Montie Salmela

The Champ is Here!

Montie M. Salmela, age 85, of Perham, Minnesota (formerly Spooner, WI) passed away Friday, September 23, 2022.

He was born on July 19, 1937 to Arvid and Vivian Salmela (Herbst) in Harvey, North Dakota.

Montie proudly served his country in the United States Navy from 1960-1964. He loved the sea and loved to sail.

He graduated from the Art Instruction School of Minneapolis and received further instruction at an art academy in St. Paul. Montie worked for Brown & Bigelow and went on to freelance for several companies including Tonka and Mattel. He was a lifetime artist and illustrator and would take every opportunity to create. In fact, there wasn’t a notebook page, envelope, or scrap of paper without some sort of drawing or writing on it!

He loved to read and had an extensive library of books; he had a vast collection of rocks, stamps, coins and other memorabilia and oddities.

He is preceded in death by his brothers Bill, Jim and Don, and his wife Betty. He is survived by his son Craig (Geri) Salmela and daughters Michelle (Brent) Steinbach and Robyn (Andy) Pettow; stepchildren Mark Scott, Stacy Scott, Todd Scott and Brian Scott; sixteen grandchildren; nineteen great-grandchildren; brother Maitland Salmela and sister Genevieve Tomscak; many nieces, nephews; other extended family and friends.

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