February 04th, 2015

Wayne George Olmstead
Wayne George Olmstead passed away January 30, 2015, due to natural causes while doing what he loved; snowmobiling with his family.
Wayne was born August 11, 1940 in Shelby, to May and Elmer Olmstead.  He was the youngest of five children.  From the humblest of beginnings, he spent his childhood in Ponca City, Okla.  His family moved to Kalispell where he graduated from high school in 1959.  Understanding the value of hard work, Wayne worked his way through school at his brother’s logging company by day and setting bowling pins at night.  He went on to earn his bachelor of science in chemistry from Montana State College in Bozeman.  While at college, Wayne met Marlene Lynn Lightfoot, who was attending Montana State University in Missoula through the Square Dance Club.  It was love at first sight.  A year later they were married and remained so for 52 years.
After college, Wayne served his country at the Atomic Energy Commission in Idaho Falls.  He was transferred to the United States Geological Service in Albany, New York, where Wayne and Marlene lived for almost a year before Montana called him home.  He went to work as a chemist for Rocky Mountain Phosphate.  It was at this time that Wayne and Marlene had their first child, Tammy.  They were then transferred to Kalispell with the Anaconda Aluminum Company, where their second child, Kyle, was born.  In 1968, the family moved back to Deer Lodge where Wayne worked a variety of jobs, including Rocky Mountain Phosphate, City of Deer Lodge Water Department, and then the Montana Bureau of Mines in Butte.  He started his business, Mount Powell Labs, in 1975 and continued to operate it up until the day of his passing.
Wayne will always be remembered as a hardworking man who loved his family.  He was happiest in the outdoors; hunting, camping, fishing and snowmobiling.
Wayne is preceded in death by his parents, Elmer and May, his siblings, Amos, Ben, Alan, Nelly, and his niece, Sherry.  
Wayne is survived by his wife, Marlene; his daughter, Tammy (John) Perkins of Deer Lodge; his son, Kyle (Rena) Olmstead of Spirit Lake, Idaho.  He is also survived by numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a huge extended family (you all know who you are).
A celebration of Wayne’s life will be held Friday, February 6, at Ben’s Arena in Deer Lodge from 4 to 6 p.m.  In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Powell County Senior Center, P.O. Box 365, Deer Lodge, Montana 59722.