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James W. Bill Zion passed peacefully on April 5, 2003 at age 89. He was a resident of Westside Albuquerque. He was born on August 14, 1913 at Carter, Montana, the son of Frank A. and Nancy B. Zion, who were homesteaders. He worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps and served with the Montana National Guard. He was inducted into the Army in September of 1942, and served as a medical technician at the Torney General Hospital in Palm Springs, CA and the Bushnell General Hospital in Brigham City, UT. While serving at Bushnell General Hospital, he took part in a pilot study of the use of penicillin for military casualties. Separated from the Army in March of 1946, he worked for the Peter Kiewit Company Decker Coal Mine in Northern Wyoming. He formed Zion Construction Company in the 1950's, a Montana oil field road construction firm operated by himself and his wife, Dortha M. Zion. The company did oil field road and oil rig site construction, bridge work, and public land development to serve farmers and ranchers. Bill and his wife retired to Riverton, Wyoming and wintered in Hemet, California. They moved to Albuquerque in May of 2000 to be with their son, James W. Zion, Jr.; daughter-in-law, Elsie RedBird-Zion and granddaughter, Jeannette B. Zion. Bill is survived by his wife, Dortha; his only son, James W. Zion, Jr., and his granddaughter, Jeannette B. Zion all of Albuquerque; two brothers, F.L. Scotty Zion of Great Falls, Montana and Robert Zion of Choteau, Montana. He was also loved and cared for by his Navajo step-granddaughters, Olowan Tenoso, Vanessa Salcido and Lyssa Peters; his Navajo step-grandniece, Aleta Juan. Following a lifetime of service to his country and work in the oil industry, Bill was surrounded by loving caregivers in Albuquerque who saw to his needs, and the care and support of the Presbyterian Hospice Program. The family acknowledges the work of those fine people and thanks to them for their loving outreach to a man whose contributions helped build West's national highway system and its oil industry. Service will take place on Wednesday at French Mortuary - Westside Chapel, at 10:00 a.m. with Reverend Clyde Stanfield, officiating. Burial will follow at Santa Fe National Cemetery at 12:00 p.m. French Mortuary 9300 Golf Course Rd. NW 897-0300
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