Arthur Thomas Mavros

Corvallis – Arthur Thomas Mavros, 82 of Corvallis passed away Wednesday, Feb 21st at his home.

Art was born December 21, 1935 in Butte, Montana where his family had a homestead; he was the son of Anthony and Mary “Mayme” Mogus Mavros.  The family moved to Grantsdale where they owned both sides of Grantsdale Rd. from Skalkaho Rd. to the Grantsdale School, where they farmed and ranched.  They had 5 acres of strawberries and other fruits and vegetables as well as raising cows, pigs, chickens and rabbits.  They made their own butter and cheese as well as smoked meat, fish, and pork. All parts of the pig were used; they made head cheese, blood sausage, bacon, pigs feet, ect. 

Arts brother Max and Wanda built the coffee cut café in Hamilton, which they owned and operated for a number of years before selling to Jerry Patzer.  Max and Wanda then bought the Wagon Wheel across from Roaring Lion Rd. which is now the Hide Out Bar and Cassino.  Following High School he joined the U.S. Army and served as field maintenance with the 54th Combat Engineers in Korea.  While in the Army he was certified to work on Pumps and Generators.

Art married Jean Bernice Raggl in the mid 1950’s and they bought 6.7 acres in Corvallis in 1965.  He worked as a Engineer and custodian and the Ravalli County Court House from 1965 to 1971.  In 1972, he went to work for Donaldson Brothers Concrete and worked there until the mid 1980’s.  Art built a nursery in the mid 70’s called Mavros Gardens in Corvallis where he grew flowers and vegetables with his brother LeRoy until the mid 80’s.  He also truck farmed 5 to 15 acres of vegetables, almost every kind that could be grown in the valley, Corvallis has some of the best top soil in the Bitterroot, from bedding plants started in the nursery.  This was one of the biggest retail nurseries in the Bitterroot consisting of four to five, 50 foot by 100 foot buildings and a glass house in front.  Art enjoyed hunting, fishing and growing flowers and vegetables around his house he built in the early 1990’s.

He was preceded in death by his sons, Dan in 1995 and Joe in 2015; brothers, Max, Tony and LeRoy.

Surviving include his children, Jamie of Victor, Rob (Jodie) of Darby, Dave (Debbie) of Hamilton, Rosalie of Missoula and Timothy of Hamilton; sister, Jen (Bob) of Missoula; 6 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Arthur Thomas Mavros, please visit our floral store.