdal of Choteau; his grandchildren, Ricaela Williams, Jade Kindler, Kaide Kindler and Tyler Seibert, all of Great Falls; Paisley and Juniper Werdal of Choteau; J.J. Werdal of Strawberry, Arizona; and his brother, Randy (Rita) Werdal of Lake Havasu, Arizona.
A celebration of his life will be held on December 13 at 1 p.m. at the Croxford Funeral Home & Crematory Inc. in Great Falls with a luncheon following at the Wagon Wheel Bar & Grill in Choteau.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, click here to visit the Croxford Funeral Home website.
