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...

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...

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,...

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....

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...

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....

Patricia (Pati) A. Zorko, 52, of Havre died of cancer-related complications Friday, April 21, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital. A memorial service will be held at First Lutheran Church Thursday at 5 p.m. with Pastor Brad Ulgenes and Michael O'Hearn officiating. Scattering of the ashes will follow at a later date. Pati was born on April 3, 1954, on the Feamcom Air Base in Tachikawa, Japan, to Benjamin and Dorothy Roberts. She grew up in Arizona and southern California. She graduated from high school in Florence, Ariz., in...

CHINOOK - Lucille Smith Molitor, 90, of Chinook died Thursday, April 20, 2006, at the Park Place Health Care Center in Great Falls due to natural causes. A funeral service will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. in the Edwards Funeral Home Chapel with burial following in Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Lucille was born Oct. 4, 1915, in Victor to George and Effie (Miner) Blair. She was raised and attended schools in Victor. Lucille graduated from Victor High School in May 1934. Lucille married Robert C. “Bob” Smith on Nov. 19, 1934, i...

ROCKY BOY - Tyrone Gopher, 65, a lifetime resident of Great Falls, veteran of the U.S. Army, and great-grandson of Chief Rocky Boy of the Chippewa-Cree Tribe, died peacefully of cancer Friday, April 21, 2006, at Peace Hospice surrounded by his children, brothers, sisters, cousins, extended family and friends. Tyrone was well-known throughout Great Falls, being seen riding his bike wherever he went. He befriended many people in his travels, Indian and non-Indian. Tyrone performed many services for the Native American communiti...

Marguerite Julia Donohue, 105, of Havre died Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. Cremation has taken place and her memorial Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Jude Catholic Church. Interment will follow at the Highland Cemetery. A fellowship hour will be held at St. Jude Parish Center immediately after the graveside service. Marguerite Julia Donohue was born in Melrose, Minn., on Jan. 5, 1901, to James and Julia (Lynam) Donohue. Marguerite studied music at St. Benedict's...

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...

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....

James (Jim) A. Hoines, 67, of Havre, an avid fisherman and beloved father and husband, died peacefully, surrounded by his wife and children, on Friday, April 14, 2006, in Great Falls after a short battle with lung cancer. Visitation will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Holland & Bonine Funeral Home. His funeral will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Van Orsdel United Methodist Church in Havre. Jim was born April 24, 1938, in Sisseton, S.D., to J. Julius Hoines and Agnes (Karlson) Hoines. He spent his early years on the family...

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...

TROY - Marjorie Ione Higgins, 82, of Troy died April 7, 2006, at her home. A memorial service was scheduled for 11 a.m. today at the Christ Lutheran Church, 200 West Larch in Libby. A reception was to follow at the Elks Lodge in Libby. She was born April 2, 1923, in Kenmare, N.D., to Engvald Bernard Beck and Ella May Bennett. Marge was raised in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, before moving to Havre. She married Roy Higgins in 1938. They lived in Havre and Great Falls until 1946, when they moved to Bigfork. In 1978, they built a...

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. He 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 a...

TROY - Marjorie Ione Higgins, 82, of Troy died April 7, 2006, at her home. A memorial service was scheduled for 11 a.m. today at the Christ Lutheran Church, 200 West Larch in Libby. A reception was to follow at the Elks Lodge in Libby. She was born April 2, 1923, in Kenmare, N.D., to Engvald Bernard Beck and Ella May Bennett. Marge was raised in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, before moving to Havre. She married Roy Higgins in 1938. They lived in Havre and Great Falls until 1946, when they moved to Bigfork. In 1978, they built a...

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. He 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 a...

Fredrick G. “Fred” Nimmick, 90, of Great Falls died on Monday, April 10, 2006, at his home due to natural causes. Visitation will be at Schnider Funeral Home on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. His funeral service will be at Peace Lutheran Church on Friday at 10 a.m., with Pastor Kent Stenzel officiating. Burial of ashes will be in Big Sandy Cemetery on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Fredrick Gust Nimmick was born Sept. 25, 1915, in Fingel, N.D., to Reihold and Anna (Schook) Nimmick. He was raised on a farm outside of Tower City, N...

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...

WHITEFISH - Winifred “Winnie” Osburnsen, 87, died peacefully Tuesday, March 28, 2006, at her daughter and son-in-law's home in Whitefish. A celebration of Winnie's life will be held at Missoula First Presbyterian Church in late May. Winifred was born in Havre on Sept. 2, 1918, to Martha and Hiram Bickle. After graduating valedictorian from Havre High School, Winnie moved to Great Falls, where she met Laurence Osburnsen. They were married in Arkansas in 1942, while he was in the Army Air Corps. After his discharge, they m...

Jerry Hayes, 71, died Saturday, April 1, 2006, at Benefis Hospital in Great Falls after battling an aggressive cancer that led to renal failure. Cremation has taken place and his memorial service will be held at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Jude Catholic Church with Father Robert D. Grosch officiating. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the St. Jude Parish Center immediately after the memorial service. Jerry was born June 30, 1934, in Chinook to Edwin and Thelma (Overcast) Hayes. He was raised and educated in Chinook and...