On January 17th, 2024, Gary Severi Hertin, our beloved father, husband, papa, and brother left this world to rejoin the cosmos which he loved so much.Gary S. Hertin was born in Seattle, Washington on May 7th, 1946 to Severi and Lula (Lytinnen) Hertin as a true Finnlander. His father, Severi, died before Gary was born. After his birth, the family moved back to the East side of Butte where he grew up. Gary grew up in a traditional Butte family with 2 older sisters and 2 younger brothers, as his mother remarried. Gary always said he had a perfect childhood. He told stories of his older sister dropping him and friends and in time, brothers, at Delmoe Lake to camp and fish by themselves. He worked throughout his high school years and college years as a handyman and for the Forest Service as a part of their trail crew and fire fighter. Gary graduated from Butte High School in 1964.
In 1968, Gary earned a teaching degree from Western University in English and a minor in History. He went on to teach in Thompson Falls and Choteau, Montana. He returned to Butte, after he decided as much as he liked English and History, teaching was not for him. In 1972, he went to work at the Anaconda Company as a Surveyor. In 1974, he met the love of his life, Cindy Schlosser, while she was working at the pit for a summer job. They became parents to a daughter, Sarah, in 1978 and son, Seth, in 1981. They spent the next fifty years together traversing God’s country, hunting, fishing, camping, and raising their family.
Once the Pit shut down in 1982, Gary went back to his real passion of working outdoors, first for the Bureau of Land Management as a fire dispatcher, firefighter and then to the Forest Service as a Forestry Technician. He retired from the Forest Service in 2010 after 20 years.
Gary Hertin was simple and complicated at the same time. He was a romantic, an intellectual, unimaginably strong, and somehow always funny. He had stoic charisma and knew how to do everything with his own two hands. He was truly the quintessential mountain man. He loved hunting, shooting, fishing, camping and 4wheeling. But he loved hunting the most. He was very lucky in getting Montana’s biggest game animal hunting permits and bagged all 3: Moose, Big Horn Sheep and Mountain Goat. He was a master craftsman and woodworker and built almost everything in the family home. He loved learning, music, and reading everything from astrophysics to philosophy. He was the ultimate tinkerer and never was one to sit around idle. He kept every piece of rope, nut and bolt, chain and scrap of wood, because you never knew when you might need it. Gary might have been one of toughest men ever born, but he was defined by how many people he touched with his great sense of humor and wild spirit. He truly exemplified the Finnish word “sisu”. He was everything for our family.
Gary was preceded in death by his parents, Severi and Lula Hertin; step-dad, John Rautio,; brother, John Rautio; nephews, James Morgan, and John Rautio Jr.; brother in-law, James Morgan; and father and mother-in-law, Bob and June Schlosser.
He is survived by his wife, Cindy; daughter, Sarah Hertin-Dickson (Greg); son, Seth Hertin (Delger); sisters, Lil Morgan, Betty Gilham (Butch); and brother, Bill Rautio (Cathy); sisters in- law, Carol Batteas, and Sharon Kriner; step brothers in-law, Richard(Karen) Schlosser, Donald( Brian) Schlosser; grandchildren, Wilder and Lula Dickson, Emma and Everest Ganjuur; and numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. We thank the universe for giving us the time with Gary and will miss him every day for the rest of our lives. We find comfort in knowing that he is free of pain and suffering. No services are planned at this time.
Please visit below to offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of Gary.
Axelson Funeral and Cremation Services has been privileged to care for Gary and his family.
Mark Lienemann says
Gary and I worked together at ACM Engineering Department. Our wives were in the hospital together having our children. He was a very meticulous person and taught me alot in our time together. Rest in peace my friend. Mark and Nancy Lienemann