Published in the Great Falls Tribune on 4/5/2009
Great Falls MT

Marlin Earle "Lefty" Lake, 76, an Army veteran and retired construction
worker, died of natural causes Monday at his Great Falls residence.
Cremation has taken place under the direction of Croxford Funeral Home
and Crematory, and graveside memorial services are 2 p.m. Tuesday in
Highland Cemetery.  Survivors include four children, Diann, Sheila,
Dennis and Kenny; a brother, Mel (Phyllis) Lake of Great Falls,
and a half sister, Aldene Hedin of Scottsdale, Ariz.; three nieces,
a nephew and several cousins.  He was preceded in death by his father,
Melburn C. Lake Sr., his stepfather, Orrin L.  Knutson, and his mother,
Claire M. Knutson.  Marlin was born July 13, 1932, in Vermillion, S.D.,
a son of Melburn Charles Lake and Claire Muriel (Cunningham) Lake. The
family lived at Vermillion, and Marlin began his education at Meckling,
S.D. When Marlin was 11 years old, the family moved to Great Falls to
live, and he continued his education here.  He served in the U.S. Army
from 1953 until 1955. The Korean Conflict had ended just before Marlin
was sent there. He received a citation and several medals for his time
in the Army.  He married Janice Lowe in 1956 and they later divorced
in 1968.  When he was younger, Lefty, as he was known to his friends,
loved cars. He bought them, worked on them and sold many of them. Marlin
worked in construction in equipment maintenance in various locations for
36 years prior to his retirement.  Condolences may be posted online at
www.croxfordfuneralhome.com and/or www.gftribune.com/obituaries.