{"id":32904,"date":"2026-04-01T10:59:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T16:59:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/?post_type=case&#038;p=32904"},"modified":"2026-04-14T09:09:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T15:09:49","slug":"carl-c-tadej-jr-age-78-of-helena","status":"publish","type":"case","link":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/obituaries\/carl-c-tadej-jr-age-78-of-helena\/","title":{"rendered":"Carl C. Tadej, Jr. age 78 of Helena"},"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","class_list":{"0":"post-32904","1":"case","2":"type-case","3":"status-publish","5":"entry","6":"has-post-thumbnail"},"acf":[],"fields":{"first_name":"Carl","middle_name":"Clarence","last_name":"Tadej","date_born":"12\/03\/1947","date_died":"03\/28\/2026","age":"78","city":"Helena","state":"Montana","full_obituary_text":"<div style=\"padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/event\/5867733\/embed\/interaction\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Carl C. (Butch) Tadej Jr., 78, was a deeply loved father, brother, and grandfather who passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family and those closest to him. He was born on December 3, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois. When he was just two years old, his family returned to their roots on the family farm outside Geraldine, Montana, where Carl grew up as the second of nine children.<\/p>\n<p>As a boy, Butch attended a one-room schoolhouse in Eagle Butte before continuing on to Geraldine High School. There, he played football, formed lifelong friendships, and shared plenty of mischievous moments with his brothers. After graduating in 1965, he moved to Fort Benton to work and start his life as a young man.<\/p>\n<p>A couple years later, Carl answered the call to serve his country by joining the United States Navy. During his four years of service, he served with honor in the Vietnam War, completing two tours aboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CVA-34). Following his honorable discharge, he made his home in Helena, Montana, where he married his beloved wife, Joleen, in 1978.<\/p>\n<p>Carl carried on a proud family tradition by becoming a master electrician. He owned and operated Tadej Electric II in the Helena area for more than thirty years, building not only a successful business but also lasting relationships within his community.<\/p>\n<p>He found joy in life\u2019s simple pleasures\u2014playing cribbage, telling jokes, singing oldies, fishing with family and friends, and building and running demolition derby cars alongside those he loved. Above all, Carl cherished his family. Together with Joleen, he raised three wonderful children, Maranda, Megan, and Adam. He was incredibly proud to watch them grow and build families of their own.<\/p>\n<p>Carl\u2019s love for his children, grandchildren, and extended family was unwavering. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered for his warmth, humor, and the life he built with those around him. They truly don\u2019t make them like they used too.<\/p>\n<p>We love you always.<\/p>\n<p>A funeral service will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, April 17, 2026 at Anderson Stevenson Wilke and Retz Funeral Home, 3750 N. Montana Ave. A reception will follow the service in the social hall of the funeral home.\u00a0 Burial with military honors will take place at the Montana State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Harrison following the reception.<\/p>\n","photo":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tadej-Jr.-Carl.jpg","youtube_video_url":"","service_status":"public","event_title1":"Funeral Service","event_date1":"2026-04-17","start_time1":"12:00 p.m.","end_time1":"","location1":"Anderson Stevenson Wilke and Retz Funeral Home","address1":"3750 N. Montana Ave","city1":"Helena","state1":"Montana","zipcode1":"59602","event_title2":"Reception","event_date2":"2026-04-17","start_time2":"Following the Funeral Service","end_time2":"","location2":"Anderson Stevenson Wilke and Retz Funeral Home","address2":"3750 N. Montana Ave.","city2":"Helena","state2":"Montana","zipcode2":"59602","event_title3":"Burial with Military Honors","event_date3":"2026-04-17","start_time3":"Following the Reception","end_time3":"","location3":"Montana State Veterans Cemeter","address3":"","city3":"Fort Harrison","state3":"Montana","zipcode3":"59636","event_title4":"","event_date4":"","start_time4":"","end_time4":"","location4":"","address4":"","city4":"","state4":"","zipcode4":"","event_title5":"","event_date5":"","start_time5":"","end_time5":"","location5":"","address5":"","city5":"","state5":"","zipcode5":"","event_title6":"","event_date":"","start_time6":"","end_time6":"","location6":"","address6":"","city6":"","state6":"","zipcode6":"","event_title7":"","event_date7":"","start_time7":"","end_time7":"","location7":"","address7":"","city7":"","state7":"","zipcode7":"","event_title8":"","event_date8":"","start_time8":"","end_time8":"","location8":"","address8":"","city8":"","state8":"","zipcode8":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case\/32904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/case"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32904"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}