Albert L. Sutherlin

Albert L. Sutherlin, 92, of Stevensville, passed away Wednesday, February 18, 2026, in Hamilton.

Born January 7, 1934, in Missoula, Albert was the first child of Glen and Mable Sutherlin. He and his sister Anna Marie were raised on the family dairy farm two miles south of Stevensville on Eastside Highway.

Albert grew up in a time when paved roads and high-paying jobs were few and far between in the Bitterroot Valley, a time when farming and fishing and hunting were as much a part of a kid's education as school. Whether hunting pheasant on the farm with his dad, fishing the mountain streams between farm chores, or being a leader in 4-H and FFA, Albert learned the values of hard work, perseverance, service and fun – traits he exhibited throughout his lifetime as a farmer, father and teacher.

After graduating from Stevensville High School in 1952, he started school in Bozeman with the goal of becoming an Agriculture Instructor. He completed his degree 27 years later with more than a little practical experience under his belt.

In his first year of college Albert met Mary Alice Hathaway at a Bobcat-Grizzly game and it wasn't too long before they got married. In 1954, Albert joined the Army and put his tractor-wrenching skills to work as an A and E Mechanic. He did one tour in Northern France and Germany before returning home to meet his first son Glen.

After his military service, Albert and Mary returned to Stevensville and had their second son Bob, before returning to Bozeman where Ed was born. Putting school on hold yet again, the family returned to Stevensville to farm and ranch. Before too long, daughter Theresa arrived to "round out the dining set."

Albert spent most of the 1950s and 60s farming and ranching with his father and on his own, until 1965 when he returned to Bozeman to go back to school. He returned in 1967 and bought Casey's Store which he owned until 1969 when he went to work for John Joost at Joost Dairy. He said it was the best job he ever had – he got paid to do something he really liked, and his boys got to learn how to work. After a decade working for Joost, Albert returned to school to complete his degree, graduating in the Spring 1978.

At age 45 Albert was hired to teach at Turner High School and moved Mary and Thresa to eastern Montana to embark on a storied 15-year career as a Vocational Ag Instructor. His students benefited from his many years' experience on the farm as well as his passion for teaching. He had the students rebuilding tractors, replacing clutches, and winning awards at state competitions. Discipline was not a problem; any kid who acted up was skillfully beaned with an airborne, chalk-covered eraser!

Beyond his job at school, Albert was active in the Turner community as a Lions Club and American Legion member and as a hunter safety instructor and rural fire volunteer. He helped build and develop an indoor shooting range in the old Turner High School gym. During the summer months, he returned to Stevensville to help his son Bob farm.

After retiring from teaching in 1993, Albert and Mary returned to the Bitterroot where Albert worked as a ditch rider for the Woods Park Hunt Ditch and helped out on Bob's ranch. He made trips back to Turner to hunt and enjoyed time at the family hunting camp in Wise River.

A practical joker, farmer, mechanic, hunter and fisherman, Albert was, first and foremost, a teacher, according to his son Glen, and he passed on what he'd learned in life to his kids and to his students. "He gave us the work ethic we all have."

Albert was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Anna, and by his wife Mary Alice Hathaway Sutherlin in 2019. He is survived by his sons Glen (Tina), Robert (Laurie), and Ed (Katie), his daughter Theresa Thorsen (Jim), seven grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.

Services took place Friday, February 27, 2026, at 1 p.m. at Whitesitt Funeral home. Interment followed at Victor Cemetery, and a celebration honoring Albert was held afterwards at the Stevensville Masonic Temple, 300 Church Street. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at http://www.whitesittfuneralhome.com.