Ricky Werdal Mechanic
Ricky Lloyd Werdal, 66, of Choteau died from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy on Dec. 5, 2024, at Benefis Teton Medical Center. He had battled the rare, incurable brain disease for the past six years.
A celebration of his life will be held on Dec. 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. Cremation has taken place.
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. Rick was a self-taught mechanic who tinkered with motorcycles and rebuilt a few engines. He went directly into the work force after graduation, traveling various places to work on oil crews as a driller.
He and Susy Shaver were married in about 1980 and were blessed with a daughter, Rikki. They were divorced several years later.
On Aug. 21, 1993, Rick married Jennifer Tennant in Glendive. Rick and Jennifer added three boys, Jesse, Cole and Jordan Jacob “J.J.” 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.
He enjoyed coaching his sons and followed their junior high and high school sporting events religiously. He wasn’t shy about cheering them on, and they could always pick his voice out of the crowd sounds in a gymnasium. His boys describe him as a little ornery and known for being pretty cut-and-dried in his approach to life.
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.
Rick moved into BTMC’s long-term care a little over a year ago when the disease had progressed to the point that he needed round-the-clock care.
Rick was preceded in death by his father and his son, J.J.
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.
Croxford Funeral Home & Crematory Inc. is handling arrangements. Memorials are suggested to Benchmark Wrestling, P.O. Box 686, Augusta, MT 59410.
Author: Staff
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