Obituaries

Joseph Vincent Divish, 91, of Havre died Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. Cremation has taken place. His memorial Mass will be held at 2 p. m. Monday at St. Jude Catholic Church with Father Robert D. Grosch officiating. A fellowship social will be held immediately after the service at St. Jude Parish Center. A private family burial will be held. Joseph was born July 20, 1915, at Goldstone, near Hingham, to Joseph and Mary (Kupka) Divish. He was raised and attended school in Hingham... Full story

Anna M. Lipp, 89, of Havre died Friday, Oct. 13, 2006, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. A memorial graveside service will be Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Calvary Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will follow at the Havre VFW Club. Cremation has taken place. Anna was born Nov. 16, 1916, north of Hingham to John and Angeline (Geisinger) Lipp. She was raised and educated in Hingham, graduating in 1936. In August of 1937, Anna moved to Havre and was employed by Clair and Loretta Dow. She maintained their home, yard...

FORT BELKNAP Ruby Mae (Talks Different) Grant, 81, whose Indian name was WiCaxbi-sa (Red Star), died at her home at the Fort Belknap Agency on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006. Her wake and rosary will be held at the Fort Belknap Red Whip Center today at 7 p. m. Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a. m. Wednesday at Red Whip Center with burial following at the Lodge Pole Cemetery. Ruby was born May 17, 1925, to Ira and Mary (Big Beaver) Talks Different. She attended school at Hays and graduated from St. Paul's Mission School in 1944. She ma...

CHINOOK Dorothy (Brown) Grabofsky, 80, of Chinook died at Peace Hospice in Great Falls on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006, surrounded by her loving family. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at 1 p. m. Saturday at the Chinook High School auditorium. Dorothy was born Feb. 5, 1926, to B.H. (Harry) and Mary (Brewster) Brown at Forks. She was raised on the family farm near Whitewater and graduated from Whitewater High School. After graduation, she was employed as bookkeeper at Loring Auto. Later she attended...

BIG SANDY Jeanette Elaine Cline, 79, died Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006, at Benefis Hospital in Great Falls of natural causes. Her memorial service will be 11 a.m. Friday, Oct., 20, 2006, at the Christ Lutheran Church in Big Sandy with Pastor Jeff Stoopes officiating. Burial will follow at the Big Sandy Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the church immediately after the services at the graveside. Jeanette was born Jan. 18, 1927, in Big Sandy to John and Jennie (Upsal) Whetham. She attended school in Box Elder. The...

Anthony Christopher Lopez, 14, died Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006, south of Havre from injuries he sustained from a motor vehicle crash. His wake service was to begin at noon today at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church at Rocky Boy....

Margaret Catherine Berg, 60, of Havre died Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2006, at her home due to a heart condition. Viewing for Margaret was 11 a. m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Home. Her funeral service will be 4 p.m. today at Van Orsdel United Methodist Church in Havre with Pastor Richard Rice officiating. A fellowship luncheon will be held immediately after the service at the church reception hall. A private family burial will be held. Margaret was born July 22, 1946, in Havre to Edward and Agnes (Tow) Cook.... Full story

Judy Schmidt, 58, of Havre died Thursday Oct. 12, 2006, of cancer at Benefis Hospital in Great Falls. Cremation has taken place. Her memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Jude Catholic Church with Father Pete Guthneck officiating. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the Eagles immediately after the service. Judy was born March 3, 1948, in Wenatchee, Wash., to Patrick and Virginia (Ayres) Hart. She was raised and educated in Lake Chelan, Wash. After graduating from high school, Judy moved with her mother... Full story

CHINOOK Lance Cpl. Jeremy Scott Sandvick Monroe, 20, of the United States Marine Corps, Echo Company 2 Battalion 3rd Marines Division, was mortally wounded in action at Al Anbar Province in Haditha, northwestern Iraq. His funeral service will be held Monday at 10 a.m. in the Chinook High School Gymnasium. Burial will follow at the Hillside Cemetery in Dodson with full military honors. Jeremy is the son of Mellissa Sandvick Pike of Chinook and Monte Monroe of Darby. He is a 2004 graduate of Chinook High School. Jeremy was...

BIG SANDY William G. “Bill” Larson, 93, died Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2006, at Big Sandy Medical Center of natural causes. His funeral service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at the Big Sandy Community Church of God with Rev. Lon Larson officiating. Burial with military honors will follow. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the church immediately after the graveside services. William was born on March 21, 1913, on the family farm in Kenilworth Township north and west of Big Sandy to Emelia and Christian Larson. Bill received his pri... Full story

Margaret Catherine Berg, 60, of Havre died Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2006, at her home due to a heart condition. Viewing for Margaret will be 11 a. m. to 1 p. m. Saturday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Home. Her funeral service will be 4 p.m. Monday at Van Orsdel United Methodist Church in Havre with Pastor Richard Rice officiating. A fellowship luncheon will be held immediately after the service at the church reception hall. A private family burial will be held. Margaret was born July 22, 1946, in Havre to Edward and Agnes (Tow)...

Kevin Patrick Keim, 47, of Havre died peacefully Monday, Oct. 9, 2006, after fighting an extended and courageous battle with ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease. His memorial service will be 3 p.m. Monday at Fifth Avenue Christian Church with Pastor Rowlie Hutton officiating. A fellowship luncheon will be held immediately after the service at the church. Kevin was born April 20, 1959, to Betty and Bill Keim in Reading, Pa. He graduated from Schuylkill High School in 1977. He attended Northwest Community College in Powell, Wyo., and Mon...

FORT BELKNAP Carla Jean (Ball) Perry, 67, died Monday, Oct. 9, 2006, at her home in Harlem with her daughter, Cheryl, and son-in-law, James Stiffarm, with whom she shared a special bond with as her own son, and other family members at her bedside. Her funeral service will be held Friday at 11 a.m. in the Harlem Assemblies of God Church with burial following at the Lodge Pole Cemetery. A wake service will begin today at 7 p.m. in the Assemblies of God Church. Carla was born July 29, 1939, at Fort Belknap Hospital to Robert... Full story

ROCKY BOY Thomas Ray Patrick Gardipee, 48, of Rocky Boy died Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006, at the Rocky Boy Clinic of respiratory failure. His wake service began Wednesday night at 5 p. m. at the Rocky Boy Catholic Church. His funeral service will be held at 10 a. m. today at the Rocky Boy Catholic Church with Kenneth Gopher, Roy Small and Derik Small officiating. Burial will follow at the Rocky Boy Cemetery. Thomas was born March 17, 1958, in Parker School on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation. He attended schools in Rocky Boy and Box...

JOPLIN Wally Dale Thomsen, 87, of Joplin was found dead Sunday afternoon, Oct. 8, 2006, at his home, where he had apparently collapsed in his utility shed sometime Friday evening. Memorial services will be 3 p. m. Friday at the Rockman Funeral Chapel in Chester. Wally and Lucille's ashes will be buried together at the Kuper Memorial Cemetery in Chinook at a later date. Wallace Dale “Wally” Thomsen was born Dec. 9, 1918, at Minden, Neb. He grew up in Minden and worked part time at a local movie theatre during his high sch... Full story

LONGVIEW, Wash. Vivian Doris Purdy, 87, of Longview, Wash., died Friday, Oct. 6, 2006, at Hospice Care Center. Cremation has taken place and inurnment will be in the Malta cemetery at the Thomson family plot. Vivian was born Jan. 12, 1919, in Malta to William Gordon and Annie Bella (Gauld) Thomson. She attended schools in Malta and was employed locally when she met C. Lowell Purdy. The Purdys were married Oct. 11, 1940, in Great Falls and settled in Havre, where they farmed a wheat ranch on the Hi- Line until 1970. During... Full story

Leonard “Red” Opperud, 85, a retired city of Havre Waste Plant operator, died Monday, Oct. 9, 2006, at his home of natural causes. Cremation will take place. His memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at First Presbyterian Church in Havre with Pastor John Chapman officiating. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the church immediately following the graveside services. Leonard was born Oct. 23, 1920, in Ambrose Divide County, N. D. He was raised on the family farm by... Full story

CHINOOK Terrie Lee Gorman, 55, died Saturday, Oct. 7, 2006, at her residence in Chinook due to cancer. A memorial service will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. in Zion Lutheran Church with burial of the ashes following in the Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Terrie was born on July 16, 1951, in Havre to John and Margaret (Monroe) Gorman. She attended schools in Chinook and graduated from Chinook High School. Terrie worked at the Chinook Motor Inn in housekeeping for the past several years. She enjoyed her family, friends and cats, and...

ROCKY BOY Marie Cecile Eagleman, 68, died Thursday, Oct. 5, 2006, at a hospital in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, from cancer. Her wake service will began Friday night at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Rocky Boy. Her funeral service was scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, also at the Our Savior's Lutheran Church with Pastor Marvin Russette Officiating. Burial was to follow at the Eagleman Family Cemetery. Marie was born Feb. 11, 1938, in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada, to Louie Merasty and Elizabeth Desjarles. She was raised...

Jeanette Ann Denny Stump, 69, a.k.a. Ne-mpe-s-tah-w AH Kop, which means Rain Blanket, died of cancer Saturday, Oct. 7, 2006, in Great Falls at Peace Hospice. Her wake service began at 7 p. m. Sunday at the Rocky Boy Lutheran Church. Traditional services will be held at the Rocky Boy Lutheran Church with Douglas Standing Rock officiating. The ceremony will include Native American Church members and local singing groups. Her funeral service was to begin at 10 a.m. today. Burial will follow at the Rocky Boy Cemetery. A journey...

FORT BELKNAP/BILLINGS Wesley Peter Stiffarm, 60, a former Marine and retired CDBG director for the BIA, died Thursday, Oct. 5, 2006, at his apartment in Billings of an apparent heart attack. His wake and rosary was at 7 p. m. Sunday at the Red Whip Community Center. A funeral Mass was scheduled for 10 a. m. today at the Red Whip Community Center with burial in the St. Paul's Mission Cemetery. Military honors will be by his fellow veterans from the Fort Belknap area. Wesley was born Feb. 5, 1946, in Havre to Peter and Ruby (Ch...

HELENA Patrick Leon LaSalle, 70, died Monday, Oct. 2, 2006. His funeral service was scheduled for 10 a.m. today at the Fortress of Joy with interment to follow at the Montana State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Harrison. A reception was to follow immediately at the Fort Harrison Service Club. Pat was born in Havre on Dec. 14, 1935, while his family lived in the Bear Paw Mountains, to Patrick Joseph and Juanita Pearl (Clayborn) LaSalle. He spent some of his very young life there and attended the Shambo School. The family also live...

ROCKY BOY Gary Paul Eagleman, 71, a resident of Rocky Boy, died Sunday, Oct. 1, 2006, at a Portland, Ore., hospital of natural causes. A wake service started Thursday at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church. His funeral service was scheduled for 10 a.m. today at the church. A traditional Native ceremony was to be held. Burial will follow the service at the Rocky Boy Cemetery. The Farewell Feast will be held at the church. Gary was born on Sept. 25, 1935, to Paul and Pearl Wells Belcourt. He was raised by his grandparents and... Full story

Lucille A. Martens, 94, died Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2006, at Northern Montana Care Center due to natural causes. Memorial services will be held Friday at 4:30 p.m. at First Lutheran Church in Havre. Cremation has taken place and burial will be at the Kuper Memorial Cemetery in Chinook. Lucille was born on May 23, 1912, at the family ranch in the Bears Paw Mountains south of Cleveland to Louis and Rena (Jons) Kuhr. Lucille attended schools at Cleveland, Chinook and graduated from the Ursuline Academy in Great Falls. She married...

Cynthia Lynn Richards, 43, died at her home in Woods Bay, out of Bigfork this past weekend. Her funeral service was held on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 21, at Christ Lutheran Church in Whitefish, followed by a coffee hour. A private family burial followed at Woodlawn Cemetery in Columbia Falls on Friday. She was born to James M. and Audrey D. Richards on June 8, 1963, at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls. She grew up in Havre and attended school there. She graduated from Havre High School with the class of 1982. During...