George Holten Pearson

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George Holten Pearson, at the age of 88, passed away August 12, 2022 from heart complications in Great Falls, Montana. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, August 20, 2022 at 11 AM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fairfield, MT with a viewing one hour prior at 10 AM.

George was born July 3, 1934 in Bynum, MT in his Grandma Packer’s home.  He was the second child of eleven children of Louis and Elva Pearson.  George attended Greenfield Grade School and graduated from Fairfield High School in 1952.   

Farming coursed through his veins at an early age as George worked on the family homestead during his growing up years. His love for machines was also evident at an early age as he built his own “go-cart” to transport him to Elementary School; other experiences exposed his many talents and interests. In the fall of 1952, he worked for the Great Northern Railroad in Great Falls and in the fall of 1953 for Anaconda Copper Smelter. In 1954, George worked for Ulmer Auto Service as a mechanic in Great Falls.  One experience that helped shape his conservative political views was going to Washington D.C. with the National Farmer’s Union on a bus tour for two weeks.   

1956-1957 found George serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Eastern Central States mission (Kentucky, West Virginia, and Tennessee).  This experience profoundly changed his life. Later, in 2005-2006, he served another mission with his wife in St. Louis, Missouri. Throughout his life, he served faithfully in the church as a high councilor and also as a counselor in the Great Falls Stake Presidency, Bishop of the Fairfield Ward, Gospel Doctrine Teacher, and many other callings.  He said, “The best job in the church and one of the most important callings was teaching the youth as a Primary teacher.” 

Uncle Sam drafted George’s service in 1958.  The Army sent him to Fort Carson in Colorado for basic training and then off to Fort Sill, Oklahoma where he was enlisted in the Military Occupation Specialty as a Radar Crewman.  During a May furlough, George met Sharon Thornley who was teaching in Great Falls, Montana.  A year later on July 2, 1959, they married in the Cardston Alberta Temple.  They made their first home in Lawton, Oklahoma until George finished his service. 

In 1961, George attended school at North Montana College. He drove the school bus for the Havre School District to help finance his education while Sharon taught school at Rocky Boy Elementary. In the summer of 1962, George worked for Hood Construction driving a bull dozer. In 1963, George transferred to BYU in Provo, Utah where he worked at the BYU Dairy part-time and Sharon taught 2nd grade.  After he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Education in 1966, George and Sharon returned home to Montana with their first two children, Malane and Bill. George farmed with his 5 brothers at Pearson Brothers Corporation.   

From 1971-1974, George worked for Evensen Construction building roads and ski runs at Big Sky, Montana. By now, George and Sharon had added two more sons, Wesley and Russell.  During this time, George moved their old homestead house in Fairfield onto a new foundation and started remodeling it to accommodate his growing family which concluded with the birth of his fourth son, Spencer in 1973. To shorten travel time from Big Sky to Fairfield, George became a pilot and bought a Cessna 170 airplane.  At times, he would land his small plane in the field next to his homestead house. He also took an old car and turned it into a camper.  

In 1974, George became an independent farmer. He was adventurous and hard-working. In 1975, he built a grain company in Fairfield which he later sold. He also received a patent for a no-till drill he designed. George also transformed a stretch of dry land into irrigated farmland by building a dam to provide water for growing crops.   

Farming was tough in the late 1970’s  and early 80’s with high interest rates and low prices for grain. To help support the farm, George started trucking alongside his son, Bill.  After the harvest was through, they hauled cattle every fall and into the winter for 17 years. Last year, even at the age of 87, he was still operating a combine. 

George is survived by his faithful wife, Sharon Thornley, his daughter Malane Anderson (Randy), and his four sons, William Holten Pearson (Terrie), Wesley Earl Pearson (Angela), Russell George Pearson (Rachelle), and Spencer Thornley Pearson (Hilary). He is also survived by his three sisters, Fava Evensen, Nancy Denning, and Marian Green along with one brother, Charles Pearson. He is the grandfather of 26 children and the great-grandfather of 32 children. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Elva Pearson, 4 brothers, Robert, Harold, Melvin, and Walter, and 2 sisters, Clara and Helen. George will be greatly missed and always remembered for his integrity, many talents, testimony of Christ, love of country, love for philosophy and classical music, work ethic, and resilience. 

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