Ralph D. Mower “R.D.,” age 91, chose to enter heaven’s gates on April 26, 2020, due to a battle with cancer.

He was born Nov. 4, 1928, in Blackfoot, Idaho, to J. Ralph and Martha Lucille Mower. He married Karen Mower on Feb. 5, 1965.

R.D. loved to visit with all family and friends. “Good morning” was the greeting of choice, no matter the time of the day or night. He was a very giving person. If he had something you needed or could use, he would gladly let you use anything.

R.D. lived with his family, attended school and helped on the family farm in Arco, Idaho, until he entered into the Navy. His family moved to Montana in the late 1940s, and he then followed them to the Flathead Valley after his term in the Navy. He married Belle Blasdel and had three sons (Dwyane, Lamar and Bruce) but her battle with cancer took her from the family at a young age. He then married Karen Simons and lived in Somers. The family moved to Fortine in 1966, where he lived the remainder of his life, passing away at home.

R.D. worked many jobs over the years, but a few places he worked were logging in the area, the aluminum plant in Columbia Falls and N.W. Ironworkers — working on the Hungry Horse Dam, Koocanusa Bridge, Libby Dam and various Ironworker jobs in Montana and Washington state. He was also a member of the Freemasonry.

R.D. had a passion and love for horses. A better statement to describe R.D.’s love of horses, would be…he had an obsession with fast and athletic horses. R.D. and Karen owned, bred and raced many great horses over the years. R.D. won many awards for owning, breeding and training race horses in the U.S. and Canada. He has many albums of pictures of winning horses he owned and/or trained, plus numerous silver platters, silver cups, blankets, buckles, etc. that were awarded for accomplishments. If you ever needed advice on training or riding horses, etc. he was always there for everyone. If you needed a faster horse and asked him, he would give you one.

R.D. is survived by his sons; Dwyane Mower, Lamar Mower, and Bruce (Shelley) Mower; daughter Karleen Bergdahl; sister Lorane Sedgwick; brother Teck Mower; grandchildren Stephanie Minetta, Bo (Megan) Mower, Zack Mower, Tia Mower, Darin (Melissa) Mower, Brandy (Bob) Lovell, Amber Solarez, Tracy (Dido) Ivey, J.D. Bergdahl and R.D. Bergdahl; numerous great-grandchildren; great-great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He loved and cared deeply for all.

R.D. is predeceased by his parents J.R. and Lucille Mower; wife Karen Mae Mower; sisters Opel Parr and Arta Blasdel; brothers Kimball Mower and Elmo Mower; grandsons Jesse Mower and Clifford Mower.

The family will be having a celebration of life later this summer. An announcement will be put in the paper when we are able to have a celebration. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made towards cancer research.