Harold Mace Sanders

Harold Mace Sanders, 87, entered heaven’s gates Jan. 10, 2013.

Harold was born to Mace and Wilma Sanders in Tonkawa, Okla., on May 19, 1925.  He and his younger brother, Donald, grew up together in Douglas, Wyo.  He graduated from Converse County High School, Douglas.

Enlisting in the Army in November 1943 at age 18, he served as a radio operator on several ships for two years.  During his service he received a Medal of Honor for good conduct.  He was honorably discharged in December 1945.

The next few years he worked as a ranch hand in the Douglas area.  During that time he, his brother and Dick Hornbuckle traveled and played music with great aspirations of making it big in music.  Harold played the harmonica, concertina, banjo and piano.

He then attended two years of college at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Harold also enjoyed training horses and racing in the wild horse races during these years.

In 1948, he met and fell in love with Patricia Blackburn.  They were married Aug. 29, 1948.  They began their life together living out of a sheep wagon in the Medicine Bow Mountains.  Moving to and working on Harold’s family homestead near Douglas, he became the proud father of Arthur and Judy Sanders.

In 1957, Harold purchased the Silver Spruce Dude Ranch west of Douglas.  For 11 years he and Pat worked the dude ranch and created innumerable fond memories; many involved initiating unsuspecting city folks to country living.

Horseback riding, practical jokes, water fights, story telling and dancing were some of their favorite past times.

In 1970, Harold purchased the Wagner Ranch near Fortine and moved his family from Wyoming to raise cattle there.  The next 28 years were lived ranching and enjoying their children and grandchildren.  He loved working hard on the ranch and teaching his grandchildren life lessons.

He retired to Eureka in 1998.  There he enjoyed playing his instruments, listening to music, reading, spending time with family, playing pinochle and doing honey dos for the wife he adored.  Harold and Pat were married for 64 years.

Harold will be remembered as a man who faithfully and wholly loved his Lord, his wife and his family.  He was a kind, gentle, soft-spoken man whom many knew as friend and will be dearly missed.

He is survived by wife Patricia Sanders; brother Don Sanders; children Art Sanders and Judy Smith; grandchildren Melissa Vandeberg, Nathan Steele, Travis, Luke and Justin Sanders; great-grandchildren Mikayla and Zach Vandeberg, Darya and Dylan Moyan.

Memorials can be sent to High Road Ministries, PO Box 347, Eureka, MT 59917.  Services were Monday, Jan. 14, at the Eureka Church of God.

Local arrangements are by Schnackenberg & Nelson Funeral Home in Eureka.