Missoula Says Goodbye to Two Local Icons, “Uncle Bill” and Tami

Missoula said farewell this weekend to two very important characters who helped make this community what it is. 

Celebrations of life were held this weekend for William Stoianoff, better known as "Uncle Bill", and Tami Ursich, better known as "Iron Horse Tami". 

Celebrating Lives & Legacies

Both touched an incredible number of lives over the years, and seeing the people who came out to celebrate them was a powerful reminder of just how much they meant to Missoula. 

Uncle Bill: A Local Icon

I met Bill Stoianoff many decades ago here in Missoula. He was an acquaintance of my father at one point, and I think it's safe to say he was a friend to an awful lot of people. 

Entrepreneurial Spirit: The Joint Effort

Bill was one of the owners of the Joint Effort, which was the first head shop in Montana. That was a long time ago, when you could walk into the store and find tapes, records, incense, rugs, posters, tobacco-smoking accessories and all kinds of other interesting things. 

But Bill certainly didn't stop there. 

READ MORE: The Historic Moments Missoula Will Never Forget

Over the years, he was involved in a number of different ventures, including Uncle Bill's House of Sausage. 

Those sausages eventually became a recognizable local brand, showing up in grocery stores around Missoula and at the Saturday Farmers Market. 

Bill had a way of connecting with people. He was one of those people who seemed to know everybody, and everybody seemed to have a story about Uncle Bill. 

 Remembering Iron Horse Tami

And then there was Tami. 

I knew Tami a bit better because our paths crossed for years through the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band. 

Celebrating Traditions: St. Patrick's Day with Tami

Tami hired our pipe band to play at the Iron Horse every St. Patrick's Day. We've been doing that for decades. 

Tami was always incredibly good to us and appreciated our band whenever we played. 

This weekend, we had the honor of playing for her celebration of life. 

That was a pretty special moment. Watching the reaction of family and friends when we played “Amazing Grace” is something I will remember for a long time.  

Tami, along with her husband Jürgen Knöller, helped build Montana's first brewery and pub. The two also helped establish some of Montana's earliest Oktoberfest traditions, creating an event that continues to bring people together today. 

Tami and Jürgen were married for seven years, and Tami eventually went on to establish the Iron Horse Pub and Grill. 

READ MORE: Missoula’s Old Buildings That Have Been Turned Into Something New

Over the years, the Iron Horse has become much more than just another bar or restaurant. 

It became part of Missoula. 

Tami was a huge part of that. 

Every time we played at the Iron Horse she would greet us like old friends, and made us fell like we were at home. 

That's what made Tami special. 

That's what made Bill special, too. 

Lasting Impact of Community Characters

They were characters. 

I mean that as one of the highest compliments possible. 

They were people who stood out. People who did things their own way. People who built businesses, created traditions, made friends and left stories behind. 

Judging by the number of people who showed up to celebrate their lives this weekend, they clearly left a lot of those stories behind. 

Missoula has changed a lot over the decades. Businesses have come and gone. Buildings have changed. Entire neighborhoods look different than they did when Bill and Tami were getting started. 

But people like them become part of the fabric of a community. 

You could mention "Uncle Bill" or "Iron Horse Tami" to somebody who's been around Missoula for a while, and there's a very good chance you'll hear, "Oh yeah, I remember them." 

That's becoming increasingly rare. 

There aren't as many of those larger-than-life local characters anymore. The people who aren't simply business owners or restaurant owners, but become part of the identity of a place. 

Bill Stoianoff and Tami Ursich were two of those people. 

They made Missoula a little more interesting, a little more colorful and, for a lot of people, a whole lot more fun. 

A Fond Farewell to Missoula’s Innovators

It was sad to say goodbye to them this weekend. 

But it was also pretty special to see just how many people showed up to say thank you. 

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Thank you, Uncle Bill. 

Thank you, Tami. 

Western Montana is going to miss you both.