Obituaries

Donald “Donnie” G. Nelson, 67, of Havre, a truck driver and longtime employee of Baltrusch Construction, died peacefully Monday evening, April 24, 2006, at Northern Montana Care Center. At his request, cremation has taken place with a private family burial at Highland Cemetery. A gathering of family and friends is being planned in celebration of Donnie's life for 3 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at the Havre Vets Club. He was born April 12, 1939, in Thief River Falls, Minn., to Clarence and Adeline (Nordrum) Nelson. He attended s... Full story

John “Jack” Conrad Fakler, 64, of Havre died Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at his residence due to cancer. His memorial service will be held at the Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Helena, the date and time to be announced at a later time. Jack was born Oct. 20, 1941, to John and Clara (Wassman) Fakler in Dickinson, N.D. He was raised and educated in Beach, N.D., and graduated from high school in 1959. He attended business school for one year and then went to work for Sears as a salesman in Glendive, Glasgow and Williston, N...

BOZEMAN - Ida Barbknecht Langdon, 101, Graveside services will be held at the Ennis Cemetery at 11 a.m. Friday for family and friends, with a reception to follow at the Jeffers Episcopal Church. Ida Barbknecht Langdon was born Nov. 17, 1904, to Julius and Anne Weber Barbknecht at the Barbknecht homestead, located in the extreme southeastern corner of North Dakota. She remained on the farm until 1934. She married Norman D. Langdon at Fergus Falls, Minn., in 1937. Their only daughter and child, Katherine, was born at Fergus... Full story

ANDREWS, Texas - Edward Leon Henn, 82, of Andrews, Texas, died Sunday, April 23, 2006, at his daughter's home in Andrews. A funeral service was held Wednesday at McNett Funeral Home Chapel with burial following in Andrews North Cemetery under the direction of McNett Funeral Home. Edward was born Oct. 10, 1923, in Orlando, Okla. He served in the U.S. Navy. He was a drilling superintendent for Elenburg Exploration for more than 15 years and several other companies over the years. He married Billie Ruth Carnes on Nov. 14, 1966,... Full story

ANACORTES, Wash. - Helen Elizabeth Klies, 93, of Anacortes, Wash., died Friday, April 21, 2006, at San Juan Rehab and Care Center in Anacortes. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, May 17, at the Anacortes Lutheran Church, with interment at Highland Cemetery in Havre. Helen was born on February 16, 1913 in Moorehead, Minn., to Norwegian immigrants, Ove and Oline (Borde) Sather. She and her four siblings were raised in Havre. As a young woman, Helen was employed as a sales clerk in Havre where she met Emil.... Full story

Irene M. Damschen, 83, longtime Havre resident, died peacefully Sunday, April 23, 2006, in a Billings Hospital. A service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Fifth Avenue Christian Church in Havre. Visitation will be at Holland & Bonine Funeral Home from 2 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. Irene was born Jan. 17, 1923, in Havre to Bert and Pansy Inman. She attended country school west of Havre and graduated from Kremlin High School in 1942. On May 25, 1942, she married Roy E. Damschen in Bremerton, Wash. During the war, they lived in... Full story

VALLEY SPRINGS, Calif. - Hazel B. Bremer, 83, of Valley Springs, Calif., died Thursday, April 20, 2006, at Mark Twain St. Joseph's Hospital in San Andreas, Calif. A memorial service was held Monday morning at Foothill Lutheran Church in Valley Springs. Visitation in Montana will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday at Croxford Funeral Home and Crematory in Great Falls. A Montana service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. John Lutheran Church in Fairfield with burial in Sunset Hills Cemetery in Fairfield. Haz...

Irene M. Damschen, 83, longtime Havre resident, died peacefully Sunday, April 23, 2006, in a Billings Hospital. A service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Fifth Avenue Christian Church in Havre. Visitation will be at Holland & Bonine Funeral Home from 2 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. Irene was born Jan. 17, 1923, in Havre to Bert and Pansy Inman. She attended country school west of Havre and graduated from Kremlin High School in 1942. On May 25, 1942, she married Roy E. Damschen in Bremerton, Wash. During the war, they lived in... Full story

VALLEY SPRINGS, Calif. - Hazel B. Bremer, 83, of Valley Springs, Calif., died Thursday, April 20, 2006, at Mark Twain St. Joseph's Hospital in San Andreas, Calif. A memorial service was held Monday morning at Foothill Lutheran Church in Valley Springs. Visitation in Montana will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday at Croxford Funeral Home and Crematory in Great Falls. A Montana service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. John Lutheran Church in Fairfield with burial in Sunset Hills Cemetery in Fairfield. Haz...

ANACORTES, Wash. - Helen Elizabeth Klies, 93, of Anacortes, Wash., died Friday, April 21, 2006, at San Juan Rehab and Care Center in Anacortes. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, May 17, at the Anacortes Lutheran Church, with interment at Highland Cemetery in Havre. Helen was born on February 16, 1913 in Moorehead, Minn., to Norwegian immigrants, Ove and Oline (Borde) Sather. She and her four siblings were raised in Havre. As a young woman, Helen was employed as a sales clerk in Havre where she met Emil....

LODGE POLE - Thomas Joseph Bell, 83, of Lodge Pole died in Lewistown on Friday, April 21, 2006, due to natural causes. A funeral Mass will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. in Medicine Bear Lodge. Burial will follow at the Lodge Pole Cemetery with military honors. Wake will begin this afternoon at Joe Bell's residence with rosary recited at 7 p.m. at Medicine Bear Lodge. Joe is a descendant of John Bell, Takes the Prisoner and Little Chief, and the son of Thomas (GrosVentre) and Mary Ann (Assiniboine) (Thinker) Bell. He was raised and... Full story

John “Jack” Conrad Fakler, 64, of Havre died Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at his residence due to cancer. His memorial service will be held at the Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Helena, the date and time to be announced at a later time. Jack was born Oct. 20, 1941, to John and Clara (Wassman) Fakler in Dickinson, N.D. He was raised and educated in Beach, N.D., and graduated from high school in 1959. He attended business school for one year and then went to work for Sears as a salesman in Glendive, Glasgow and Williston, N.D.... Full story

Winnifred Virginia Borchers, 87, died Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. Her funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel with Pastor Tim Zerger officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. Winnifred was born Feb. 5, 1919, in Grand Forks, N.D. On July 14, 1947, she married Gordon L. Borchers in Missoula. They had two children. She moved with her husband to Havre in 1956. She was very active for many years in her church and supported...

BIG SANDY - Leah M. Dixon, 89, of Big Sandy died Monday, April 17, 2006, at the Big Sandy Nursing Home of natural causes. Cremation has taken place. A graveside service will be held at a later time. Leah was born in Pleasant Valley area north of Fort Benton to Elizabeth and Howard Meeks. She attended high school in Fort Benton and teacher's college in Dillon. Leah taught in many Chouteau County rural schools. She married Charley Dixon on June 5, 1943, and farmed in the Kenilworth area west of Big Sandy until Charley's death...

Alfred B. Lathrop, 89, died Sunday, Dec. 4, 2005, at the Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. Cremation has taken place and a graveside service will be held 2 p.m. Friday at Highland Cemetery with Pastor Steve Flatau officiating....

Elmer J. Casady, otherwise know as the “Sheik,” 84, of Havre died Thursday, April 13, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital of natural causes. Viewing will be held at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Home from 1 to 4 p.m. beginning today. His funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Fifth Avenue Christian Church with Pastor Rowlie Hutton officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. Elmer was born June 10, 1921, in Winlock, Wash., to Cedric and Charlotte (Burns) Casady. He came to the Havre area at the age o... Full story

Jennifer Marie Milam, 23, of Havre died Saturday, April 8, 2006, due to a four-wheeler accident in the Bear Paw Mountains. Cremation has taken place and her memorial service will be 11 a.m. Friday at Fifth Avenue Christian Church with Pastor Rowlie Hutton officiating. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the church immediately after the services. Burial will be held at a later time. Jennifer was born Aug. 19, 1982, in Scobey to Bruce and Louise (Perry) Siefert. She was raised in Chester and attended schools there. She moved...

Richard O. Greene, 76, died Saturday, April 8, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital of natural causes. Cremation has taken place. A private burial will be held this week at Highland Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Richard was born Jan. 4, 1930, in Havre to Grant and Pauline Greene. He was raised and educated in Havre, graduating from Havre High School in May of 1948. Richard enlisted in the U.S. Army on Feb. 22, 1951, and served in Korea. He was honorably discharged in August 1956. He married...

SPOKANE, Wash. - Claire Renee Gertson, 95, of Spokane, Wash., died Sunday, March 19, 2006, in Spokane. A funeral service was held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home with the Rev. Jack Barker officiating. Interment was at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. She was born Claire Renee Brendgord on Dec. 18, 1910, in Havre. She was educated in Havre and graduated from Havre High School. She was a member of the Hillyard Senior Citizens Center and loved to play penny bingo. She also enjoyed international rummy and...

CASPER, Wyo. - Beatrice D. (Watson) Cioc, 79, died March 27, 2006, at her home. A memorial service was held April 4 at First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ. She was born Nov. 1, 1926, in Eureka, to Harry (Red) Watson and Myrtle Watson. She was raised and educated in Havre. On Feb. 20, 1948, she married Charles J. Cioc. They moved to Casper, Wyo., in 1956. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents and one step-grandson. Survivors include her children, Kristen Zerizef of Casper, Lisa (Ray) Corbitt of Miller,...

ROCKY BOY - Pearl Jean Zumbaum, 57, of Rocky Boy and Havre, died Friday, April 7, 2006, at Benefis Health Care in Great Falls of cancer. Her memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Darlene Berger's residence in Rocky Boy with Pastor Marvin Russette officiating. Pearl was born Oct. 3, 1948, in Fort Belknap to Phillip Elkhead and Marion (Russette) Saddler. She was raised in Rocky Boy, attending grade school there. She also attended school in St. Pierre, S.D., and college in Mandan, N.D., and Northern Montana College... Full story

SHELBY - Donald “Smitty” Howard Smith, 97, a World War II veteran and school custodian from Malta and formerly of Shelby, died Wednesday, April 5, 2006, at a Great Falls hospital due to natural causes. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Whitted Funeral Chapel in Shelby with burial to follow in Valley View Cemetery. Visitation is Tuesday from 1 to 8 p.m. He was born in Havre Nov. 16, 1908, where he grew up on the family farm north of town. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He m...

ROCKY BOY - Gene Arthur Russette, 69, of Rocky Boy died Sunday, April 9, 2006, at the Big Sandy Nursing Home of heart problems. His wake service will begin today at the Rocky Boy Lutheran Church with his funeral service at 10 a.m. Tuesday, also at the Rocky Boy Lutheran Church with Father Pete Guthneck and Pastor Arden Barden officiating. Burial will follow at the Russette Family Cemetery. Gene was born Jan. 3, 1937, in Rocky Boy to Mike and Helen (Champagne) Russette. He was raised in Rocky Boy and attended schools there and...

ROSEVILLE, Minn. - Albert Gale Linebarger, 79, of Roseville, Minn., died Saturday, March 25, 2006. A funeral service was held March 31 at North Como Presbyterian Church in Roseville. Albert was born May 7, 1926, in Havre. He graduated in business from the University of Montana. He worked at Western Life Insurance in Helena as an underwriter and moved to Roseville in 1960 as the company merged with the St. Paul Co. He served as president of the Twin Cities Home Office Underwriters Association and was on the board of directors...

Marvin Jerome Gunnarson, 75, of Havre died Saturday, April 8, 2006, at his home in Havre. Marvin was born July 12, 1930, in Grafton, N.D. Marvin married Marilyn Joyce Hoag on June 13, 1955, in Moorhead, Minn. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Central Bible Institute, a bachelor of science degree from Moorhead State University, and a master of science degree from Texas A&M. He retired from teaching in Havre. Marvin contributed to the Hi-line community through annual youth retreats, the Resting Place at the Great Norther...