John A. Cline, "J.C." "Johnny" 65, passed away surrounded by his family on Friday, April 7th, at Benefis Hospital due to injuries he had sustained after falling from a rooftop. J.C. was born on December 13, 1951 in Havre, MT., son to Marvin and Jeanette (Whetham) Cline.
He grew up on the family farm located west of Big Sandy, attending Mountain View grade school and Big Sandy High School. J.C. married Sandra (Chamberlain) Temple in 1981, giving birth to his only daughter Nancy, in 1982, and then later separating.
J.C. lived and worked alongside his dad on the family farm as well as several area farmers for most of his life. He also bartended on the side downtown until his stroke in 2005. Following his stroke, he moved into town and continued with his active lifestyle. J.C. was always mowing lawns, shoveling snow, gardening, butchering animals, or fixing and tinkering with things in his shop.
J.C. was also an outdoorsman and enjoyed fishing and hunting whenever the weather allowed it and could always be found at the Great Falls rodeo. He loved a good pinochle tournament on Sundays and playing poker with his friends any night of the week. J.C. was a life-long fan of the Minnesota Vikings as well as the Montana Grizzlies; making sure to attend a GRIZ game with his cousin Randy at least once a year. J.C. was also a big supporter of all the Pioneer sports teams and could always find him at the events. Most of all, he loved his time spent being a big kid goofing off, playing jokes, making faces, causing trouble and wrestling with his grandson Coye.
J.C. was well known in Big Sandy. He was known for his big heart and his means to always volunteer his time and his resources to anyone and usually without being asked. If he saw something that needed done he just did it with no expectation of recognition. The ladies in his building loved him and he was always happy to help his sister Maggie run the place. In 2015, J.C. was made Senior Citizen of the year in which he took this recognition with much pride as he was so well deserving of it. He was a great cook and very well known for his pineapple upside down cakes, zucchini bread, and his ever most famous dill pickles. He will and is surely missed by all of his friends and family.
He was preceded in death by his parents; Marvin and Jeanette, brothers-in-law, John Wagner and Tim Parry; and nephew Sean Figarelle.
He is survived by his daughter Nancy Cline and grandson Coye of Havre; sisters Linda (Bill) Hinebauch of Dearborn, Carrie (Dave) Nixon of Ionia, MI, Barbara Converse of Great Falls, Margaret (Jeff) Richter of Big Sandy, and Kathy Parry of Lewistown; cousins Randy and Bobbie Cline of Frenchtown; as well as several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, and his beloved cat Snoopy.
Services will be held at 2pm on Friday, April 14, 2017 at the Christ Lutheran Church of Big Sandy with burial to follow in the Big Sandy Cemetery. A reception will be held at the Mint Bar immediately after the burial services at the cemetery. Memorials can be made to honor Johnny J.C. Cline to the Big Sandy Senior Center or to the Big Sandy Volunteer Ambulance/E.M.T. Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements. Please visit JC's online memorial page and leave a message of condolence for his family at http://www.hollandbonine.com.
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