Obituaries

WOLF POINT - William Henry “Willie” Weeks III, Mato-Sku (White Bear), died Monday, May 22, 2006, of natural causes at Northern Montana Hospital. A wake will be held Thursday at 4 p.m. with a vigil service at 7 p.m. at the Wolf Point Community Hall. His funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Wolf Point. Interment will be held at Greenwood Cemetery. Willie was born on March 1, 1951, to Lillian Delong Weeks and William Weeks Jr. Will was an enrolled member of the A...

CHESTER - Allen Carl Mattson, 92, of Chester died peacefully at a Chester rest home Monday afternoon, May 22, 2006. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Chester. Burial will follow at the Chester Cemetery. Allen was born Aug. 6, 1913, at the family homestead north of Chester to Andrew and Minnie (Johnson) Mattson. He received his formal education at the Fairview country school, then began working on the family farm. He was 21 years old when his mother died, so he helped raise...

GREAT FALLS - Danny Ray Clark, 53, of Great Falls died of a long illness on Monday, May 22, 2006, at a Great Falls hospital. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Danny was born Oct. 27, 1952, to George and Myrtice (Chessher) Clark in Crestview, Fla. Danny was stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base in 1971 and soon came to love Montana, where he also met his wife, Vicki Velk. They married June 10, 1972, in Great Falls. In 1994, after a 24 year distinguished military career, he retired from the Air Force as a master...

HELENA - Clara Gunhilda Martinson Edwards, 94, died peacefully on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 14, 2006, at Rocky Mountain Care Center in Helena. Clara was cremated per her wishes. Her ashes will be buried with her husband, Lloyd. A graveside service is planned for 11 a.m. Thursday, June 29, at Highland Cemetery in Havre. Clara was born Sept. 4, 1911, at Van Hook, N.D., which is a little town near Williston, N.D., to Olaf and Anna (Dalhin) Oppeboen. Clara received her elementary and secondary education at Van Hook, then...

WHITEFISH - Sally Cole, 64, of Rexford and formerly of Havre, died at her home Saturday evening, May 20, 2006, surrounded by her family. A funeral service will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at St. Charles Catholic Church in Whitefish with the Rev. Patrick Patton officiating. Burial will follow at Glacier Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Kalispell. After burial, a luncheon for family and friends will be held at St. Charles reception hall. She was born Feb. 10, 1942, in Minneapolis. She grew up in Havre and attended St. Jude's...

BILLINGS - Louis Frank Zygmond, life-long Montana resident, died Wednesday, May 17, 2006, of cancer at his home in Billings. A memorial vigil will be held today at 7 p.m. at Cremation or Funeral Gallery. A funeral service will be held at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Billings on Monday at 2 p.m. A reception will follow the services. A military burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery following the reception. Lou was born in Havre on Aug. 25, 1925, to Olga (Hubert) and Alex Zygmond. He graduated from Havre High School...

SHELBY - Robert P. (Bob) Hasquet, died Wednesday, May 17, 2006, at the Marias Medical Center in Shelby after a brief battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his loving family at his death. His funeral Mass will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at St. William's Catholic Church in Shelby. Visitation will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the Whitted Funeral Chapel in Shelby with a vigil service at 7 p.m. at the church. Bob was born Feb. 8, 1926, in Great Falls to John and Josephine Hasquet. He attended Shelby schools and graduated from...

BILLINGS - Louis Frank Zygmond, life-long Montana resident, died Wednesday, May 17, 2006, of cancer at his home in Billings. A memorial vigil will be held today at 7 p.m. at Cremation or Funeral Gallery. A funeral service will be held at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Billings on Monday at 2 p.m. A reception will follow the services. A military burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery following the reception. Lou was born in Havre on Aug. 25, 1925, to Olga (Hubert) and Alex Zygmond. He graduated from Havre High School...

SHELBY - Robert P. (Bob) Hasquet, died Wednesday, May 17, 2006, at the Marias Medical Center in Shelby after a brief battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his loving family at his death. His funeral Mass will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at St. William's Catholic Church in Shelby. Visitation will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the Whitted Funeral Chapel in Shelby with a vigil service at 7 p.m. at the church. Bob was born Feb. 8, 1926, in Great Falls to John and Josephine Hasquet. He attended Shelby schools and graduated from...

Audrey Jean Watson, 77, died Monday, May 15, 2006, at her home in Havre after a valiant battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Van Orsdel United Methodist Church in Havre. Audrey was born March 4, 1929, to Edward Lumas Layhee and Alberta Marguerita Meader Layhee in Plattsburg, N.Y. She was raised in Dannemore, N.Y. She met Henry Earl Watson while he was stationed in New Jersey. They were married July 19, 1946, in New Brunswick, N.Y., and were two months short of their 60th wedding anniversary....

Albert Fowler Vaughn, 77, of Havre died Tuesday May 16, 2006, surrounded by his family at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. His funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel with Tim Maroney officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. Albert was born Nov. 20, 1928, in Havre to Charles and Hazel (Fowler) Vaughn. He was raised and educated in Havre. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1945, serving in World War II. He was honorably discharged in 1947. Albert...

SPOKANE, Wash. - William Howard Koutnik, 77, of Spokane, Wash., died Feb. 20, 2006, in Spokane. At his request, no funeral service was held. He was born in Havre on Nov. 28, 1928, to Joe and Margaret Koutnik. He graduated from Northern Montana College, then earned an accounting degree at the University of Denver, graduating with the class of 1954. He retired as a partner of LeMaster and Daniels, where he was a CPA for 37 years. His professional memberships included the American Institute of CPAs for 50 years and the...

Audrey Jean Watson, 77, died Monday, May 15, 2006, at her home in Havre after a valiant battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Van Orsdel United Methodist Church in Havre. Audrey was born March 4, 1929, to Edward Lumas Layhee and Alberta Marguerita Meader Layhee in Plattsburg, N.Y. She was raised in Dannemore, N.Y. She met Henry Earl Watson while he was stationed in New Jersey. They were married July 19, 1946, in New Brunswick, N.Y., and were two months short of their 60th wedding anniversary....

YUMA, Ariz. - Robert Evan Richards, 70, of Yuma, Ariz., died Sunday, April 16, 2006. Private family services were held. Bob was born May 24, 1935, in Havre. In 1954, he married Bette J. Keith, and they moved to Corvallis in 1956. They divorced in later years. Bob worked for CH2M Hill for more than 30 years. In the latter part of his career he traveled throughout the country to assist with projects. Bob shared his love of travel and the outdoors with his children. In 1989, he married Louise N. Carpenter and became Uncle Bob...

JOPLIN - Joseph “Joe” Wilmes, 95, of Joplin died Sunday, May 7, 2006, at the Liberty County Nursing Home of complications from pneumonia. A graveside service with burial of ashes will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at the Joplin Cemetery. A memorial luncheon will follow at the Sweetgrass Lodge in Chester. Joe was born Feb. 9, 1911, at Inverness to Domonick and Valentina (Jerzak) Wilmes. At the time of Joe's birth his mother and twin sister died from complications during the delivery. Joe grew up in the Inverness community a...

HELENA - Robert Wayne Stockton, 83, died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his family at his home at the Waterford in Helena on Saturday, May 6, 2006. At his request, he has been cremated and a memorial service will be at Plymouth Congregational Church on May 20 at 10 a.m. Robert was born at home to Katherine Gertrude Hussey and Glenn Dobbs Stockton on July 7, 1922, in Frederick, Okla. Bob was raised in Wichita Falls, Texas. At 14, he was part of a sailing club that raced on nearby Wichita Lake. His first sailing vessel w...

GLASGOW - Reginald (Reggie) Hunt Taylor, 80, died Friday, April 28, 2006, at the Valley View Nursing Home in Glasgow. His funeral service was held May 2 at Bell Funeral Home in Glasgow. Reggie was born Sept. 5, 1925, in Two Dot to Alfred and Winnie Maie (Hunt) Taylor. He was raised in the Kalispell area and attended Mountain Brook School. He graduated from Hingham High School. He then attended Navy Boot Camp in Athol, Idaho. Reg served in the Philippines in World War II and Guam in the Korean War. He hired on with the Great...

BELGRADE - Linda Ann “Sam” Jordan, 62, of Belgrade died Wednesday, May 3, 2006. A memorial service was held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Grace Bible Church in Bozeman. Sam was born Oct. 1, 1943, in Sidney to Forrest and Bernice (Fancher) Wilson. The family lived on the farm at Sidney until 1949, when they moved to the Gallatin Valley. Sam grew up and went to school in Big Timber and Bozeman. Quoting her, “Who could ask for a better or more beautiful place?” She married Lyle Jordan on Aug. 31, 1990, in Glasgow. She was...

Ruth E. Boucher, 93, of Havre died Sunday, May 7, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital of natural causes. Cremation has taken place. Her memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel with Pastor Michael O'Hearn officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the Eagles Club immediately after the service at the graveside. Ruth was born Sept. 30, 1912, in Hanley Falls, Minn., to Hartvig and Louise (Dons) Christiansen. As a young girl, Ruth moved...

Kathleen C. Petty, 82, a resident of Havre, died Saturday, May 6, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital due to a stroke. Crema-tion will take place, and her wishes are that no services will be held. Kathleen was born March 28, 1924, in Rock Lake, N.D., to Edward and Sophie (Koskie) Hendrickson. She attended school in Rock Lake. In 1943, she moved to Montana with her parents. She met John B. Petty and the couple were married in September of 1946 in Glasgow. They moved to Havre in 1957. Kathleen enjoyed all kinds of butterflies....

CHESTER - Rodney Lee Hanson, 49, died Sunday, April 30, 2006. His mother found him unresponsive in his apartment after he hadn't answered her phone calls. He was transported by ambulance to Liberty County Hospital, where resuscitative efforts failed. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Chester. Burial will follow at the Chester Cemetery. Rod was born May 20, 1956, at Havre to Alfred and Ione (Anderson) Hanson. Rod grew up in the Chester community and received his formal...

Gail Marie Hansen, 53, died Saturday, April 29, 2006, at her home of complications of diabetes. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at Hagler-Anderson Funeral Home at 650 Logan St., Helena on Friday at 2 p.m. Gail was born Sept. 27, 1952, in Havre to Billy and Donna (Anderson) Hansen. The family moved to Helena in 1963. Gail graduated from Helena High School and attended the University of Montana in Missoula. She worked for the Montana Office of Public Instruction from 1977 until her death. Gail loved...

BOZEMAN - Ida Barbknecht Langdon, 101, died recently. A graveside service was 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...

WHITEHALL - Theodore W. (Ted) Howser, 99, of Whitehall died Friday, April 28, 2006, at the Crest Nursing Home in Butte. A parish vigil service will be held today at 6 p.m. at the K&L Mortuary chapel at Whitehall. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday from St. Teresa's Catholic Church at Whitehall with Father Joseph Finnegan officiating. Interment will follow in the Whitehall Cemetery. Ted was born in Lakota, N.D., to C.C. Howser and Elvira Signa Rassmussien Howser on Dec. 10, 1906. Ted started school in...

Irene Leota Bakken,87, resident of Billings and former resident of Havre died Wednesday, April 26, 2006, in Billings at her daughter's home of natural causes. Her funeral service was scheduled for 10 a.m. today at First Lutheran Church with Pastor Brad Ulgenes officiating. Burial was to follow at Highland Cemetery. Irene was born June 13, 1918, on the family homestead at Palermo, N.D., to Gilbert and Anna Mahlum. She grew up and attended school in Palermo. On July 14, 1938, she married Myron Bakken in Minot, N.D. In 1941,...