John Krsul, 28th U.S. Marshal, District of Montana
John C. Krsul, 28th U.S. Marshal, District of Montana
John C. Krsul was born April 22, 1917 in Black Eagle, Montana. Attended
elementary school in Black Eagle, and in 1936 as named all-state fullback, he
graduated from Great Falls High School in 1937. Attended college and then worked
for the Anaconda Co. In March 24, 1942 Krsul married the former Iris D. Cowen
and made their home in Black Eagle. Krsul enlisted and served in the Army Air
Corps during WWII in the South Pacific for 33 months as a crew chief on a B-24.
He returned to Great Falls in 1945. Krsul briefly worked as a civilian
pre-flight inspector at East Base, now Malmstrom U.S. Air Force Base.
Krsul began his 35year career in Montana law enforcement when he became a
Cascade County deputy sheriff in 1946; he was the resident deputy at Black Eagle
for 12 years. In 1958, Krsul was elected Sheriff of Cascade County and retained
that office for five terms. Sheriff Krsul is credited with being a progressive
innovator throughout Montana law enforcement. Some of the actions he implemented
were: deputies became uniformed, improved living conditions for prisoners,
incorporation of regular training sessions for personnel into job - he and most
of his staff attended and graduated from the FBI National Academy, establishment
of a criminal photographic and fingerprint/ identification laboratory and
activated and organized the Sheriff’s Posse and Search & Rescue. Sheriff Krsul
was instrumental in establishing the Montana Law Enforcement Academy in Bozeman,
the Montana Law Enforcement Teletype System and was Montana’s representative to
the national teletype system. During his tenure, Sheriff Krsul served as the
President of the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (MSPOA) and
developed the MSPOA K-9 Academy at Belt Creek, Montana; dogs from this facility
were credited the recovery of 120 bodies during the 1972 floods at Rapid City,
South Dakota. Providing security during 1962; Sheriff Krsul said, “The biggest
day of my life was the day President Kennedy came to town.”
Krsul was nominated by President Jimmy Carter for Marshal in July of 1977. He
was appointed Marshal on August 29th, 1977, succeeding Marshal Louis O. Aleksich.
Marshal Krsul had heart surgery in 1979, and in 1981 had entered into a Billings
hospital one month before he passed away on March 25th, 1981, he was 63. Marshal
Krsul was buried at Mount Olive Cemetery, Great Falls.
Sources:
1) Great Falls Tribune: 12/22/76: 1/19/77:8, 7/16/77:1, 8/6/77:1, 8/10/77:6,
9/6/79:5, 11/24/79:15, 3/26/81:1, 3/27/81:7.