Marcus William Gress

Marcus W. Gress, 86, of Cheyenne, WY passed away Tuesday, November 16, 2021. Services will be held at 10:00 AM CST on Monday, November 22, 2021 at Twin Buttes Memorial Hall, Twin Buttes, ND with Fr. Joseph Evinger officiating. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Twin Buttes.

Visitation will be from 5:00 to 8:00 PM CST on Sunday, November 21 at Twin Buttes Memorial Hall with a rosary starting at 5:00 PM.

Marcus William Gress “Buddy” was born to William Gress and Anna (Heintz) Gress on April 3, 1935, in Hardin, Montana.

Growing up in Hardin, Buddy was the youngest of 18 brothers and sisters. He grew up eating his ma’s homemade bread (when he wasn’t trading it for store bought bread), he had a love for stray animals and was good at getting into and talking himself out of mischief. As a young man, Buddy learned the Cowboy way of life while working with his brother-in-law, Scorp Korber, on ranches and being involved in cattle drives. Through all this, he developed a strong work ethic that he carried throughout the rest of his life.

After his schooling in Hardin, Montana, Marcus joined the Army. He was stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany where he served for two years. When Marcus was discharged from the Army, he returned to Montana where he began his career as a lineman.  He worked his way through training to become a journeyman lineman and then a boomer lineman, traveling across the U.S. doing line work.  In 1971, he came back to Hardin and got a job selling cars with Bud Brown.  It was then that Marcus met his wife Betty Lou Fredericks-Gress, the love of his life.  They got married in Richardton, ND on August 20, 1971 and moved to Phoenix, Arizona where he worked as a journeyman lineman for Arizona Public Service.  Marcus and Betty moved to Colorado in 1972 where they raised their two daughters Brandy and Tanya and he lived for the remainder of his life.

When he moved to Colorado, he worked for Sturgeon Electric. To avoid a transfer with Sturgeon Electric, he got a job with Golden Concrete and Gravel.  He worked at Golden’s until he retired in 1997.  He started his flatwork concrete business, Gress Construction, while working at Golden’s and continued this business after he retired.

Marcus had a knack for tinkering with things, was able to fix anything, and was always the first to help anyone in need. His creativity was displayed in all the leather work, antler candle holders, and diamond willow canes he handcrafted, and he especially found joy in giving knives for a nickel. Marcus’ sense of humor was shared by all those he teased, and he was teasing his daughters right up to the very end.

Marcus was an honest, hardworking, fun-loving friend to all who knew him.  His faith and family were everything to him and he always said, “without family you have nothing”.  He was one of a kind and loved handing out “moochies” to all his beloved nieces, nephews, and grandchildren.  He always had candy in his pocket for the kids at church.  Nothing brought him more joy than his main-man Hunter, little-man Walker, his Anna Peaches, and his Boss Lady Alli.

Marcus is preceded in Death by his parents, William and Anna Gress (Heinz), his brothers George Gress, Frank Gress, Mike Gress, John Gress, Peter Gress, Benny Gress, Robert Gress, Anton Gress, Emmanuel Gress, and Willie Gress. Along with his sisters Gustina Bertram, Barbara Hilstad, Eva Korber, Rosie Heedick, and Margaret Lind.

He is survived by his wife, Betty Gress, daughters Brandy Gress-Marshall (Tad), Tanya Gress-Anderson (Lance), grandsons, Hunter Marshall (24), Walker Marshall (20), granddaughters Anna Anderson (13), Alli Anderson (11), a son Marcus Gress, and sisters, Catherine Schindler, Francis Burnett, and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

Marcus never met a stranger and to know him was to love him. He will be dearly missed by many but will never be forgotten.

Arrangements are conducted by Barbot Funeral Home, Beulah and Hazen.

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