Paul Gregory "Gregg" Edelen

Paul Gregory (Gregg) Edelen passed away on July 22, 2024, at Beehive Homes in Butte. Gregg was born to Ben & Selma (Conrad) Edelen in Sacramento, California, on January 13, 1948. Ben was in the United States Air Force so Gregg lived in several locations during his childhood, graduating from high school in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1966. The Edelen family eventually ended up stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, where Ben retired. In 1969, Gregg moved from Great Falls to Butte, Montana, where he spent the remainder of his life. Gregg married Connie Danielson in Butte on August 16, 1974. They had two sons, Todd (first son) (April) and Lee (second son) (Shana) and two grandchildren, Wyatt and Kymber. Connie, April, and Shana were always known as the “fake Edelens,” which is a continuing family joke. Gregg was a devoted papa to Wyatt and Kymber and enjoyed spending time with them and watching them in all their activities. They enjoyed sitting at the dining room table coloring and playing Aggravation. Gregg moved to Butte in 1969, to be the manager of Kentucky Fried Chicken. When he’d had enough of that, he worked for the Anaconda Company as a shovel operator. When the Anaconda Company had a reduction in force in the mid-1970s, Gregg went to work at Sherwin Williams for a few years. He then worked at Montana Bank for several years as a loan officer. Gregg’s final employment was with Butte Silver Bow Law Enforcement. He had many duties at the police department, but his main focus was the SVOR registry. He also enjoyed dressing up as McGruff the Crime Dog and visiting elementary schools in Butte with patrol officers. He retired in 2017 after serving 34 years in law enforcement. Gregg was involved in many activities. He spent more than 20 years as an advisor with Junior Achievement as well as an instructor for Hunter Education. For more than 35 years, Gregg was a wedding photographer. He took wedding photos for hundreds of couples through the years, eventually taking wedding photos for some of the children of his original wedding couples. Many will also remember him volunteering his time for Santa Paws pictures every year. And it wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day in Butte without Gregg serving kielbasa dogs and beer at Terminal Foods. Gregg loved fly fishing, first learning from Biff Redfern in the 1970s. Biff also taught Gregg to row a boat. He quickly became an expert oarsman, and of course he had to have his own raft! He learned about the salmon fly hatch on the Big Hole River every June, and never missed one. Biff also taught Gregg how to tie flies, and he spent many hours perfecting his fly-tying skills. Gregg had many fishing buddies through the years – Biff Redfern, Dave Richards, Jim Phillips, Gale Allen, Lee Tuott, and Ken Penrod, Gregg’s brother from another mother! Gregg made many memorable fishing trips through the years – Canada, Louisiana, Idaho, Washington, and the Bahamas. He also spent many happy fishing days near Gates of the Mountains, which, of course, meant another boat – a jonboat. But his favorite fishing was less than 40 miles from Butte – the Big Hole River and Georgetown Lake (had to buy another boat specifically for Georgetown Lake fishing)! I lost count of how many boats and rafts Gregg had, but it was a lot! Gregg was always sure to remind us that “fish fear me.” From 1983 until 2020, Gregg and Connie owned and operated Tadroh Kennels. We had many repeat customers and made so many friends through the years. And of course, many kennel customers also became fishing friends. And he needed a bigger boat so more people could fish! In the late 1990s, Gregg discovered pottery. For many years he took classes at the Archie Bray in Helena, driving back and forth several nights a week in his silver diesel Volkswagon bug. (Brooklinn is now the caretaker of the silver bug. It is in good hands). Gregg was soon proficient enough to teach Adult Education pottery classes at Butte High three nights a week. He was skilled enough that his work was shown in galleries around Montana – Virginia City, Dillon, Helena, and the Stope in Butte. He was so pleased that people liked his work and were willing to pay for it!!! The classes were so popular that there was always a waiting list of people hoping to get into Gregg’s classes. One of his adult ed students was Shana (Lee’s girlfriend). She had never worked with clay and Gregg was intent on teaching her. It was soon apparent that Shana just didn’t get it and after several weeks of class Gregg told her “It’s hopeless!” It was through adult education at Butte High that he met Mike Kujawa. They were friends for the remainder of Gregg’s life. Gregg would do whatever was necessary to help Mike with throwing, glazing, and firing. He loved every minute! About 11 years ago, Mike and Gregg took on a new challenge – Empty Bowls. Empty Bowls is sponsored by and supports the Backpack Program for children in the Butte community through the Food Bank. The backpack program provides food to children in grades K through 12 who have been identified by their teachers as food insecure. Gregg and Mike and volunteers from Butte volunteered hundreds of hours every year to ensure a successful program. They threw, glazed, and fired upwards of 1,500 bowls every year for this one-night event at the Civic Center. Gregg was preceded in death by his mother and father, and his in-laws, Lee and Joyce Danielson. He is survived by Connie, his wife of 50 years, Todd, Lee, April, Shana, Wyatt and Kymber, and his brother, Milan. Memorials are suggested to Hungry Hill Center for Art, Education, & Outreach, c/o Mike Kujawa, 68 West Park Street, Butte, Montana, 59701. We would like to mention Beehive Homes of Butte where Gregg resided for the last 14 months. We couldn’t have asked for a better place. The staff is exceptionally caring and we knew he was getting the care he needed. Thank you so much for taking such good care of Gregg. We appreciate you! Gregg, I will miss you forever, but our memories are everywhere. I see you in Todd and Lee and Wyatt and Kymber. You may no longer be here physically, but you will always be in my heart. I love you. Cremation has taken place and a private memorial service will be held at a later date for the immediate family. I give you this one thought to keep, I am with you still – I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning’s hush, I am the swift, uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not think of me as gone, I am with you still in each new dawn.

Tributes

Paul Gregory "Gregg" Edelen

January 13, 1948 - July 22, 2024