Robert Alvin Bellows was called home to his Heavenly Father on March 2, 2025. He was born on August 22, 1934 in Bozeman, MT to Alvin Orville Bellows and Lucy Esther (Norman) Bellows. His father owned a local machine shop with Doc Nelson (the rider in the famed Charlie Russell picture “Bronc to Breakfast”). During World War II, the family moved to Portland, OR where his father built parts for the war effort. While there, Bob could be found riding his bicycle to fishing holes, playing baseball, or watching the Air Force dog fighters train in the skies above. After the war ended, they moved back to 503 W Lamme Street in Bozeman. He professed to follow in the way of the Lord in 1948 at Manhattan Convention. The family purchased a small farm in Bridger Canyon where they raised wheat and ran Hereford cattle. Bob’s love of hunting elk, deer, ducks, and pheasants grew through his hunting trips with his dad, Laura’s dad, Art Holverson, Bub Douma, and Kenny Kitto.
He met the love of his life, Laura (“Laurie”) Mae Pasha in Bozeman in August 1957. They eloped on December 27, 1957 in Helena, MT. They enjoyed helping on both parents’ farms with the raising of malt barley, alfalfa, and beef and dairy cattle. They were blessed with four children and 64 wonderful years of marriage. He was proud of their partnership in life and family, but also in their work pursuits. While Bob was editor of the Western Section Ag Research Journal, Laurie volunteered her efforts and typing skills to type all publications and correspondence with the position.
After graduating from Montana State University with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, Bob attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison and earned a Ph. D. in Endocrinology. He took a position as a beef cattle research physiologist for the Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Station in Miles City where he spent 40 years advancing knowledge on calving difficulty research. In his many years at Ft Keogh, Bob loved assisting area ranchers with improving their operations through adding scientific advancements to the herds. Along the way, he made lifelong friends with many colleagues across the world. Highlighting his career includes two trips to the USSR (1970s) and traveled to Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Latvia, Tashkent, and Egypt to consult and advise with foreign country researchers. Dad was a jack of all trades, an exceptionally skilled carpenter, welder, plumber, electrician, farmer, and mechanic and he shared these skills with his kids.
He retired from Ft Keogh in 2001 but never retired from being our Dad. Bob and Laurie moved back to the family farm in Bridger Canyon. He continued to stay active in research, attending presentations and consulting with Montana State University Ag Scientists. In retirement he was able to keep the freezer full of elk meat, trout, and whitefish. He and Laurie loved having family and friends come to visit and following their grandchildren in their many activities. Dad proved true to his wedding vows, taking care of Mom through her ten years of progressing dementia.
Dad had an unwavering faith in God, his family, his children, and his grandchildren. His example of living a life with love, hope, commitment, contentedness, best efforts, and honesty is the best gift we could have imagined. Dad never made a decision in life without first praying about it until he received an answer.
He was preceded in death by his parents in 1981 and 1993; siblings, Kate (Rex) Grimes and Betty (Cliff) Grimes; and his wife, Laurie in 2022. He is survived by his four loving children, Donna Kay (Mark, Miles City); Bill (Chris, Billings); Norm (Sue, Miles City); and Dave (Katie, Hartley, TX); and his grandchildren, Noah, Charleigh (Mitch); Brendan (Emily), Ashlyn, Austin; Jared, Jess; Caleb, Gracie; and his sister, Nora Brunner, and nine wonderful nieces and nephews.
The family would like to express a special thank you to all who visited Dad and helped him out so much over the last few months, your visits meant a lot to him. We couldn’t have done it all without the extra special help from his sister Nora Brunner and neighbor Lowell Cary.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that any donations be sent to the Bozeman Lodge or to The Pedestal Foundation (Dave and Katie’s charitable organization: katieb@pedestalcommodity.com)
Visitation will be held on Friday, March 7th from 5 P.M. until 7 P.M. at Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. Funeral Service will be at Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service on Saturday, March 8th at 11 A.M. with visitation beginning at 10 A.M. On Monday, March 10th, family and friends are welcome to meet at Dokken-Nelson at 9 A.M. to process to Sunset Hills Cemetery for Graveside Services.
