Michael James Wetzel

Michael “Mike” James Wetzel , 67, former owner of Flying Eagle Corporation a well-known athlete, died Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at a local convalescent home. A celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel. Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Michael was born in Cut Bank, MT on January 6, 1951 to Doris and Walter “Blackie” Wetzel Sr. and spent his childhood on the Blackfeet reservation on Seville Flats. Michael attended St. Margaret’s School throughout elementary school. During the Summer of 1977, Michael married Billie Jo Devereaux while he was working in Browning as the Director of the Recreation Program for the Blackfeet Tribe. From there, he moved to Helena where he gained employment with Kaiser-Permanente Plant, Montana City. He later formed the Flying Eagle Corporation in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Flying Eagle closed its doors around 2000. Mike, better known as “Mickens” was a man who could be described in many ways, kind, loving and competitive although “passionate” is the word which describes him best. He had a passion for life, his friends, sports and his family. On August 28, 1966, the family moved to Washington D.C. His father, Walter “Blackie” Wetzel gained employment with the Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). Blackie was the former president of theNational Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and hired by DOL Director Sargent Shriver to the position of OEO Program Specialist in 1965. In September 1966, Montana senator, Mike Mansfield offered Mike the job of being his United States Senate Capital page. He experienced the job of a lifetime as his duties included, a multi-tasking role of being a page for both Senator Mansfield andU.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy (D-New York). He attended Capitol page school at the Office of the Library of Congress where he finished his course and proceeded to the US Senate, where he presented the gavel to the sitting President of the Senate, the Honorable Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey. Michael shared many experiences while he worked many hours with Senator Robert Kennedy and carried his briefcase for him often. Michael recalled Senator Kennedy’s initials “RFK” in gold by the handle of the briefcase.As a security move, he was instructed to cover the initials as this may attract attention. Michael stated, “This valuable item could be stolen because of the movie star status of RFK.” Michael also developed a close working relationship with Vice President Humphrey. On a few occasions, he attended picnics with the Kennedy’s along with many other gatherings. He was given the nickname, “Sonny Jorgenson” at the Kennedy Flag Football games that the family loved to play. He had a good throwing arm and Sonny was his hero, so he enjoyed being called that by such prestigious people. Later in life while playing slow pitch softball, he proved to have one of the deadliest and accurate arms in baseball. Mike concluded that his duties and memories for his rookie year as a Senate Page made for a tremendous experience. When he completed his one year as a page, he moved back to Montana to attend Stevensville High School. He graduated from Stevensville High School in 1971. Michael was an all-state athlete in basketball and he received a basketball scholarship to play at Montana Tech in Butte. As part of his athletic achievements, Michael gained High School All-American Honorable Mention in basketball. Michael earned the moniker, “The Stevensville Streak.” Selection was made by Sunkist and Coaches Magazine. His former supervisor, Senator Mansfield had close ties with Montana Tech and visited Michael often. After graduation from Montana Tech, Michael became the Recreation Director for the Blackfeet Reservation. He started many programs for the youth including golf, skiing, and baseball. He took the first ever American Legion Baseball team to the state tourney and the first Little League team that went on to win three district titles in a row. Mike also played on a Blackfeet All-star team called the Browning Redskins and went on to win the National American Indian World Title in Bismarck, ND. Approximately five years later, he moved to Helena and formedhis own construction company, Flying Eagle Corp. He enjoyed playing in basketball tournaments with his two surviving brothers, Walter and Donald. In the 1970’s the trio could be found on Montana’s slow pitch softball circuit winning many tournaments and divisional/district titles. Mike was an avid New York Yankees’ fan. While in Washington D.C., he and his brothers had the opportunity to see the Yankees play the Washington Senators. One game was one to remember. Mike, Donnie and Walter went to a Senators Game televised locally. The three brothers had tickets to seats directly behind home plate. Unbeknownst to the boys, Doris and Blackie were watching the game from their living room. Walter decided to order a beer. His two kid siblings followed suit. Then came a few more brews. All of this time, the center field camera was focused on the batter to include three fans sipping beer. When the boys arrived home, they met the parents at the door. “Hey, you guys, we seen you drinking beer on television all night long,” Blackie says with a laugh. We thought we were sneaky. At one time, Mike was an up and coming musician and enjoyed playing his favorite songs with brother Walter. In DC, Mike played in a band with his brothers, Walter and Donald. He truly enjoyed cruising and listening to music was his favorite past time during the summer months. He had many hobbies and special interests. Mike displayed a great love and respect for his Blackfeet ancestry and culture. We are sure many of you can remember the sense of humor and would love to share your experiences. Later in the summer, the family will present a memorial honoring the life of Michael. Those of you who wish to tell a few stories about experiences with Michael aka “Mickens” will have the opportunity to do so. Mike is survived by his former wife, Billie Jo (Devereaux) Wetzel Maddox of Great Falls; daughter Lea of Great Falls; three brothers, William and Walter of Cut Bank; and Donald of Helena; two sisters, Marlene and Sharon Rose of Helena; grandchildren Jacob and Robert Wetzel and Keyanna and Keith Devereaux. On his former wife’s side, her parents Bill and Pat Devereaux; and sisters Zena Rutherford, Billie Jo, JoDee , Lisa, and JonniLea Devereaux; numerous nieces; nephews; and many special friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Doris L. and Walter Wetzel; sister Helen “Penny” White; son Scott Wetzel; niece Susan Reagan; nephew Tim Wetzel; and sister-in-law Grace Wetzel. He had many friends and special people who he spent much time with. No doubt, he left a lasting impression on the minds of his many friends and relatives.