Earl Dean Thrush, 94, of Great Falls, a retired automobile mechanic and Army veteran, died of natural causes Wednesday, Sept. 5, at a Peace Hospice facility.

His funeral is 1 p.m. Monday at Ferries Funeral Home in Sheridan, Wyo. Interment will follow in the Sheridan Municipal Cemetery. Local arrangements were handled by Schnider Funeral Home.

Earl Dean Thrush was born Aug. 23, 1918, in Sheridan, Wyo., the second son of David W. and Florence Thrush. He graduated from Sheridan High School and started working for his father at the Thrush Garage. He married his high school sweetheart, Louise Bailey, on Sept. 12, 1939. Earl served in the Army Air Corps during World War II as an airplane mechanic. After the war, he worked for Northwest Airlines in Billings and then returned to the Thrush Garage and continued that business as a self-employed automobile mechanic.

Earl was a member of First Baptist Church of Sheridan, and through the years, he served as a deacon and church board member as well as teaching a junior high Sunday school class. He volunteered many hours of service to Camp Bethel as their on-call mechanic and fix-it person, as well as serving on the board for the camp. Earl's steadfast faith and love for his Lord has been a lifelong inspiration to his family and friends. He enjoyed hiking, fly fishing, football, stamp collecting, traveling and spending time with his family.

Earl is survived by his two children, Don (Gay) Thrush of Great Falls and Carol (John) Cochran of Puyallup, Wash.; five grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Louise; and his two brothers, Paul and Loren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Camp Bethel, P.O. Box 70, Dayton, WY 82836.