Erling William Barsness

Erl was born the only child of William and Magdalene Barsness, 1st generation Americans living in central Minnesota from Norwegian immigrants. Bill & Mag raised him on a modest dairy farm in Pope County just outside Starbuck, MN, where hand milking cows and throwing bales of hay forged his firm handshake and barreled chest that greeted everyone he met or embraced.

Born in a snow storm on Palm Sunday, Erl was destined to be two things; a man of true faith and, perhaps more attributed to his Norwegian ancestry, a skier. He learned to ski at a young age when his uncle Ed made him his first pair of skis, carved from barrel staves. He claims to have “skied uphill to school both ways with frozen honey sandwiches” and occasionally jumped off the nordic ski jump in nearby Glenwood. Accomplished in speech and debate, co-captain of the football team, active in baseball and wrestling and a natural thespian, Erl's innate abilities could have granted him access into any number of secondary schools but it was an encounter with a Marine Corp recruiter that would change his life, ushering him into the world he so desired to explore.

The Marine Corp offered him an opportunity to see the world and made good on that promise immediately. He graduated high school on a Friday in 1959 and was sitting in boot camp on Paris Island, San Diego by Sunday morning. Stationed briefly in nearby El Torro, he served in the South Pacific and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Answering an ad from the local radio station KSBK to spin records for the substantial English speaking residents, Erl’s lifelong career in journalism and broadcasting was born when he began hosting a nightly radio program. He concluded his service duty in 1963 and was discharged from Cherry Point, SC avoiding the call to arms in the Vietnam conflict and sadly, he was never portrayed by Robin Williams.

He returned to Starbuck where he resumed work on the farm and briefly enrolled at Concordia College. His heart begged to see the west and he responded, moving to Missoula, MT to work for the forest service in the summer of 1965. Later that Fall, he would accept a job at the local TV station hosting a BINGO variety show and joined the Ski Patrol at nearby Marshall Mountain on the merits of his Norwegian heritage alone. In the Spring of 1966, he was summoned back home to help his father on the farm and became reacquainted with a high school friend, Ann Johnson. They dated briefly that summer and when Ann lost her parents within two weeks of each other, whether for love or sense of duty, Erl offered his hand to her and they were married a few months later on November 26th,1966.

Ann quickly became accustomed to Erl’s whims when, in the Spring of 1968, he accepted a job in Helena, MT at KCAP-AM, leaving her to finish her teaching job at Glenweed Elementary and join him, post haste. Never to be outdone by lack of knowledge, Erl blindly purchased an acre of land outside of town, acquired plans for a modest home, and proudly presented his proposal to Ann before she even arrived. Unwilling to second guess his dubious initiative, her credulity failed to prevent her from relocating her life to the untamed foothills of Helena, MT. Despite leaving behind everyone and everything she'd ever known she never looked back. Armed with blind faith and determination, they successfully built their first house, footsteps within the MT wilderness where hunting, fishing and hiking abounded. They remained in Helena until late 1970 when Erl accepted a job at KURL-8 TV as Sports Director. Together this time, they purchased a home in Billings, MT in January, 1971, and continue to live there to this day.

After a brief stint fostering two Native American girls from Fort-Peck, Erl and Ann welcomed a baby girl, Leah in September 1972 and a son, Erik in 1976. Amidst this, Erl transitioned back to the airwaves with Intermountain Radio - KGHL 790 AM. Here he would burgeon his legacy as the voice of Montana agriculture and outdoors. He was arguably an imperative voice to MT farmers and ranchers when he reported on the commodities markets each day. He began producing a radio program known as the Outdoorsman which would evolve into Shadow of the Rockies after joining forces with Taylor Brown, a rising figure in MT’s farm and ranch community and Conrad Burns, future Senator for the state of MT. Taylor and Conrad purchased a radio station emphasizing the voice of the MT farmer and rancher and, at Erl’s insistence, included the sportsman side of the beautiful outdoors that shares the land with them. Their network would carry Erl’s voice via Shadow of the Rockies until his last show on February, 6th 2023. Alongside broadcasting, he began selling real estate which eventually led him to the franchise sales team for Kampgrounds of America in 1990. The combination of sales, outdoors, camping, and conviviality fit Erl superbly and would be his mainstay career until they disbanded his team in early 2004. Erl’s retirement from KOA afforded him more time to dedicate to his church as he and Ann became Lay Pastors for the ELCA and were active in Via de Cristo, the Lutheran cursillo. He embodied his role as “Papa” to his five grandchildren Avery and Jack with Leah in Billings and Reece, Thymer and Ollie, living in Seattle with Erik and his wife Cam [Elkin] and jokingly had to be encouraged to point the camera at them as he was often more wrapt by Montana’s beautiful wildlife, landscape and scenery. Erl never strayed far from his other passion, skiing. Raising the kids on skis at Red Lodge Mountain, he rejoined the Beartooth Ski Patrol in 1988 and was actively involved in the National Ski Patrol for the next 25 years, achieving his National Number in late 2000.

Throughout Erl’s life, his values, epitomized by his upbringing, were revealed to everyone he encountered. A hardworking son of Norwegian heritage, his abilities were born of necessity on a modest Minnesota farm and the brilliant communicator, quiet leader, and accomplished literarian, honed in adolescence, were all hallmarks of his character. As forthcoming as he was to these traits, it was the quiet virtues he subtly adorned on his hands that were the embodiment of Erl’s unshakeable foundation. Two rings faded and deteriorated, like the flesh they encircled and worn as religiously as the vows they represented. He never questioned or debated their meaning, nor ignored the fraternity they symbolized. Neither braggadocious nor demure, Erl was resolute in this manner: On the left, his wedding band. Unadorned and smooth. A reminder of the vows he made to Ann. To remain with her through it all, a commitment before God, trusting his heart and faith that he was for her, and she for him. On the right hand was a similarly faded ring, the Marine Corp. emblem barely visible through the red jewel adorning the top. On the side, two words could still be made out: Semper Fi - always faithful. He was resolutely faithful to the Marines and honorably faithful to the flag. Unquestionably faithful to Ann and his kids, decidedly faithful to those he served and loved. Most assuredly, he was faithful to God until his final days and through Him he viewed the world. It is exposed in the many photographs of God’s great world and the beautiful creatures Erl loved to capture. It is reflected in the hearts and memories of those who loved him. It was exemplified in the many service positions and roles he honorably held, However it may have ultimately been felt through his assuaging voice and prose. Regardless of airwave or pulpit, nevermind friend or stranger, family or confidant, attending to an audience or someone alone, he faithfully imbued the grace of God to everyone he met.

In lieu of flowers memorials can be sent to Peace Lutheran Church, Christikon Lutheran Bible Camp, or the Alzheimer's Association. Services for Erl will be held later this year in June at Peace Lutheran Church and his wishes were to have his ashes scattered over Grizzly Peak, atop the Beartooth Mountains.