A donation in honor of Ed Loder
EMILY MESSER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 months AGO
The Ford Expedition donated by Total Automotive sits outside the Lake County Search and Rescue. Adam Granley, the owner of Total Automotive added bigger tires, a modified bumper and made a number of other upgrades to the rig. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Emily Messer joined the Lake County Leader in July of 2025 after earning a B.A. degree in Journalism from the University of Montana. Emily grew up in the rolling hills of southeast Missouri. She's lived in Montana since 2022 and honed her reporting craft through the UM J-School newspaper and internships at the RMEF Bugle Magazine and the Missoulian. At the Leader, she covers government, business, education, agriculture and community news. Contact Emily Messer at [email protected] or 406.883.4343 | October 9, 2025 12:00 AM
A year after the community mourned the loss of 67-year-old Ed Loder, who was killed on Aug. 30, 2024, Loder was honored by a large donation to Lake County Search and Rescue.
A car enthusiast and career auto body repairman, Loder owned Collision Service in Ronan. He was reported missing on Sept. 4, 2024. With the help of Lake County Sheriff's Department, and the Lake County and Flathead County Search and Rescue s, his remains were recovered.
When Adam Granley, owner of Total Automotive in Ronan heard Loder’s family ask that any donation be given to Lake County Search and Rescue, he decided to honor Loder.
Granley brought a Ford Expedition and added big tires, a lift kit, a winch with a custom bumper and LED lights. After making the appropriate modifications, Granley donated the vehicle.
“I've known Ed my whole life, and he was a very good friend of mine,” Granley said. “I came up with an idea, because my shop does all the work for Lake County Sheriff's Department vehicles, including search and rescue.”
He found an Expedition that was clean, nice and proper for the search and rescue team. Granley explained that Total Automotive has modified other used Expeditions before for search and rescue, so he made those same modifications. Carquest donated some parts for the vehicle, Granley said, and Ronan Body Shop repainted some of the panels.
Jared Bell, president of Lake County Search and Rescue, said this seven-passenger vehicle will be a great rig to get the team to training and help haul gear. Search and Rescue has a number of vehicles, with each having its own purpose. He explained the rig will also be nice for missions with the winch and big tires.
“He was such a part of the Ronan community,” Bell said. “I don’t think there was anybody that wasn’t touched by Ed.”
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