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John Montoure Bio

John Montoure.jpg

Background​

  • Born May 10, 1927 in Richmond, across the river from Shawano, WI. He was the 2nd child out of 13.

  • 1st 8 years of school in one room school house in Oak Parks.

  • Graduated High School in 1944.

  • In Air Force 1946-1949. Had a scruff with the MP's over a second set of orders and had to straighten things out. Met Dorothy Sapp in Boca Raton and later got married in Natick, MA.

  • Returned home to Richmond after service to operate family dairy farm.

  • His first job upon returning home was repairing the shingles on the local St. James Lutheran church steeple in 1949.

  • Built house in 1950. Sawed his own lumber, cast his own cement blocks, dug out foundation and crawlspace with tractor. May 5, 1950, at 5 pm freak 80 mph winds blew house off foundation.

  • Decided to go to school with GI bill. Attended Univ of WI at Madison, majored in Dairy Science. Got a $100 scholarship first semester. Housed in Badger Village (1 hour away from school). Received Bachelors in 1954.

  • Completed Master's thesis--A Study of Instant type Nonfat Dry Milk in 1955.

  • Moved out to WSU (Pullman WA) to work on proteins with Dr Ashworth in 1955. Later worked on enzymes with Dr Forrester. Got up at 2:00 am to gather colostrums for cholinesterase study.

  • Published PhD on "Observations Concerning the Cholinesterase Found in Bovine Blood Plasma and Cholostrum" in 1961. Worked with Dr Hibbs. Also kept busy making butter sherbet, ice cream, and cheese.

  • Got hole in one with Dr Barhart and Dr Johnson early ~ 1962 at Univ golf course (hole number 2).

  • Began working at Univ of ID (Moscow, ID ) in Dairy Science Dept with teaching and research appointment in 1971. Began working extension for Univ of Idaho in 1982.

  • Managed to find time to catch a 35 lb fish at Flaming Gorge, UT. on one of his days off. Would often hunt and fish with good friend Dr David Valder. Also managed to raise four daughters in Moscow: Sharon, Susan, Carrol, and Patty.

  • Called to Cairo Egypt to help with 600 tons of beans in 1978. 600 ton shipment was not being used because they needed some handholding with red colored beans. Was in the middle of a hostage crisis and there were machine guns and pillboxes and all sorts of HD artillery present. Was escorted by an armed guard everywhere he went.

  • Was secretary of IMPA from 1972 till 1995. Had scholarship named after him.

  • Served in several service organizations. Was member of Lions and Master of Masons, as well as treasurer of Elks and president of Kiwanis in Moscow.

  • Lost his beloved, the love of his life in 1995, but remarried ten years later to Karen Himes in 2005.

  • Moved to Meridian in in 2001.

  • Dr. Montoure passed away in 2013.

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