Celeste "Cecil" Peter Madill

Celeste “Cecil” Peter Madill was born on the family farm, near Rosefield, Saskatchewan, near Bracken, Saskatchewan, Canada, on December 14, 1937 to Cecilia (Klotz) and Alik Madill.

The Madill family originated from ethnic German Catholic farmers who travelled east to Hoffnungstal, near Odessa Russia, looking for farmland. They later left Europe looking for new opportunities to homestead and farm and ranch, trading tough times in the Old World for tough times in the New One. Cecil’s life exemplified this heritage.

Cecil was the 11th of 13 children. His brothers and sisters were as follows: His sisters who died as infants Caroline (1st -1924) and Jennie (2nd -1925), Florence (3rd-1927-2008), Pauline (4th-1928-2012), Alik (5th-1929-1975), Helen (6th-1930-2013), Joseph Al (7th-1932-2003), Carl (8th-1933-2023), Eleanor (9th-1934-2024), William (10th-1936-2020), Cecil (11th-1937-2025), Isabell (12th-1938-Living) and Georgina (13th-1941-2023).

After beginning grade school in Canada, Cecil settled with his family on a homestead outside of Silesia, Montana in 1946. Despite hard conditions, Cecil described fond memories of building, breaking new farm ground, laboring, and growing up on a homestead from a very young age. German was Cecil’s first language and he later learned English at school in Edgar, Montana.

Cecil described plowing the fields with a horse drawn plow, cutting and raking hay using horse drawn equipment and stacking hay by hand. After a hard day’s work he would have some fun and cool off by riding his horse named “Shorty” bareback and full speed off the riverbanks on the farm where he and Shorty would then swim back to the shore. Sometimes he would ride Shorty to his single room grade school. Cecil’s first toys were miniature harnesses he made for his live prairie gopher team that would pull loads behind a small homemade cart. He remembers rodeoing where they would ride just about anything including bucking broncos, bulls or even hogs. He described winters where his father Alik heated a large river rock on their wood stove, wrapped it in blankets, and set it on a sleigh. Alik would then set Cecil and other children from the family on the sleigh and cover them all in blankets. The horse would take the family children to school without further direction. In July of 2021, Cecil took Jason and his family on a trip to his family’s old homestead near Silesia, Montana. He also visited the Edgar bar and his sisters, Georgina and Eleanor, in Billings, Montana.

Cecil loved football and basketball and was a very strong player. He boasted that although he was not the biggest on the team, he was the fastest. He proudly recalled unofficially being one of the first people to run a mile in less than 4 minutes, winning a high school track meet. He always stated that if he had been given any formal training he believed he would have been the first person to break the 4 minute mile officially. Cecil graduated from Edgar High School in 1957.

After completing high school, Cecil proudly served in the United States Army from 1959 to 1962. He served in the 809th Engineers Battalion as an engineer, equipment mechanic, and had the additional specialty of military photographer. Cecil was particularly proud of his work as an Airborne photographer.

Cecil recalled joining the Army with promises for an assignment in Germany in exchange for agreeing to an additional year of service. Cecil liked to joke that when his naval ship went under the Golden Gate Bridge heading east, he knew he would not be going to Germany. His Army service took him throughout southeast Asia, to work at and build Andersen Air Base in Guam and Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. His travels also took him to Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and many other locations. His work to prepare a road through Thailand later helped the US Military in the Vietnam war. He traveled southeast Asia with a bicycle, sometimes sitting on the bicycle in airplane cargo areas. He liked to describe how he “rode a bicycle” all over southeast Asia in this way. During his stay overseas, he learned and taught Judo and Karate, as well as learned the Japanese language.

Upon completion of service, Cecil returned to Billings, Montana, where he met Linda Pauline (Schlecht) Madill in 1962. They were married on January 23, 1965. Cecil and Linda celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary January 23, 2025. Cecil often commented that Linda was his “beautiful bride” of 60 years. Cecil and Linda enjoyed boating and water skiing. Cecil raced his speed boat the “Gee Whiz” around many Montana and Canadian lakes where he won best of show for the region. He held the state record for barefoot skiing and was the president of the water ski club. He was always proud that his wife Linda was the person on top of their ski club’s 6-person ski pyramid. He was active in the Catholic church and community and became a 4th degree Knight of Columbus. He enjoyed travelling with Linda to Mexico, Canada, Hawaii, Europe and the entire USA.

Cecil was an accomplished insurance salesman. He was active in the insurance business and held many titles and positions in the industry to include becoming President of the Southeastern Montana Association of Life Underwriters. Cecil believed in his insurance products. Cecil recounted several occasions where he delivered life insurance checks to widows which provided for them in their time of need. Cecil owned and enjoyed improving rental properties in Billings for many years.

Cecil loved meeting new people and engaging in conversation. He was always reading, contemplating politics, living a productive life and earning satisfaction from his hard work. He was frugal, self-sufficient and never wasteful. He found a second use for everything and could repair anything. Cecil and Linda had two sons, Jason and Justin. They were both very proud of them, and they both devoted their lives to their sons, instilling in them the importance of hard work and of earning a college degree. Cecil did everything he could to support his two sons on their adventures and endeavors and Linda will continue that support. Jason Cecil Madill graduated from Montana State University in 1995 and took an engineering job in Great Falls, Montana. He started Madill Enterprises, a construction company that primarily re-developed distressed residential and later commercial properties. In 1996 Cecil and Linda moved to Great Falls to be near their son Jason and his wife Tamara “Tammy” Lynn (Kobold) Madill. Cecil and Linda were an integral part of Madill Enterprises where they accumulated and improved numerous properties of their own. Cecil often joked that he sold insurance for 30 years, retired for 15 minutes, and left retirement to help his son in Great Falls with Madill Enterprises.

Cecil and Jason also enjoyed developing some farmland where they planted thousands of trees together in shelter belts. Cecil taught Jason how to level the fields and plow the land in preparation for seeding. Cecil and Jason enjoyed hunting the river bottoms for whitetail deer and other game together on the farm.

Cecil and Jason built a log post and beam home by hand together in Neihart, Montana which they called “The Cabin.” They excavated and poured the foundation one summer. They added to the foundation and installed the floor joists the second summer. The third summer they set the 36” diameter log columns and 24” diameter log beams for the second floor and decked it with 3X6 double tongue and groove pine boards. The fourth summer they set the giant 24” diameter log scissor trusses and roof purlins and closed it in. Cecil was an expert backhoe operator and built a beautiful cobblestone wall surrounding the cabin. Interior finishes proceeded slowly as time allowed over the next several years. As the family grew, they added more bathrooms and more features. Cecil loved talking about the next new idea he could incorporate into the cabin.

Cecil and Jason always enjoyed discussing improvements and developments that could be made on their rental properties and later on Jason’s downtown Great Falls commercial properties. Cecil enjoyed seeing the results of his hard work at the end of each day. Later in life, Cecil enjoyed seeing photographs and receiving text messages from Jason about his ongoing projects. Cecil and Jason would always discuss the progress photos and texts the following morning over “apple pie and a coffee.”

Cecil had great patience. When people asked when the cabin was going to be done, or any other projects he was working on he would reply “it’s a work in progress” or simply “never” with a smile. Cecil believed it was more important to do larger projects, really well, that would last for generations, rather than slap something together fast to relax in. He also knew that once a project was “finished” it required ongoing maintenance forever anyway. The patient and enjoyable process that occurred during construction was more important to Cecil than any overall end result. He was pleased and took satisfaction with each successful milestone of the work. Cecil discussed with Jason that if he did not get the cabin completely done, he had five competent and resourceful grandchildren who he knew “would take it from here, now that the heavy lifting was done.”

Jason and Tammy gave Cecil and Linda 5 beautiful grandchildren. Cecil and Linda were blessed to live one house away from their grandchildren who were such a large part of their lives. They taught them to garden, repair their bikes, build 10-foot-tall Lego towers and have ice cream for breakfast. Cecil taught each one of his grandchildren to fish and wakeboard. Cecil enjoyed snow skiing with his grandchildren when they were younger at the cabin and Showdown. Cecil loved watching his grandchildren play sports and was truly their biggest fan. On a scale of 1 to 10 he said they were all a 10-1/2 and gave them all a gold 10-1/2 pin to prove it.

The twins, Faith Lynn and Grace Marie, were born in 2002. Faith always enjoyed fixing things with her Grandpa Cecil when she was little and some of her earliest memories were helping Grandpa “fick-n-it”. Faith and Grandpa loved BBQ ribs and Grandpa called Faith his little “ribber girl”. Faith Lynn graduated with a nursing degree from Montana State University the week following Cecil’s passing but she wore her graduation gown for him in the hospital and knows he watched her walk across the stage at graduation.

Grace graduated as a K-8 elementary teacher with a minor in K-12 art education from Montana State University. Grandpa Cecil always enjoyed discussing possible art projects that Grace could do with her students since Cecil was an avid artist himself. Cecil was especially proud of his numerous oil paintings. Grace fondly recalls, skiing at Showdown with Grandpa Cecil. Grandpa would always bring his thermos of piping hot chicken and rice soup for them to share. Cecil always brought a second thermos of hot chocolate with marshmallows for them to wash it down. Grace remembers popcorn nights at Grandpa’s house. Grace loved Cecil’s good humor as he was always quick with a joke or funny story. Grandpa Cecil will be with Grace during her art projects to help inspire her in the future.

Isaac Cecil was born 18 months after Faith and Grace in 2003. Isaac enjoyed the outdoors with Grandpa Cecil who helped Isaac catch his first fish and harvest his first deer and elk. Isaac remembers that the first fish he caught on the farm was so big he told Grandpa, “Next time let’s catch a more littler one.” Cecil was, and still is, a huge inspiration for Isaac as he taught him that he could perform large, complicated tasks by himself if he planned them out and used tools, leverage and patience. Isaac enjoys building things like his father and Grandfather and is following in their footsteps. Isaac enjoys construction like his Grandfather, so he is pursuing a Construction Engineering Technology degree from Montana State University like his father, Jason. When Isaac graduates, Cecil will be smiling.

Hope Pauline was born in 2005, and she fondly remembers Grandpa Cecil “her buddy” telling her when she was young to save her energy for later. Hope would always reply “why” and fall fast asleep, resulting in Grandpa Cecil carrying her to bed. Hope’s first fishing story involved Grandpa getting the line in the creek behind the cabin and telling Hope to hold on to the pole for one minute. When Grandpa turned around, Hope had yanked a fish out of the creek onto the grass. Hope ran over and squeezed the fish so hard it got bug eyed and she said, “I got one Grandpa.” Hope excelled at volleyball in high school. Hope also competed in track like her Grandpa. Hope is attending Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington and majoring in chemistry for pre-med and is also competing on the track team. Grandpa was Hope’s biggest fan and called her his little speedster like he was. Hope always told her Grandpa she ran faster when Grandpa was watching, which he always was, and always will be.

Finally, Lily Noelle was born 6 years later in 2011. Lily held a special spot in Grandpa’s heart because she was the little one and he spent a lot of time gardening with her. He taught her how to prepare good soil beds for vegetables and flower gardens and how to make several potatoes from two halves of one. Lily remembers building Lego towers at Grandpa’s house. When Lily was old enough for sleepovers, she not only got ice cream for breakfast, but ice cream for breakfast in bed. Lily loved to make Grandpa friendship bracelets in his favorite color (red) which he would keep with his jewelry. Grandpa loved to play checkers and would always tell Lily to “retry” when she made a bad move but in the end Grandpa always won anyway. Lily graduated from 8th grade at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School with highest honors just after Cecil passed away. Lily knows Cecil was watching and will also be watching her graduate from High School in the future.

Tammy remembers Grandpa Cecil’s unwavering love for the grandkids with his whole heart. Cecil would do absolutely anything for those he loved. He would drop everything he was doing, show up, help with any task whether great or small, smile while doing it and never ever complain no matter how inconvenient or difficult. He showed his family an unconditional love that is unparalleled. He gave everything he had to the family.

Cecil and Linda travelled with Jason and Tammy and their grandchildren to Seattle, Las Vegas, Disneyland, Hawaii, Arizona and numerous Montana destinations usually on lakes and rivers for boating trips. When Cecil found out he needed a lung transplant he said he wished he would have been able to travel from the Gulf of America all the way up the Mississippi River and Missouri River to Great Falls, Montana. Jason bought a luxury RV that had been damaged in South Carolina and Cecil and Jason flew down to get it. Cecil was able to plug in his oxygen tank to the RV generator, while Jason performed a 72-hour RV remodel partially in the Home Depot parking lot in Georgia, and partially while Cecil was driving. They met Grandma Linda and Tammy and the grandkids in Florida where they had all flown directly to Disneyworld. After having some fun in Florida and New Orleans they took the RV trip all the way up the Mississippi River and the Missouri River to Great Falls, Montana. They had numerous adventures along the way while listening to “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”

Justin Jeffrey Madill graduated from Montana State University with a degree in Biomedical Sciences with additional studies in Biochemistry, Nursing and Emergency Services. Cecil and Justin completely renovated a historic apartment building in Great Falls while Justin was studying to enter medical school and working for an ambulance service in Great Falls. Justin went on to medical school where he graduated with honors near the top of his class.

Cecil instilled a sense of adventure in Justin early on and was proud that Justin followed in his footsteps and served his country on active duty in the United States Army, becoming a Board-Certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Justin went on to pursue aviation medicine at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, became a Flight Surgeon at the US Army School of Aviation, and climbed mountains all over the world. Cecil was proud to help his son Justin move all over the country and the world during this time. As Cecil and Justin were driving moving trucks all over the country, Cecil would tell Justin, “That’s me in your rear-view mirror”.

Cecil was very proud that Justin deployed to Afghanistan as the Task Force Flight Surgeon in the 2-17 Cavalry, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade and was medical director for the C6-101 Helicopter Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) Platoon. He flew combat missions and provided primary care to aviators, soldiers and locals. He treated hundreds of patients, personally extracting 49 patients from their point-of-injury on the battlefield, to include a wounded Medal of Honor recipient during the Battle of Wanat.

Justin pioneered prehospital in-flight ultrasonography and paramedic level training for Army flight medics. During his military service Justin obtained the rank of Major and was the recipient of the Air Medal with “V” device for Valor, the Bronze Star Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (2nd Award), Combat Medical Badge, Flight Surgeon Badge, Parachutist Badge, amongst many others. Justin went on to practice as an emergency physician at many military and civilian hospitals and has helped tens of thousands of patients with their emergency conditions.

Cecil was eager to return to his roots as a farmer and engineer when Justin returned to Montana, helping Justin construct a road several miles to the top of Mount Justin Madill. This involved engineering through several rock cliffs as high as 60 feet tall and moving a boulder “as large as a house” from a precarious position. This feat was felt by contractors to be impossible, but Cecil knew he could do it. Cecil loved to operate machinery and spent hundreds of hours on the tractor and excavator. When Cecil stayed up on the mountain at night and Justin had to leave to attend the emergency room, Cecil would leave an old kerosene lamp on in camp and say, “I’ll leave the light on for you”.

In 2012, Cecil and Justin went on a tremendous mountain climb at the Madill property to get their first elk. He did well at the time, despite being 74 years old and in steep, rugged terrain. In 2013, Cecil and Justin were working on the road when Justin noticed Cecil seemed abnormally short of breath. Cecil brushed it off as he thought he was “just getting old”, but Justin insisted on further medical evaluation.

Despite Cecil having led a healthy, active life, without ever smoking or drinking, Cecil was discovered to be suffering from a lung condition. Cecil and the family sought treatment at numerous transplant centers, but Cecil was initially denied acceptance for a transplant based on age alone. Cecil and family persisted that he was a good transplant candidate as he was otherwise quite healthy. At age 77, Cecil became the world’s oldest lung transplant recipient at the time on October 8, 2015, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.

Cecil recovered and despite the new medical condition of having a transplant, he continued to enjoy life. Cecil continued to enjoy spending time with his family and grandchildren. He even continued elk hunting with Justin on Justin’s property. They had many successful hunts together, getting an especially large 6x6 bull elk in 2018.

Cecil continued to do well, especially because of the unwavering support of his loving and committed wife Linda, who went above and beyond in her care for him. She impeccably helped him by maintaining his medications, coordinating his medical appointments, and preparing him wonderful meals. Her love and attention helped him survive the transplant longer than expected. In 2024, Cecil was diagnosed with cancer. Being a fighter all of his life, he underwent additional surgery and treatments. The surgery and treatments blessed him with one more Birthday (his 87th), Christmas, New Years celebration, 60th Wedding Anniversary, and Easter. During this time, Cecil was also able to celebrate the birthdays of his wife, son Jason and another birthday with Faith, Grace and Lily. The extra time and extra celebrations made the battle with cancer worth it. The combination of a transplant, with the addition of cancer, finally became too much of a burden for any mortal to bear. Cecil passed away on May 5, 2025. Cecil was Catholic and believed in his Savior Jesus Christ with unfaltering faith.

Cecil is survived by his wife Linda of 60 years, his two sons Justin and Jason, and Jason’s wife Tamara and their 5 children, Faith, Grace, Isaac, Hope, and Lily, as well as Cecil’s younger sister, Isabell.