Obituaries

Richard T. Cech, 66, of Havre died Sunday, July 9, 2006, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. Viewing will be held at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Home on Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p. m. His funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the St. Jude Catholic Church with Father Bob Erickson officiating. Burial will follow at the Calvary Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the Parish Center immediately after the graveside service. Richard was born Feb. 17, 1940, in Havre to Thomas and Rose...

CHINOOK Ben Hofeldt, 82, lifelong Blaine County rancher, died Monday, July 3, 2006, while fencing on his ranch east of Cleveland due to heart failure. A funeral service will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. in the Lloyd Sweet Auditorium of the Chinook High School. Burial will follow in Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Ben was born on Dec. 17, 1923, in Chinook to Henry and Alvin (Struve) Hofeldt. He attended the Maddox Rural School and graduated from Chinook High School. Ben was 18 when his dad died, and he and his brothers started running...

CHINOOK Marlyn Gene Carlson, 66, a lifetime farmer and rancher in Blaine County, died at his home on July 8, 2006, due to natural causes. A funeral service will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. in the Chinook High School Auditorium. Burial with military honors will follow at Kuper Memorial Cemetary. Marlyn was born Sept. 5, 1939, in Havre to Melvin and Annie Carlson. He joined the Montana National Guard at the age of 17 and retired after 21 years of service. He was very proud of the time he served, and formed many lifetime...

Walter M. Olson, 87, died at his home east of Chinook on Friday, July 7, 2006. His funeral service will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Saint Gabriel's Catholic Church. Burial with military honors will follow in the Big Sandy Cemetery at 3 p.m. Walt was born Sept. 11, 1918, in Great Falls to Eilif and Kristine Olson. He grew up on the family homestead in the Bear Paw Mountains near Warrick. Walt left the family ranch and was inducted into the Army on April 28, 1941, at Fort Lewis, Wash. He took desert training with an artillery...

CHESTER/GALATA Duane Robert Brose, 70, died Wednesday, July 5, 2006, at the Shelby hospital. He had been diagnosed with advanced liver cancer about six months ago. A graveside service with military rites will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at the Galata Cemetery. Visitation will be Saturday and Sunday at the Rockman Funeral Chapel in Chester. Duane was born Jan. 19, 1936, at Sidney to Roy and Dorothy (Putnam) Brose. Duane's early education was at a country school near the family farm on Burns Creek. He finished his schooling in...

CHESTER/GALATA Duane Robert Brose, 70, died Wednesday, July 5, 2006, at the Shelby hospital. He had been diagnosed with advanced liver cancer about six months ago. A graveside service with military rites will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at the Galata Cemetery. Visitation will be Saturday and Sunday at the Rockman Funeral Chapel in Chester. Duane was born Jan. 19, 1936, at Sidney to Roy and Dorothy (Putnam) Brose. Duane's early education was at a country school near the family farm on Burns Creek. He finished his schooling in...

CENTER POINT, Texas Helen M. Murphy, 77, of Center Point, Texas, died Tuesday, July 4, 2006, after a four-year battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held on Friday at 10:30 a.m. at Epiphany Lutheran Church, 5515 W. Broadway, Pearland, Texas, with Pastor Jon Salminen officiating. A graveside service will be held at a later date in Havre. Helen was born Jan. 13, 1929, in Havre to Carl and Elizabeth Hoppe. She graduated from Havre High School and went on to nursing school where she received her licensed practical...

CHINOOK Mary MacLean, 72, a retired Chinook businesswoman, died Monday, July 3, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital in Havre, ending her battle with cancer. A funeral service will be held Friday at 2p. m. in the Lloyd Sweet Auditorium at the Chinook High School. Burial will follow in Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Mary was born April 10, 1934, to Elbert and Lily Ashcraft in Little Rock, Ark. She grew up in Bryant, Ark., and graduated from Bryant High School in 1952. After brief stops in St. Louis, Mo., and Glendale, Calif., she...

FORT BELKNAP Audrey Mae (Moore) Healy, 50, died in her sleep due to complication from diabetes at her home in Fort Belknap on Tuesday, July 4,2006. A wake service will be held Sunday in the Red Whip Center. Her funeral service will be held Monday at 11 a.m. in the Seventhday Adventist Church on Rodeo Drive at Fort Belknap Agency. Burial will follow in the Buster Moore Family Cemetery. Audrey was born on May 16, 1956, in Butte to Edward R. and Ella Mae (LongKnife) Moore. She became a very family-oriented daughter, wife,...

Brian Allen Evans, 39, died Sunday, July 2, 2006, at his home in Havre. His cause of death has not yet been determined. Cremation has taken place and his memorial service will be held 6p. m. Monday at Fifth Avenue Christian Church with Pastor Rowlie Hutton officiating. A fellowship will be held at the church immediately after the service. Brian was born Oct. 9, 1966, in Havre to Dave and Ruth (Graham) Evans. He attended schools in Havre, graduating from Havre High School in 1985. He then attended Northern Montana College and...

Ethan Allen Edwards, 73, of Havre died Saturday, July 1, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital of natural causes. His funeral service will be held at 2p. m. Thursday at Messiah Lutheran Church with Pastor Michael Dahle officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery, with military honors provided by the Big Sandy Honor Guard. Ethan was born to Clarence and Isabel (Jones) Edwards on Nov. 18, 1932, at their home 18 miles northwest of Big Sandy. He farmed with his father for many years on the prairie homestead, and graduated...

LOTHAIR Ferroll E. Heydon, 84, died Jan. 11, 2006, of cancer at his home in Dragoon, Ariz. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church north of Lothair. Ferroll was born Jan. 2, 1922, to Frank and Effie Heydon on the family farm north of Joplin. He graduated from Joplin High School in 1940, left for Seattle and worked for Boeing Aircraft for 3 years. He was soon assembling B-17 bombers and helped build the 5,000th B-17 named the Flying Fortress Airplane, which was signed by all the workers....

Richard Brewer “Dick” Griffing, 78, died Monday, July 3, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital of natural causes. Cremation has taken place and, at his request, no services are scheduled. Richard was born Oct. 18, 1927, in Manhattan, Kan., to Ward and Minnie (Frey) Griffing. He was raised and educated in Kansas. Richard married Virginia Griffin, and the couple later divorced. Richard entered the U.S. Navy in April of 1945 serving in World War II. Richard worked at the U.S. Naval Reserve Hospital Corps. He was honorably dis...

Ethan Allen Edwards, 73, of Havre died Saturday, July 1, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital of natural causes. His funeral service will be held at 2p. m. Thursday at Messiah Lutheran Church with Pastor Michael Dahle officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery, with military honors provided by the Big Sandy Honor Guard. Ethan was born to Clarence and Isabel (Jones) Edwards on Nov. 18, 1932, at their home 18 miles northwest of Big Sandy. He farmed with his father for many years on the prairie homestead, and graduated...

Alice Marie Geldard, 83, of Havre Alice Marie Geldard, 83, of Havre died peacefully at her home with her family by her side on Wednesday, June 28, 2006. A rosary service will be held at 7 p. m. Sunday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel. Her funeral service will be held at 10 a. m. Monday at St. Jude Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery. Alice was born June 11, 1923, in Havre to William and Marie (Dolezal) McMillan. She was educated in Kremlin and graduated from Kremlin High School. On June 26, 1943,...

Alice Marie Geldard, 83, of Havre Alice Marie Geldard, 83, of Havre died peacefully at her home with her family by her side on Wednesday, June 28, 2006. A rosary service will be held at 7 p. m. Sunday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel. Her funeral service will be held at 10 a. m. Monday at St. Jude Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery. Alice was born June 11, 1923, in Havre to William and Marie (Dolezal) McMillan. She was educated in Kremlin and graduated from Kremlin High School. On June 26, 1943,...

FORT BELKNAP AGENCY Lucille (Kirkaldie) Briggs, 45, died Sunday, May 28, 2006, in Seattle. A wake and rosary will be held on today beginning at 5 p.m. at the Bill Stiffarm's residence in Fort Belknap. Her funeral Mass will be Thursday at 10 a.m. at Bill Stiffarm's residence with burial following the Stiffarm Family Cemetery. Lucille was born on June 8, 1960, to Walter S. and Cynthia R. (Stiffarm) Kirkaldie in Fort Belknap. She attended schools in the Seattle area and married Steven Briggs in 1982. They later divorced and...

CHINOOK Jessie P. Ray, 86, of Chinook died Monday June 19, 2006, at her residence in Chinook due to natural causes. A graveside funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Highland Cemetery at Havre. Jessie was born Aug. 4, 1919, in Warrick to Max and Irene (Scofield) Schmid. She was raised on the family ranch in the Bears Paw Mountains. Jessie attended schools in Warrick. She married Lloyd Scofield in 1936 and married Leonard Ray in 1956. Jessie cooked in restaurants and owned and operated Irene's Caf in Dodson and...

KALISPELL James W. Christensen, 81, died Sunday, June 25, 2006, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center in Kalispell. A graveside service for James will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Glacier Memorial Gardens, with Pastor Bob Nilsen officiating. There will be no public visitation. He was born Dec. 20, 1924, at Havre to James and Mary K. (Kjois) Christensen. The family homesteaded north of Havre, where he was raised. He was educated in the Havre schools and graduated from Havre High School. He served in the U.S. Army with the...

YAKIMA, Wash. Aloysius “Al” Swan, 83, of Toppenish died at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital on Monday, June 19, 2006. Washat services will be at 6p. m. today at Colonial Funeral Home. Recitation of the rosary will be at 7 p.m. today at Colonial Funeral Home. Mass of Christian burial will be held Thursday at 10a. m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in White Swan. Interment will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery in White Swan. He was born on July 4, 1922, in Fort Belknap to John and Mary (Gardipee) Swan. He served his country dur...

BIG SANDY Donald LeRoy Reichelt, 88, a World War II veteran and retired farmer, died after a brief illness Monday, June 19, 2006, at the Big Sandy Medical Center. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Community Church of God in Big Sandy. Donald was born Aug. 25, 1917, in Big Sandy. He attended school in Big Sandy. As many young men did at the time, Donald went to the Civilian Conservation Corp. in the spring of 1936. In 1941, he drafted into the Army and was assigned to the Air Corps where he was part of...

GENEVA, Ill. Doris R. Wagner, 78, of Geneva, Ill., died Saturday, June 17, 2006, at her home in Geneva. Visitation will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Norris Funeral Home, 100 S. Third St., St. Charles, Ill. Her funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Baker Memorial United Methodist Church in St. Charles. Doris was born in Havre on March 9, 1928, to LeRoy E. and Jeanne (Maris) Rhodes. She graduated from Havre High School in 1946 and earned her bachelor of science degree from Northwestern Univ...

LODGE POLE Jean M. (Brisbo) LaTray, 63, retired beautician, died Thursday, June 15, from injuries received in an automobile accident. A wake and rosary service will be 7 p.m. today at the Two Kill Center next to St. Thomas Catholic Church in Lodge Pole. Her funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Lodge Pole. Cremation and burial of the cremated remains will be Tuesday following the services. Survivors include her daughters, Lori (George) Henderson and Dovey (Ronald) Smith of Billings;...

WINNEMUCCA, Nev. Donald W. Cross, 72, of Winnemucca, Nev., died Saturday, June 3, 2006, at his home with his family at his side. A memorial service celebrating Donald's life will be held in Havre at a later date. Donald was born in Havre to Walter and Velma Austin Cross. He served his country faithfully during the Korean War. He was a Lutheran and worked as a master electrician during his career. Donald was an allaround outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing. He enjoyed his children and grandchildren tremendously. He...

NORTHBROOK, Ill. Former Havre resident Ilene Crilly, 98, of Northbrook, Ill., died at Manor Care Nursing Home in Northbrook on Sunday, June 4, 2006. A private memorial service will be held at the Village Presbyterian Church in Northbrook. Ilene was born Feb. 6, 1908, and lived in Kremlin until her marriage to Keith Wright. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Keith Wright and Howard Crilly; brothers; sisters; and parents. Survivors include her children, Myrna (Wright) Cruikshank of Northbrook, Ill., Dick Wright of...