Local Cowboy and Master Engraver , Aaron " Duke " Pursley , passed away Wednesday , May 11 , 2022 at the Big Sandy Medical Center of natural causes . Cremation has taken place and no services are planned at Duke ' s request .

Duke was born June 28 , 1935 to James and Mildred ( Rickert ) Pursley in his grandparent' s home at the foothills of Centennial a short distance from Big Sandy , Montana . He lived his entire life within a ten mile circle of his birthplace . Duke graduated from Big Sandy High School in 1954 , and began a 12 year career as a Saddle Bronc rider . He loved the challenge of seemingly unrideable broncs and rode with style and flair . He married local girl, Dolly McNeill on May 17 , 1958 in B i g Sandy , and they moved into the home he was born in , and off they went rodeoing all over the country and in Canada . Duke celebrated many rodeo successes in the PRCA , and suffered with a few broken bones along the way . Duke and Dolly enjoyed this lifestyle , met lots of g reat people, saw some b eautiful country and began their family - Mike , Kip , Julie and Ted . Ab out the time Mike was to start school , they moved their home to the Pursley Coulee on Coalmine Road and worked with his parents farming and ranching . With the help of family and friends they built a log kit home in that yard , later moving it to property they had purchased from his Uncle Milton Pursley at the base of Centennial , where Duke claimed his million dollar view . They lived in that log home for 50 years moving into Big Sandy in 2020 . He enjoyed riding horses and raising cattle . He branded his cows and his artwork with his brand , A hanging P . If you have a piece of his work , you will find his brand somewhere on it with the year it w as made.

Duke and his older brother Allan grew up in a creative home , their parent s must have nurtured their artistic interests because they had many hobbies and both developed an artistic living . Duke in gun engraving and knifemaking and Allan in saddlemaking . W h en he was about 20 , Duke taught himself to engrave with tools his dad made for him . He began creating custom knives in 1975 , each one a unique piece of art . He conti nued to engrave guns and in 1986 reached Master Engraver recog nition from the Firearms Engravers Guild of America and continued engraving up until the time of his death . There are about forty Master Engravers in the United States at this time . He loved creating unique pieces and designs , he loved taking a pla in gun and making it spectacular. Life is too short to shoot with an Ugly gun , and Duke ' s guns were anything but ugly . In 1992 Duke w as proud to complet e a College Course at Trinidad State College in gold inlay from Master Engraver , John Barraclough . This added anoth er dimension to his already impressiv e style of engraving . Duke and Dolly traveled to Knife and Gun Shows all over the country selling his creation s . T h ey enjoyed shows in New York City , Las Vegas , Reno , Texas , California and throughout Montana . In 1996 Duke joined with his longtime friend Ron Otto and created the Little Sharps Rifle Company to build a 20 % smaller version of the original Sharps rifle . These rifles are a dream to shoot and Duke ' s engraving enhanced their charm .

Duke was inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2017 and enjoyed tellin g stories of his adventures, esp ecially his hunting trips with his lifelong buddies . He was always on the move . He loved driving and traveled wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted . He ' d take his side by side and head over the mountains taking a gun or two to shoot gophers and his fishing po le to try his luck in various ponds or creeks . He traveled with his friends to Alaska to fish , he hun ted moose in northern Can ada , loved to shoot gophers , coyotes and rattlesnakes . Duke loved to visit and over the years he made lots of friends , young and old . He especially enjoyed children and has been entertained in recent years by his grandchildren and great grandchildren .

Duke was a colorful character in more ways than one . He stood out in a crowd with his wild western shirts , that were all hand sewn with love and a smile by his wife , Dolly . Colorful Cowboy Slang rolled off his tongue dur ing ever y day conversati on or at the slightest frustratio n . He will be greatly missed .

He was preceded in death by his parents , and one nephew , Wayne Pursley , in 1976 .

Duke is survived by his wife of 64 years , Dolly Pursley of B i g Sand y . His children : Mike Pursley of Great Falls ; Kip Pursley of Anchorage , AK ; Julie ( Colin ) Lybeck of Chester ; Ted ( Amy ) Pursley of Big Sandy . His grandchildren and great - grandchildren : Koltin ( LuAnn ) Pursley and their children : Jay , Michael , Katrina & Laura . Trinity Pursley and Garth Pursley . Logan ( Eve ) Lybeck and children : Lycaeus & Fiona ; Lexi ( Dillon ) Udelhoven and their children : Traylan , Trexton , Timmer , & Trevick . Larisa ( Lane ) Harmon & their sons Waylon & Stetson Duke . Kassidy Pursley & Kaden Pursley and Georgia Wortman & Tavie Wortman . His brother Allan ( Ann ) Pursley of Great Falls and his business partner of 26 years , Ronnie Otto , along with several cousins , nieces , nephews and many friends . Memorials can be made to the B i g Sandy Medical Center .