Mostly Cloudy, 30° F
(March 6, 2003)
Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 12 at the Powell LDS Church for Ernest M. (Ky) Kylander, 83, who died Thursday, March 6 at the Powell Valley Nursing Home after a valiant battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Visitation will be tonight (Tuesday) from 6 to 8 p.m. at Miratsky-Easton Funeral Home.
He was born April 24, 1919, in Burns, the seventh of eight children born to Arthur Elerton Kylander and Lulu Elizabeth (Watts) Kylander. The family moved to Powell when he was 6 months old.
He was a member of the Powell High School Class of 1937, and the family is fond of saying he went on to earn his master's degree in the School of Hard Knocks. He married Roselin Pryde of Byron on July 12, 1939, in Cody. To this union, three daughters were born.
Mr. Kylander developed a strong work ethic at an early age. When he was 10, he singlehandedly hoed a bean field east of Powell. He picked potatoes for harvest, delivered the Denver Post on his bike and made home deliveries for local grocery stores.
He drove truck for Art Glasgow, Keller Trucking and H.F. Transportation out of Laurel, Mont., and Dick Jones Trucking. He also built tanks and drove truck at the Heart Mountain Relocation camp and roughnecked on drilling rigs in Elk Basin.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy SeaBees in September of 1943 at the age of 24 and served with the 140th Battalion. He earned his Ship Fitters classification due to his tank building experience as a civilian and operated heavy equipment in the Admiralty Islands for what was to be the largest supply base in the Southwest Pacific. He was discharged from the Navy and returned to Powell on New Year's Eve in 1945.
He then took a job with Sam Jones Construction, operating heavy equipment in the Elk Basin oilfield, helping to built the site for the Amoco sulphur plant. During that time, he and co-worker, Wayne McGary, decided to start their own business. McGary and Kylander Construction Co. was founded in February, 1948. After Mr. McGary died in 1965, the business continued as Kylander Construction. The business was sold in May of 1992, and Ernie retired after more than 44 years of entrepreneurship.
Mr. Kylander belonged to the Powell Lions Club and was recently named a Melvin Jones Fellow by the Lions Club International Foundation. He was a member of Masons Absarokee Lodge No. 30, Shriners, Medicine Wheel Snogoers and Veterans of Foreign Wars. In 1994, he was elected and served on the board of Fire Protection District No. 1.
His passions were many: snowmobiling, fishing, Big Band music, hanging out at the local card club, horseback riding in the Thorofare and helping with countless demolition derbies. He was a regular for early morning coffee at the Skyline Cafe for many years. And above all, his family will treasure the memory of how he loved to dance with his wife.
Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Roselin, of the family home; three daughters and families: Mary Lou Davis and husband Clay, RoJean (Jeanne) Greenwald and husband Gary and Roxane Sheridan and husband Jeff, all of Powell; his grandchildren and spouses, Marci Davis of Sacramento, Calif., Denton and Alta Davis of Powell, Trevor and Sarah Greenwald of Lovell, Trisha and Jamison Ziegler of Pinedale, Trent and Kristrin Greenwald of Powell, Jenni and Jeff Skalsky of Powell, Katie Sheridan and Chance Sheridan, both of Powell; his great-grandchildren, Kylander Davis, Karson Skalsky, Kade Ziegler and two more on the way. He is also survived by siblings and their spouses, Leatha and Skip Evans of Medford, Ore., Bernita Moody of Lovell and John Francis and Ann Kylander of Cheyenne; cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters Buelah Kylander, Verna Strite, Lettie Nelson; and a brother, Emil Kylander.
For those who wish, memorials are suggested to Powell Medical Foundation, 777 Avenue H, Powell; or Northwest College Foundation, 231 West Sixth St., Powell.
Burial in Crown Hill Cemetery will follow services.
