This is the story of John(Johnny) . John was a wonderful man that was loved, is missed, and will always be cherished. Our “Papa,” as he liked to be called by his grandchildren, “Johnny,” as he was called by Karita when she was little, was an amazing father, son, and a baker of buns like no other could be story starts on March 9, 1925, the oldest child to Harvey and Josephine Chell. John was born in Kansas City Mo. When John was still little Harvey and Jo moved their small family to Froid, where John would spend his childhood, grow up, make many lifelong friends, and go to school. he was very proud to be a Froid Cardinal and would always point them out when he was lucky enough to see one. Froid is where he would meet the love of his Mary Lee Picard of Bainville. John and Mary had a whirlwind romance and were married in the Lutheran church in Froid on Aug. 16, 1969. John and Mary spent many hardworking years on the family farm north of Bainville and east of Froid.

John was known for his cooking and baking skills. John and Mary never had any trouble finding help on the farm. Everyone always knew they would have plenty of homemade delicious food to eat while they were there to work. Shay remembers many many pans of buns coming out of the funny looking oven that John baked in his kitchen, and always having a ham and cheese sandwich on one of those buns to eat when he arrived from that long bus ride home from school. John could also get out and work the cattle and those sheep and drive truck with best of them. he worked that farm very hard.

In 1983, after their daughter Tawny was born, John and Mary moved their family to the “big city” of Billings. John and mary bo Al’s Bootery and the Redwing shoe store.

They had many successful years selling western and work boots to the people of Billings and the surrounding area. John was pretty famous for his snakeskin boots. John and Sam also started a successful residential construction company soon after moving to Billings that is still going strong today. Everyone knew that when John showed up on the job site they had better have it cleaned up and better have things done right. If you were going to do it half-assed you may as well not do it at all. John loved to look at and be in the mountains of Montana. John and his family spent many days up and around Cooke City, Mont. John and Mary would always point out Pilot Index when they were on the way up there and they had “their meadow” where they had many happy times together. If there was anywhere John loved to be with her family it was in the mountains.

John grandchildren were his heart and joy. There’s no denying that, his grandbabies as he called them, were the people that he loved the most. Time spent at papas house was very special for his grandbabies, and parents were discouraged from hanging out too long.

Loved ones that cleared the path for John are as followed father Harvey Elroy Chell, infant daughter Marie Ann Picard, and his sister Renette Chell. Loved ones that will miss john until they meet again is his wife Mary his daughter Tawny Jo Picard; his son and daughter-in-law Shay Christon Picard and Melissa Florence Picard; and his grandchildren Dallas (Tooter Hopper) Shay Picard, Dawson (Dawsey) Clay Picard, Daphne (Bunny) Dea Picard, Kyra MaKayla Eastwood, Travis James Eastwood, Alex Tyler Hilario, and Lilly (Kitty) Keairra Lasker(Keke) and Jamese(mese).

Until we meet again