Drury Phebus

Funeral services for Drury Phebus, 94, of Baker, were held October 27, 2017 at Stevenson Funeral Home, Baker, MT. Burial followed in Bonnievale Cemetery.

Drury passed away Sunday, October 22, 2017 at RiverStone Health in Billings, MT.

Drury Gregor Phebus was born in Baker on March 23, 1923 in Baker, Montana sharing his birth date with Steer Montana, "the world's largest steer". Drury said, "Two bum steers were born on the same day".

He graduated from Baker High School in 1941 with a class of 41 graduates. The same year with WWII taking place, he went to work in the defense aircraft industry in southern California until he joined the Army Air Corps.

His overseas assignment was in China, Burma and India where he was flight engineer with crew that flew C-46 transport planes over the Himalayas – the "hump" as it was called by servicemen. Upon his return from the war he attended Montana University in Missoula for two years, then returned to Baker where he taught veterans how to farm and weld. Later farming and ranching on the family homestead near Medicine Rocks.

Drury married Ionia Wells Simmons in April 1953. Along with her son, Don Simmons, they raised two more boys, Drury Scott and Michael Anton, and two girls, Dawn-Faye and Sherry Rae.

Drury worked 20 plus years as the postmaster at the Baker Post Office, retiring from civil service in 1983. He continued to raise cattle and farm until 1992.

Drury and Ionia traveled to cities throughout the U.S. for Postal Conventions and around the globe with various agricultural organizations visiting European countries as well as China and Russia.

Drury was proud to be instrumental in the development and building of the Veterans' Memorial Wall in Baker. He also was interested in the development of wind power in SE Montana and had a MET tower installed on the ranch with an eye to developing a wind farm.

Drury is survived by his children, Donavan Lee (Pat) Simmons, Dawn-Faye (Dave) Phebus, Sherry Rae Vogel, Drury Scott Phebus and Micheal Anton (Jessica) Phebus; 7 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; sisters, Ramona and JoAn; and great aunt, Leaphy Peck.

Drury was preceded in death by his wife of fifty-three years, Ionia; parents, Flace and Selma Phebus; and sisters, Gloria, Beverly and Sharon.

Stevenson Funeral Home, Baker