Arthur W. Griffith

Art Griffith, age 76, a former resident of Forest City, passed away Tuesday, July 16, 2013, in Hamilton, Montana, where he had made his home for the past 35 years. His wife is the former Joann Junior, a native of Forest City. The couple marked their 50th wedding anniversary on June 1st.
He was born in Marshaville, Ohio, son of Arthur Paul Griffith and Julia Griffith. He moved to Forest City as a youngster and was raised by his uncle, Joseph Petrich, and his aunt, Marge Petrich Mendina, in the Petrich family home on Delaware and South Street.
His mother, Julia, passed away last December at age 95.
As a youngster he got the thrill of the outdoors from his Uncle Joe who took him fishing, hunting and trapping in and around Forest City Country. He entered the U.S. Air Force where he served for six years and when he returned to Forest City he started Art Griffith Excavating. On June 1, 1963 he married Joann Junior, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Junior, who lived on Hudson Street, in St. Joseph's Church, Forest City.
During his days in the excavating business he installed the first roads into the then-named Van Forest Development in Vandling which is now the sprawling Vandling housing development. He also specialized in building ponds and had the knack to be able to locate a water source on a property and excavate it to form a pond. He was the subject of a front page photo, taken by local photographer Al Daugevelo, in the 1970's when he used his bulldozer to extinguish a massive tire fire started by vandals at Kost Tire, on South Main St., in town.
He was very active in community affairs, and being one of the first in this area to own a snowmobile, helped form the Forest Riders Snowmobile club in 1973 which was the area's first search and rescue team. Later in 1973 he was one of the organizers and first volunteers for the new Forest City Area Volunteer Ambulance.
In 1978 he took the big step to live his childhood dream of becoming a hunting guide. He closed his excavating business here and moved his family to Hamilton, Montana, where he first attended guide and outfitter school and then established Iron Horse Outfitters, a company which conducted hunting, fishing and nature adventures into the one million acre Selway Bitterroot Wilderness Area of Idaho.
He ran Iron Horse for almost 25 years taking many local and area hunters into the Selway, on horseback, to pursue the elusive elk. Among his local customers were Bob McDonnell, Dominick Andidora, Dr. John Pilney, Drs. Dave and Tom Oven, and John Kameen. Mr. McDonnell's Carbondale restaurant displays many huge elk bagged while hunting with Art. Joann, always his trusty right hand partner in the business, was the principal cook for the hunting expeditions preparing tasty, homemade dishes for the hunters. She always stayed behind at the Hamilton ranch to take care of messaging and logistics while Art was "in the bush."
They operated Iron Horse until 2008 when, due to the impact of wolves on the Selway elk herd, Art decided to sell his guiding area and retire from the business. After a life of never having experienced a major illness, he contracted kidney cancer about 15 months ago. Though he underwent surgery, the cancer spread despite a number of treatment options. He still kept several of his former 30-head herd of mountain horses which he cared for daily.
From time to time over his 30 years in Montana he jumped on a bulldozer and did some work for Hamilton area contractors who highly valued his skill on the "iron horse."
In addition to his dear wife, Joann, he is survived by a son, Dean, of Corvallis, Montana, who also helped in the guiding business over the years, and his fiance, Deserie' and her three children, Justine, Brian and Crystal. Locally he is survived by his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Andy and Diana Junior, Forest City, and also his dear friends, Don and Joann Cure, former Heart Lake auto dealer.
Art was cremated, according to his wishes, and his remains will be taken into his former hunting area in the mountains which he loved.
Condolences may be the family can be contacted at Mrs. Art Griffith, Box 1346, Hamilton MT 59840.