Quentin Younglund

Quentin was born in Polk County, Neb., on April 8, 1926, the fourth of five children of Anton E. and Grace S. Younglund. In 1930, his parents, three brothers and a sister moved west near Oshkosh to cultivate the Nebraska prairie and be near relatives. He attended a one-room schoolhouse as a child. During the 1930s, financial depression, drought and dust descended upon the small farm, but the family endured through ingenuity, hard work, and a love of music. He graduated from Garden County High School in Oshkosh in 1944. The family then sold the farm and moved to Boulder, Colo.

Quentin was drafted into World War II by the U.S. Navy in 1944 and served as an electrician and mechanic aboard a small search and rescue craft in the Pacific islands. He was steaming to Formosa (Taiwan) when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. He was honorably discharged from service in 1945.

While attending technical school in Denver, he met his future wife. Quentin and Lucille Mae Hobson were married in Englewood, Colo., on Oct. 11, 1949. He built their first house by hand in Big Elk Meadows, located between Lyons and Estes Park. Three beautiful girls were born to the couple before the family moved to Estes Park, Colo., in 1962. They bought a small mountain lodge and together started a successful general contracting business. Quentin was for many years the most sought-after general contractor in Estes Park and built dozens of beautiful custom homes. They expanded Wildwood Inn and it continues as a family-operated lodge adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park. His love for that spot on this earth is still evident. Quentin was involved in the operation of the lodge until the very recent past. He was an alumni and devoted fan of the University of Colorado Buffaloes and the Denver Broncos. Quentin was active in the Community Church of the Rockies in Estes Park for many years.

Quentin and Lucille began to spend much of their winters in the Rio Grande valley of south Texas in 1983. They became accomplished dancers and especially enjoyed the lifelong friendships made square dancing. He also sang in community choirs during those winters. They very much enjoyed spending time with family and traveling with his brother and sister-in-law. Together, they visited many interesting countries around the world, but his heart never left Estes Park.

Quentin and Lucille moved to Billings in 2013 to enjoy summers at a lower altitude. They moved into Mission Ridge and quickly made many dear friends.

Quentin died suddenly and peacefully on Nov. 10, 2015.

He is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, one brother, three daughters, 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

A memorial service, date and time, to be announced, will be held in Estes Park after Christmas, at which time his cremated remains will be interred at Estes Valley Memorial Gardens.