Broken Arrow Saddles - Allan Pursley

Mary "Ann" Pursley was called home to the Lord on Sunday, December 31, 2023. She was the first born to Howard and Mary “Slim” Pfrimmer in Ennis, Montana, on February 2, 1938. The eldest of six siblings and ten half siblings, she loved to share stories about antics the older siblings experienced growing up together. She often recalled fond memories of time spent with her dad while he worked various jobs in Montana, especially when he worked as a ranch hand and a government trapper. She loved to hunt and as a teenager won “The Big Buck Contest” for harvesting a massive mule deer. Needless to say, the older men in the competition were not happy that she was the winner.

While growing up in Big Sandy, Montana, she met Clarence “Allan” Pursley. They began casually dating while Ann was in high school and they continued to correspond throughout his time in the military. Upon Allan’s return from the service they became engaged. On May 16, 1956 Ann and Allan wed and started their family one year later. They had three children: Geri, Wayne and Norma.

Ann worked in the Great Falls, Montana retail business for years, making numerous friends that she cherished for years. When she would see “her customers” outside of work she’d come home and tell her family that she had seen the person and more often than not they did not know who she was talking about. When asked who the person was, her common response would be, “You know them, they came into Bob’s Thriftway, Noble’s Grocery Store or Western Village,” and of course for the most part they were still unknown to the family.

In 1990 she joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association as a timer. Throughout her tenure, Ann worked many rodeos, including the Snake River Stampede in Nampa, Idaho, as well as the Montana Pro Rodeo Finals in Great Falls. While she loved timing events, Ann also had a passion for running the Cash Calendar program for the PRCA Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit, where she would enlist the help of cowboys, cowgirls, friends and family selling as many as possible. She held drawings each month at the saddle shop, Broken Arrow Saddlery, to award the winners and mail checks to each of them.

Ann served on the PRCA Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit board of directors as the secretary treasurer and was named “Outstanding Board Member” in 1990.

Her most valued achievement while working in the rodeo business was in 2000 when she became a lifetime member of the PRCA and was awarded a gold card for her efforts.

When asked to be one of the original members of HANDS in the late 1990s she was more than honored and in fact was quite humbled. Fifty ladies from within the rodeo business formed this group to assist those within the western lifestyle during their time of need.

Ann shared various honors with her husband, Allan. They were inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2018, honored by the Northern Rodeo Association in the 1990s and the Montana Pro Rodeo Wall of Fame in the early 2000s.

Family and Friends were the most important part of Ann's life. Her infectious smile would light up a room and she never met a stranger. Ann surrounded herself with incredible friends and made everyone feel welcome in her home. She was known as a prankster and would serve up her "famous" pancakes to her unsuspecting guests, which would include a lucky person having gauze baked into the pancake so they couldn't cut it. Everyone would laugh and then have a plate of her delicious pancakes, sans gauze.

Ann holds a very special bond with her great grandchildren - Caleb, Andrew and Ruth that live in Great Falls. She was an integral caretaker after their adoptions. She instilled a love for puzzles, collecting rocks, painting, crafts, and watching the Game Show Network in them.

She adores her great grandson, Colten, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and was always so thrilled to spend time with him.

Ann was preceded in death by her father, Howard Pfrimmer; mother, Mary Pfrimmer, husband, Allan Pursley; son, Wayne Pursley; sisters, Toni Brewster, Rita Peoples, and Paula Pfrimmer; her brother-in-laws, Bob Brewster, Brian Davis, Pat O’Connor, and Duke Pursley.

She is survived by her daughters, Geri Pursley and Norma (Marty) Graham; grandchildren, Willow (John) Rossmiller, Colette (Joe) Zielinski, Mahria Graham, and Travis Graham; great-grandchildren, Caleb Rossmiller, Andrew Rossmiller, Ruth Rossmiller, and Colten Graham-Sinclair; step-mother, Veva Pfrimmer; siblings, Lou O’Connor, Dolly (George) Annis, Chuck (Wanda) Pfrimmer, Melanie Davis, Noel (Tom) Gorton, Brent (Debbie) Pfrimmer, Julie (Todo) Pearson, Jonna (Mike) Wallis, Billie (Dave) Billheimer, Robert (Debi) Pfrimmer, Nona (Rolly) Johnson, and Nina Bennett; sister-in-law, Dolly Pursley; brother-in-law, Benny Peoples; and aunt, Donna Shovlin, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends that were family.

Per Ann’s request, instead of a memorial service the family blessed her with "a coffee,” as she called it, prior to her passing. She was able to spend the last three weeks of her life reminiscing and sharing memories with her family and friends. “Annie Banannie” was an incredible person that blessed everyone she encountered. Please think of her when you hear that 8-second whistle blow at a rodeo.

Thank you to everyone that celebrated Allan's incredible life with us today. Sprcial thank you to everyone that brought their saddles, it was heart warming to see Grandpa's work on display. Here is the video of photos that were shared. https://youtu.be/KA5z7rGUd2

Allan Pursley

We hope you can join us.

Only 11 years and 15 days shy of achieving his goal of living to be 100 years old, Clarence Allan Pursley was called home to Jesus on July 1, 2022. He was born to James and Mildred (Rickert) Pursley on July 16, 1933. His childhood was filled with daring escapades with his brother, Aaron “Duke” Pursley on their family’s ranch in Big Sandy, Montana. At times the Pursley boys were a handful. From starting their Christmas tree on fire to dodging .22 rifle bullets as they ricocheted off rocks, the two were inseparable. In their later years, they were both loving husbands, fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers as well as being master craftsmen in their chosen careers. They were two peas in a pod and even in death the two were united, as Duke passed on May 11, 2022.

As a teenager and young adult, Allan continued to live an adventurous life. From accidentally driving into an electrical transformer that caused a major power outage spanning from Big Sandy to Havre, to being drafted into the army in 1954, where his occupation on his enlistment papers was cited as a “cow puncher." Subsequently, he served his country as a stateside radar specialist during the Korean War.

During his time in the military, he and Mary Ann Pfrimmer corresponded and to the dismay of two of her sisters, Allan and Ann wed on May 16, 1956. A year later, while working in a parts department in Havre, Allan welcomed his first daughter, Geri Lu and quickly instilled her love of rodeo and car racing, by taking her to both the first week of her life. A short 13 months later, Wayne Allan was born and spent the 17 years of his life filling Allan and Ann’s home with love, adventure and some heartburn. One year to the day after Wayne was born, the Pursley family was completed with the birth of Norma Jean, who carried on her father’s love of family, livestock and leather craftsmanship.

Allan worked various jobs throughout his early life, including a traveling salesman, as he sold ci******es, sundries and toys. In between his sales trips, Allan introduced his family to the “best sandwich” he had ever eaten on the road…a Rueben. He loved it so much, he recreated the delicious sandwich for them to enjoy along with his famous “cracker soup” – which consisted of crackers, butter, milk, salt and pepper. Allan loved making his kids poached eggs on toast with warm milk as well. Allan was a family man and caretaker for Ann and their children.

As the years continued, Allan and his family moved to Great Falls, where he went from his humble beginnings to a world-renowned saddle maker. Wanting to be self-taught, he tore down a ranch saddle in his family’s kitchen and used the bathtub to soak leather. Needless to say, showers became a premium in the Pursley household.

In the early 1970s, he established Broken Arrow Saddlery with his longtime friend, Larry Hafferman, by opening a small shop in Great Falls on 10th Avenue South in the Montana Mustard Seed Building, later to various locations throughout the city and eventually out to his property south of town. For several years Allan and Ann would travel to Arizona where he continued to build saddles during the winter months.

Honing his skills as a leather craftsman, and combining his love of rodeo, Allan took an interest in building bronc saddles. After all, his brother Duke rode saddle broncs in his early years and his son Wayne was in the initial stages of becoming a bronc rider, so it was only natural that Allan supported his son in his endeavors by perfecting a bronc saddle.

In July of 1976, Wayne’s life was cut short in a tragic plane accident. At the time, Allan’s close friend, Bill Jacobs, who had lost his son earlier, told him not to give up and focus on the “youth” to heal his heart. And that is what he did. One of Allan’s greatest times in his life was when he traveled with another of Bill’s sons, Donald and their wives on the amateur and youth rodeo circuit with Jacobs Livestock and Rodeo working as a “gateman extraordinaire”.

Fast forward some 10 years later, his bronc saddles began capturing the attention of the rodeo world. As the years passed he was blessed with countless champions riding his Broken Arrow bronc saddles in the National High School Rodeo Association, The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, the Northern Rodeo Association, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the Indian Rodeo Association, and the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association.

Not only were these men his customers, but they became his friends and family. His heart was full, knowing he played a small part in making these cowboys champions in their professional and personal lives.

Throughout his expansive career, Allan built over 1,000 saddles, chaps, wallets, belts, knife sheaths, rifle scabbards, memory books and other one-of-a-kind pieces. His saddles not only included bronc saddles, but barrel racing saddles, ranch saddles, youth saddles, cutting and reining saddles as well as adaptive saddles. They can be found in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and Germany.

During “66 years of bickering bliss," Allan and Ann’s home welcomed many, especially those in the rodeo business. Together, they have countless “kids” that they love. A life value for Allan that continued until his passing was that guests were always welcomed and encouraged, because “you never know when they will have time to stop by for a visit again.” They never met a stranger that didn’t become a friend or part of their family.

Allan and Ann were inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2018. They were also honored by the Northern Rodeo Association in the 1990s and the Montana Pro Rodeo Wall of Fame in the early 2000s. Allan was a proud member of the Montana Cowboys Association and was the builder of their saddle that they annually used as a fundraiser.

Allan was a mentor to many, especially his daughters, Geri and Norma, son-in-law Marty Graham, as well as his grandchildren: Willow and John Rossmiller; Colette and Joe Zielinski; Mahria Graham; and Travis Graham. His eyes continually lit up when he was surrounded by his great-grandchildren – Caleb, Andrew and Ruth Rossmiller; and Colten Graham-Sinclair. Each generation as well as many friends along the way have enjoyed learning the leather trade from Allan. Taking care of other people and animals first, being a hard worker, showing loyalty and honesty and above all else loving Jesus with your entire heart are values Allan encouraged and inspired in his family.

Allan’s most important accomplishment and cherished moment of his life was when he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal lord and savior at a high school rodeo in Belt. His life’s journey was filled with the many blessings and miracles of knowing Jesus. Allan loved to share his testimony of what the Lord brought him through and how God always had a plan. In the last days of his life he said he wished he could reach everyone in the world and let them know how God works through others to care for us, and he was proof of God's love and plans for our lives.

The legacy of Allan’s life lives on, not only in the saddles he built, but in the many lives he touched throughout the years. To say Allan was one in a million, is an understatement. He made each person he encountered feel like the only one that mattered, as he sat and visited with you about days gone by and things to come. He truly is a legend.

Allan will be deeply missed by all that knew him. Please remember him as you climb upon your horse, tell stories with those you love and open your bible to spend time with God.

Never forget the Broken Arrow that pierced our hearts in such a loving way.

At Allan’s request, his celebration of life is planned for next year, on what would be his 90th birthday, July 16, 2023. The time and location will be posted closer to the event.

Please share any memories or stories you have of Allan, as this is so appreciated by all of his family! Geri Pursley Norma Pursley Graham Marty Graham Willow Rossmiller Colette Zielinski Mahria Graham John Rossmiller

There are no words that can convey the impact that Uncle Duke had on this world and everyone that had the pleasure to know him. He is loved and missed by all. -Willow

Obituary for Aaron "Duke" Pursley at Benton Funeral Home 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 Dukes request. Duke was born June 28, 1935 to James and Mildred Rickert Pursley in his grandparents

Allan teaching his great-grandchildren leatherwork. Happy Holidays to you and your family, we wish you a very blessed year.

Happy 88th Birthday Allan!!

On this date 65 years ago these lovebirds were married! Happy Anniversary Allan & Annie. We all love you!

📷 VLS Photography

Allan celebrated his 87th birthday yesterday. He still enjoys building saddles and especially talking with his friends, family and the cowboys and cowgirls all over the world that ride his saddles.

This is the first Jordan Edition bronc saddle.

Today was a great day celebrating Allan and Ann Pursley as they were inducted into to the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. Thank you to all who attended and sent well wishes. It was a great day celebrating two wonderful people who are blessed with a huge rodeo family.