The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-12-17
Lost Roundup
For Old Timer
Tim Switzer, Early Day Stockman
Farmer Comes to End of Trail
Thursday Morning.

AFTER an illness Of about q
months duration following a par
alytic stroke, Tavner B. switzer,
known to his intimates as Tim
Switzer, died at the family home
at the Cottonwood Dairy about a
mile and one-haf south Of Hardin
early Thursday morning: Until
stricken with paralysis about
Month ago, MI. Switzer, who was
the senior partner, with his SON
in-AW, Erick G. walker, inSthe Cot
tonwood Dairy and the Big Horn
Dairy Products Co., was in his US
ual good health and attended to
business right up to the time he
was stricken. while he had the best
Of. care and nursing, due to his
advanced age little hope was held
out for his recovery. His younger
daughter, Mrs. Arthur Burbidge,
who Is a trained nurse, came here
from Los Angeles to assist in car
ing for him.
Tavner, B.. switzer was born at
Victor, Iowa, Feb. S, 1868, the only
son in a family of five, born to
MI. and Mrs. Andrew w. Switzer,
pioneer residents of the Madison
valley, to which place they mi
grated when Tim" was a baby.
The father preceded them to Mon
tana In 1858, and two years later
the family followed, leaving Victor
Iowa, by oxteam May 81, 1865, in
four ox-drawn wagons loaded with
household goods. and other be-
long1ngS, to. each of which was
hitched two. yokes of cattle, one
half Of which were cows. After
an arduous journey of four months
across the plains, they arrived at
Virginia, City on Oct. /, 1865. The
following March. they took up
their residence on a ranch which
the elder ,Switzer had pre-empted
near what is now the town of En-
mis-, on the bank of the Madison
river, and here "Tim". Switzer
grew up, and here he was married
on Oct. 4, 1888 to Miss Bessie
Pickeps. q daughter Of a neigh
boring farmer.
As a young man he engaged in
farming and stockraising in the
same valley where he had spent
his childhood at which he was
emtnently successful. He first
came to Hardin nearly 20 years
ago in charge Of cattle for the
Filing Estate of Virginia City, and
about II years ago located here
permanently. At one time he and
Mrs., 'Sw1tzer managed the Lam
mers BOOMING house. Later they
purchased a ranch, a short dis
lance out OF Hardin where they
have since resided, operating the
Cottonwood Dairy, in conjunction
with their son-in-law, Eric G.
walker, and about q year ago they
opened, the Big Horn Dairy Pro-
ducts Co. on North Custer avenue,
Hardin, Mr.. and Mrs. Eric Walker
being In charge while MI. Switzer
continued to look after the Cot
tonwopd Dairy.
Besides his widow, MI Switzer
Is survived by two daughters, Mrs.
Eric C.. walker Of Hardin, and
Mrs. Arthur Burbidge Of. Los
Angeles; two g~randsons, Tavner b.
and Eric G. Walker, Jr., Of Hardin;
four sisters, Mrs. Florence Jeffers,
Mrs. Susie L. Jeffers, Of LETTERS;
Mrs. John L. Hartman Of Boze-
man, and Mrs. Nellie c. Bailey of
Great Falls; an uncle, Malphus A.
Swttzer, and an aunt, Mrs. Ellen
B. Long, both of Jeffers, as well as
numerous nephews and nieces. "
Tim" Switzer was an indulgent
husband and father, an honorable
and upright citizen, q good neigh
Dor and q true friend and his de-