Obituaries

Ruth Matilda (Thompson) Brandon, 92, of Havre died of natural causes Wednesday, June 14, 2006, at Northern Montana Care Center in Havre. She was born on Aug. 6, 1914, in Basalt, Idaho. At the age of 9, she moved to Zurich with her family, where they raised sugar beets for the U&I Sugar Factory. She attended elementary school at the North Fork School, the East Chinook School, and high school in Harlem. In 1934, she married Ray Brandon, the love of her life. Together they raised four sons. They moved to Havre in 1957. He...

ROCKY BOY Ronald James Pronteau, 43, died Sunday, June 11, 2006, in Las Vegas. His death is under investigation by the Clark County Coroners office. His wake service began Thursday night at the Rocky Boy Senior Citizens Center and was to continue today at the Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Rocky Boy with his funeral service beginning at 11 a.m. today. Burial will follow at the Rocky Boy Cemetery. Ronald was born June 28, 1962, in Helena to Paul and Alma Marie (Morsette) Pronteau. He was raised and educated In Helena and...

Dwight Harshman, 90, longtime Montana Methodist minister, died Monday, June 12, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital due to natural causes. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Van Orsdel United Methodist Church. Dwight was born at Flora, Ind., April 3, 1916, to Albert and Anna (Brovont) Harshman. The Harshman family moved to Montana the fall of 1927, and lived in Chinook, except for two summers and one winter. Dwight finished grade school in Chinook, and graduated from high school in 1935. During his high...

MISSOULA Elmer “Jake” Jacobson, 63, of Missoula died Thursday, June 8, 2006, while working in Idaho. At Jake's request, no service will be held and cremation will take place. A celebration of his life will be held later this summer. Jake was born July 2, 1942, in Chinook to Elmer Jacobson and Mae Haugen. He grew up in the Chinook area. As a young boy, he spent a number of years on his grandfather's ranch south of Chinook. He enjoyed spending time with grandfather, learning how to hunt, fish, ranch and be cowboy. He spent cou...

CASPER, Wyo. Cecil M. “Dusty” Rhodes, 86, of Casper, Wyo., died Tuesday, June 6, 2006, at his home. A service was held Monday at First United Methodist Church in Casper. Dusty was born in Havre on June 7, 1919, to Leroy E. and Jeanne Maris Rhodes. He graduated from Havre High School and Northern Montana College and earned a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1941. He joined the U.S. Navy during World War II. He served on destroyers and submarines in the Pacific before joi...

ANACONDA Dan McCarthy, 49, died surrounded by his family Thursday, June 8, 2006, in Fort Wayne, Ind., following a short illness. Cremation has taken place. Rosary will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Longfellow Finnegan Funeral Home in Anaconda. A funeral service will be held at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Anaconda on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery, followed by a luncheon at Holy Family Catholic Church. Dan was born on Sept. 18, 1956, to Robert P. and Marilyn McCarthy, the first of...

HARLEM Neil E. Johnson, 82, of Harlem, former printer and publisher of the Chinook Opinion and Harlem News, died of congestive heart failure at his home Saturday, June 10, 2006, with his family present. At Neil's request, graveside services with military honors will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Harlem Cemetery. Following the service, family and friends are invited to refreshments at the Harlem VFW Club. Neil was born in Cavalier, N.D., on June 13, 1923, to Theodore R. and Thelma (Abel) Johnson. The Johnson family moved t...

Elmer Barthol Gwynn, 90, of Havre died Sunday, June 11, 2006, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. Viewing will be held at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Home from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Elmer's funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Fifth Avenue Christian Church with Pastor Rowlie Hutton officiating. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery with Masonic graveside services requested by the family. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the church after the graveside services. Elmer was...

Marjorie Helen Black-Fehlberg, a 1953 graduate of Havre High School and wife of late Borrego Springs Fire Chief Allen F. Fehlberg, died from cancer Friday, May 26, 2006, at her home in San Diego. At 16 years of age, she worked at the stockyards in Havre. She met Allen F. Fehlberg when she worked at Bob's Drive In, and they were married on Aug. 19, 1954. Black-Fehlberg's greatest joy, besides her family, was being one of the few women stock car racers in 1963 and 1964. After surviving two brain surjeries in 1980, she ran a...

Leonard Louis Thackeray, 86, of Havre died Friday, June 9, 2006, at Northern Montana Care Center after suffering a stroke. He had battled Parkinson's disease for several years. Viewing will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday with his funeral service beginning at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel with Pastor Adam Harris officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow at Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at Calvary Baptist Church, 1204 Cleveland Ave. in Havre. Thackeray was born...

June Ardell Erdahl, 84, died peacefully at her home in Havre on Wednesday, June 7, 2006. Cremation has taken place. A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at the North Froid Cemetery with Carol Karras officiating. June was born June 5, 1922, in Lengby, Minn., to Erick and Lora Erickson. She was raised and attended school in Lengby. On Dec. 23, 1945, she married Alvin Erdahl in Lengby. They returned to the family farm in Froid and lived there and in Froid until she moved to Havre in 2003. June enjoyed reading,...

June Ardell Erdahl, 84, died peacefully at her home in Havre on Wednesday, June 7, 2006. Cremation has taken place. A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at the North Froid Cemetery with Carol Karras officiating. June was born June 5, 1922, in Lengby, Minn., to Erick and Lora Erickson. She was raised and attended school in Lengby. On Dec. 23, 1945, she married Alvin Erdahl in Lengby. They returned to the family farm in Froid and lived there and in Froid until she moved to Havre in 2003. June enjoyed reading,...

Gene H. Coder, 77, of Havre died of congestive heart failure Monday, June 5, 2006, in the home of his son and daughter-inlaw Tim and Karla Coder of Helena surrounded by his loving family. Visitation and viewing will be Friday from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Edwards Funeral Home Chapel in Chinook. There will be a celebration of his life at Fifth Avenue Christian Church in Havre on Saturday at 9 a.m. with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery with military honors. Gene was born in Killarney,...

Gene H. Coder, 77, of Havre died of congestive heart failure Monday, June 5, 2006, in the home of his son and daughter-inlaw Tim and Karla Coder of Helena surrounded by his loving family. Visitation and viewing will be Friday from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Edwards Funeral Home Chapel in Chinook. There will be a celebration of his life at Fifth Avenue Christian Church in Havre on Saturday at 9 a.m. with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery with military honors. Gene was born in Killarney,...

Gene H. Coder, 77, of Havre died of congestive heart failure Monday, June 5, 2006, in the home of his son and daughter-inlaw Tim and Karla Coder of Helena surrounded by his loving family. Visitation and viewing will be Friday from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Edwards Funeral Home Chapel in Chinook. There will be a celebration of his life at Fifth Avenue Christian Church in Havre on Saturday at 9 a.m. with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery with military honors. Gene was born in Killarney,...

Dean A. Hatvick, 73, formerly of Billings and Havre, died Friday, May 26, 2006, after a courageous three-month battle with cancer. A service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, June 19, at Deer Lodge Assembly of God Church in Deer Lodge with Dean's son, Pastor Buzz Hatwigg, officiating. Dean was born on July 9, 1932, in Helena and raised in Outlook. He married Corrine Stevens in 1951. They later divorced. In 1997, he married Joan Brenner. Throughout his lifetime, Dean owned and operated many businesses, including Missouri Valley...

ROCKY BOY Lendell Gopher, 2-day-old infant son of Josephine and Jonathan Gopher, his Indian Name K-SA-Ni-WMOS- TO-S-Kah-Ni-Kah-Mo-T, which means Old Man Buffalo Singer, died Sunday, June 4, 2006, at Benefis Healthcare in Great Falls due to a heart condition. A wake service began Monday night at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church at Rocky Boy and was to continue until his funeral at 11 a.m. today. Burial was to follow at the Rocky Boy Cemetery. Lendell was born June 2, 2006, in Great Falls. Lendell was preceded in death by one...

ROCKY BOY William Denny Jr., 66, a resident of Rocky Boy, died Sunday, June 4, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital due to complications from a stroke. His wake service began Monday night at the family's residence and was to transfer to the Rocky Boy Lutheran Church this afternoon. His funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church at Rocky Boy. Interment will follow at the Jr. Denny Cemetery in Rocky Boy. William was born May 17, 1940, on the north slope of Haystack Butte in Rocky Boy to...

CHESTER Lillian M. (Rockman) Wright, 89, of Chester died peacefully at the Chester rest home early Wednesday morning, May 31, 2006. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Chester United Methodist Church. Pastor Peter Erickson will officiate. Following burial at the Chester Cemetery, a luncheon will be held at the church. Lillian was born May 15, 1917, at Lothair to Christ “C.I.” and Helga (Johnson) Rockman. Lillian's father came to Montana in 1908 and purchased the Grand Hotel in Chester. In 1912, the Roc...

KREMLIN Donna L. Haugen, 77, a Kremlin area farm wife, died after a short acute illness Saturday, June 3, 2006, at Benefis Health Care in Great Falls. Cremation has taken place and her memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Van Orsdel United Methodist Church in Havre with Pastor Marvin Eldridge and Pastor VaunDalee DeLong officiating. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the church immediately after the service. A private family interment will be held at a later time. Donna was born May 15, 1929, in Havre to...

Dean A. Hatvick, 73, formerly of Billings and Havre, died Friday, May 26, 2006, after a courageous three-month battle with cancer. A service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, June 19, at Deer Lodge Assembly of God Church in Deer Lodge with Dean's son, Pastor Buzz Hatwigg, officiating. Dean was born on July 9, 1932, in Helena and raised in Outlook. He married Corrine Stevens in 1951. They later divorced. In 1997, he married Joan Brenner. Throughout his lifetime, Dean owned and operated many businesses, including Missouri Valley...

CHINOOK Elsie Ann Albright Taylor, 81, of Chinook, died at Northern Montana Care Center in Havre on Saturday, June 3, 2006. A graveside service will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Inverness Cemetery. E l s i e was born Sept. 15, 1924, at Rudyard to Oscar David Adams and Emma Louise Lambott. Elsie grew up in Rudyard and received her formal education there. In 1942, she married Robert Albright. They made their home in the Chester community, where Elsie worked as a farmwife, homemaker and mother of three. The Albrights had...

CHINOOK Elsie Ann Albright Taylor, 81, of Chinook, died at Northern Montana Care Center in Havre on Saturday, June 3, 2006. A graveside service will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Inverness Cemetery. E l s i e was born Sept. 15, 1924, at Rudyard to Oscar David Adams and Emma Louise Lambott. Elsie grew up in Rudyard and received her formal education there. In 1942, she married Robert Albright. They made their home in the Chester community, where Elsie worked as a farmwife, homemaker and mother of three. The Albrights had...

Viola Ella Freier, 81, of Havre died Tuesday May 30, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital of natural causes. Her funeral service will be 10 a.m. Monday at Van Orsdel United Methodist Church with Vaundalee DeLong and Ila McClenahan officiating. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the church immediately after the service. Viola was born Feb. 20, 1925, in Pipestone, Minn., to Dewey and Ella (Dahlhoff) Bostic. When she was a young girl, she moved with her family to Havre, where she attended Havre Public Schools. Viola worked at...

Viola Ella Freier, 81, of Havre died Tuesday May 30, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital of natural causes. Her funeral service will be 10 a.m. Monday at Van Orsdel United Methodist Church with Vaundalee DeLong and Ila McClenahan officiating. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the church immediately after the service. Viola was born Feb. 20, 1925, in Pipestone, Minn., to Dewey and Ella (Dahlhoff) Bostic. When she was a young girl, she moved with her family to Havre, where she attended Havre Public Schools. Viola worked at...