Watercolor of Square Butte. Artist: Orra Lundgren, husband of
June Leistiko Lundgren,
one of Gene's nieces, daughter of his brother Bill.
Eugene Francis Leistiko, the son of John and Hedwig Leistiko was born in in Great Falls, Montana in 1915.
Margaret Rose Qunell was born on April 20, 1918, in Geraldine, Montana.
Eugene "Gene" and Margaret married on December 26, 1936, and they had 8 children:
| Deanna Jean Leistiko | Born in 1937 in Great Falls, Montana. |
| John Bruce Leistiko | Born in 1938 in Great Falls, Montana. He died young, in 1972. |
| Patricia Ann Leistiko | Born in 1939 in Great Falls, Montana. |
| William Paul "Bill" Leistiko | Born in 1939 in Great Falls, Montana. Bill joined the Navy and served aboard the Pearl Harbor/San Diego-based submarine USS Grayback SSG 574. He then attended Milwaukee School of Engineering and Kent State University. Bill married Theresa Mary Wietrzychowski, who was born in 1942, and they had three children: Patrick Micahael, David James, and Michelle Marie Leistiko. Bill died January 10, 2015. |
| Fred Allen Leistiko | Born in 1941 in Great Falls, Montana. |
| Steven Eugene Leistiko | Born in 1944 in Great Falls, Montana. |
| Eugene Francis Leistiko | Born in 1946 in Great Falls, Montana. |
| Margaret Rose Leistiko | Born in 1948 in Great Falls, Montana. |
For the first seven years of their marriage Gene and Margaret lived in a 3-room cabin on Gene's parents' homestead near Power, Montana. When Gene's brother Bill and his wife Ordell divorced in 1943, Gene bought Bill's farm near Sun River, Montana, just north of Square Butte, and their two youngest children were born there. Later in life they sold the farm and moved into the town of Sun River, and finally to Condon, Montana.
Gene was well known as being fun-loving and a prankster. His 'airmail' mailbox (see news clip below) drew a lot of attention. His niece Della (Leistiko) Olson spent a lot of time with his family in her childhood, and documented some of her memories here, as well as a poem she wrote in his memory.
Gene died August 24, 1990. Margaret died July 23, 2002.
Watercolor of Square Butte. Artist: Orra Lundgren, husband of
June Leistiko Lundgren,
one of Gene's nieces, daughter of his brother Bill.
Google Earth view of Square Butte (looking generally south) with Leistiko Road just
north of the butte. Gene's farm/ranch is the one at the lower left, now owned by the Merja family,
who also run an equipment repair business on the property.
One-of-a-kind 'airmail' mailbox attracts attention at Gene's ranch.
Gene's ranch near Condon (at the end of Leistiko Lane lower right). Now owned by
a doctor from California.