When I was growing up in Montana our family doctor would make house calls.

I received word that he has passed.

As many others of his generation did, he lived a remarkable life.



Robert Sidney Hamilton, M.D., 94, of Trout Creek, Montana, died at Eagle Springs Specialty Care Facility on June 5, 2008.
A graveside service will be held in Trout Creek on Saturday, June 14 at 2 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the
charity of the donor’s choice through Herring Funeral Home in Walla Walla, Washington.

Dr. Hamilton was born in Missoula, Montana to Robert S. and Janet Hamilton on February 15, 1914. The family later moved to
Great Falls, Montana where his father owned a pharmacy. They lived not far from famed western artist, Charlie Russell, and
Sidney enjoyed visiting the Russell’s home and Charlie’s studio where he sat and watched the artist at work.

He was educated grades 1 through 12 in Great Falls , excelling in academics and playing the violin in the orchestra.
With his sights set on the medical profession, he traveled with his parents by car to College Place, Washington to attend
Walla Walla College. During his stay in college he traveled back and forth several times on his much-loved and trusty Harley-Davidson.
After three years he was accepted into the medical program at the College of Medical Evangelists, presently Loma Linda University,
in Loma Linda, California. While there, he met a lovely nursing student, Grace Winget, and they were married on June 8, 1939
in the Wee Kirk o’ the Heather at Forest Lawn, California.

January 5, 1941, Sidney was drafted into the military. A year later he sailed from the San Francisco harbor along with
one thousand other Army soldiers to the tiny island of Canton in the South Pacific on the “President Taylor“.
Along with the help of his medical staff, he built a hospital under the coral reefs designed to protect them from Japanese attack.
In 1943, he was sent to Hawaii and then on the Philippines and the renowned Battle of Leyte where he saw the most action in his
WWII experience. December 17, 1945 he was discharged from the army as Lieutenant Colonel.

Returning to the States, he and Grace decided to return to Montana to continue his medical career as a civilian.
They set out along with their two children, Robert and Candace, towing an old army trailer filled with their belongings
and the family pet, a huge German Shepherd named Cito. They settled near Conrad, a small farming community where
he practiced as a family physician. He was a true country doctor, making house calls to the farm families and
the Hutterite colonies in the area. Two more little daughters, Melissa and Shelley, joined the family during their time
spent in northern Montana. The family thrived on country living, and looked forward to regular camping trips to
Glacier Park in the summertime.

Sidney enjoyed a wide range of interest over the years including the Bible, photography, nature, extensive reading,
and learning in general. His crazy sense of humor and strong Scottish heritage saw him through the difficult times,
but his dedication as a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian and his life-long devotion to God shaped his life.
This he shared with his family and patients. After 40 years of practice in the Conrad area, he retired at the age of 78.
Following a dream to live in the mountains, he and Grace moved to Trout Creek, Montana. There they lived,
overlooking the beautiful Clark Fork River valley, until her death in 1998. Sid remained there until 2006
when he moved to Walla Walla to be near family.

He is survived by his son Robert and daughter-in-law Donna of Conrad; daughter Candace Shermeta and
son-in-law Bob of Largo, Florida, daughter Melissa Cadieux and husband Arthur, and Shelley Hamilton-Kaylor,
all of Walla Walla; 9 grandchildren - Traci Hamilton, Stephanie Shermeta, Aaron Craik, Adrianna Mahurin,
Mackenzie Craik, Natasha Craik, Brett Kaylor, Devin Kaylor, and Allexa Kaylor; and 5 great-grandchildren -
Asher Mahurin, Caleb Craik, Finian Mahurin, Hamilton Craik and Liam Craik. He was preceded in death by our loving mother,
his “Lady” Grace.

A rare, humble and compassionate man, he will be missed by us all.

Medical care in rural communities around here is not as good as it used to be.