John "Mac" Francis Mccrossin

John Francis "Mac" McCrossin, 89, longtime resident of Deer Lodge, Mont., died April 8 at his home in La Grande.

He was born April 1, 1921, to James and Ethel McCrossin in Hamilton, Mont. In 1942 he enlisted in the Coast Guard and for training as a radioman was sent to Atlantic City, N.J., where he met Helen Jacobs of Philadelphia. After a brief courtship, they were married on Feb. 14, 1944.

After an honorable discharge from the Coast Guard at the end of WWII, the couple moved several times - to Montana, Pennsylvania and then back to Montana where Mac was employed in various occupations in Missoula and Hamilton. In 1957, they moved to Deer Lodge where he eventually became the supervisor of the license plate factory at the Montana State Prison until his retirement in 1983.

Over the course of his lifetime he earned his GED and an AA degree for corrections officers. He held licenses for ham radio operator, welder, boiler operator and artificial inseminator for the Montana Dairy Breeders Association.

Mac was an active member of the American Legion for 59 years and the Elks Lodge 1737 for 44 years.

He is survived by his wife, Helen; daughters, Carol and her husband, Larry Kroll, of
La Grande, and Nancy and her husband, Keith Wood, of Helena, Mont.; two granddaughters; and a brother. He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers and a sister.

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