Obituary of Ervin John Crowder by Wilderness Funeral Home - Chinook

A Life Anchored by the Land: Remembering Ervin John Crowder

Ervin John Crowder passed away peacefully in his sleep on October 17, 2026, at the Columbia Falls home of his daughter Leslie, according to an obituary published on Legacy.com by Wilderness Funeral Home & Cremation Services – Chinook.

He was 95 years old.

Born on May 3, 1931, at the Lawson Place in Sun Prairie, Montana, Ervin entered the world as the second of 14 children born to Earl and Pauline (Wiederrick) Crowder. Because his identical twin brother, Allan, arrived before midnight and Ervin followed after, the brothers did not share a calendar birthday—a small detail from a bustling household.

From Sun Prairie School to the Korean War

Ervin attended Sun Prairie School through the eighth grade, stepping away from formal schooling to stay home and shoulder the heavy labor of farm and ranch life. During the summers, he worked for a roster of regional employers, including Ted Wilson, William Barnard, Joe Reynolds at the Long X, Earl Shores, Edwin Johnston, Dutch Armington, Brim Barrett, and Sherm Grimsley. Among his early feats of endurance, he became known for hauling logs and hay down the Missouri River while the water was frozen over.

Sun prairie east high school sun prairie wi schoolphoto

His work was interrupted by military service. Ervin served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954, spending the Korean War cooking alongside his twin brother, Allan. He often recalled the striking beauty of the Dardanelles in Turkey, where he stood guard as the sole person on the ship deck, forbidden to carry a camera but permanently fixing the image of cannons poking out from the banks in his memory. Of all the sights across his service, he maintained that nothing compared to coming home and seeing the Statue of Liberty.

Building a Family on the Montana Plains

In 1960, Ervin married Donna Howard from Belfry, Montana, whom he frequently described as the best thing that ever happened to him. The couple built their life together at Sun Prairie, raising three daughters: Janet, Darcy, and Leslie. Though his daylight hours were spent outdoors working the land, he regularly welcomed his daughters to join him to “drive” while he fed livestock, help change the oil, or milk the cows—practical training for the chores that waited when he was away trucking.

Ervin and Donna shared 60 years of marriage before her passing. He was preceded in death by his wife, Donna; his parents; and siblings Allan, Bob, Bill, Frank, Ben, Gary, infant sister Peggy, Rose Pewitt, and Alice Anderson.

He is survived by his three daughters, Janet Crowder (Doug Bartz) of Barrow, Alaska; Darcy (Pati Street) of Powell, Wyoming; and Leslie (Randy) Armstrong of Columbia Falls, Montana. He also leaves behind seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, his sister Earline Knudsen, brothers Tom, Butch, Harold, and bonus brother Rick Tuttle.

Services Scheduled in Montana

Graveside services with full military honors are scheduled for Saturday, October 31, at 2:00 p.m. at Ervin’s home located at 1504 Fourchette Bay Road, with subsequent services to follow at 3:00 p.m. at First Creek Hall.