Obituaries

BOZEMAN John “Melvin” Grant, 87, died on Nov. 17, 2006. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Dokken-Nelson Sunset Chapel in Bozeman. He was born Sept. 17, 1919, to Joseph W. and Mary (Levey) Grant, the middle of three boys. The family came to Montana and settled in the Saco-Hinsdale area to farm and raise sugar beets. Mel's love for horses started at a very early age and continued to his dying day. He was always his happiest in the saddle. Melvin served in the 9th Armored Division as an MP during World War...

GREAT FALLS Walter H. Evens, 78, of Billings died surrounded by his family Thursday, Nov. 16, 2006, after a long battle with heart and lung disease. A memorial service and gathering will be held at 11 a. m. Tuesday at St. Luke's Catholic Church in Great Falls.A private family memorial will be held in Melrose, Minn., at a later date. Walter was born March 30, 1928, in St. Cloud, Minn., and later moved to Montana where he lived in Cut Bank, Great Falls and Havre. He had resided in Billings the past two years with his family....

DODSON Leslie Edwin “Killer” Kill Eagle, 75, a rancher, died Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006, at a Billings hospital of natural causes. His wake service will begin at 7 p.m. today at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Dodson. His funeral Mass will be held at 11 a. m. Saturday at the Dodson High School Gym. Burial will be in the Ereaux Family Cemetery at Dodson. Les was born Feb. 10, 1931, at Fort Belknap Agency and was raised in the Lodge Pole area. He went to the Kirkaldie School in Lodge Pole and also attended VoTech at Northern Mon...

Gloria M. Almas, 88, of Havre died Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006, at her home of natural causes. Her funeral service will be 10 a.m. Saturday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel with Father Robert D. Grosch officiating. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Havre. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the St. Jude Parish Center immediately after the services at the graveside. Gloria was born Nov. 18, 1917, in Buffalo, N.Y., to Frank and Beatrice (Kraus) Math. She moved with her parents to Chicago, Ill., and Evansville...

GREAT FALLS Jack Gardiner Jr., 72, of Great Falls, a retired video business operator, died Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006, of natural causes at a Great Falls hospital. At his request, no services are planned. Cremation has taken place under the direction of O'Connor Funeral Home. Burial will take place at a later date in Kuper Cemetery at Chinook. Jack was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Gardiner; and stepson, Steven Lynn Ness. Survivors include his daughter, Vikki Gardiner of Great Falls; stepdaughter, Marcia Durward of Havre;...

CHINOOK Denys M. Pomeroy, 57, died Monday, Nov. 13, 2006, at Saint Patrick's Hospital in Missoula after a courageous fight with pancreatic cancer His funeral service will be Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Chinook Assembly of God Church with burial following in Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Denys was born on Oct. 11, 1949, in Havre to Earl and Elsa (Olson) Pomeroy. He graduated from high school in Chinook in 1967. He married Lois Shennum in 1974 with whom he had four children. He ranched most of his life on a ranch south of Chinook....

GREAT FALLS Jack Gardiner Jr., 72, of Great Falls, a retired video business operator, died Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006, of natural causes at a Great Falls hospital. At his request, no services are planned. Cremation has taken place under the direction of O'Connor Funeral Home. Burial will take place at a later date in Kuper Cemetery at Chinook. Jack was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Gardiner; and stepson, Steven Lynn Ness. Survivors include his daughter, Vikki Gardiner of Great Falls; stepdaughter, Marcia Durward of Havre;...

Ben F. Gallegos, Sr., 78, of Toppenish, Wash., died Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006, in Toppenish. Cremation will take place. A vigil and memorial service at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in Wapato, Wash., will be set at a later date. At that time his cremated remains will be interred at the Elmwood Cemetery in Toppenish. Ben was born Jan. 13, 1928, in Denver, Colo., where he went all through school. In 1954, Ben received his bachelor of science degree in general agriculture from Colorado A&M in Fort Collins, Colo. Ben met and mar...

Eileen Wolery, age 80, died of natural causes early Monday morning, Nov. 13, 2006, at the Liberty County Hospital in Chester. Her funeral service will be held at 11 a. m. Monday at Fifth Avenue Christian Church in Havre. A luncheon will follow. A graveside service will be held at 3 p.m. Monday at Turner Cemetery in Turner. Hazel Eileen Wolf was born Jan. 18, 1926, in Joplin to Henry and Irene (Granger) Wolf. Eileen received her formal education in Joplin, where she graduated from high school in 1944. She went to Seattle for...

CHINOOK John “Jack” Barrow, 84, died Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006, at Benefis Healthcare East in Great Falls due to natural causes. Cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be scheduled at a later date. Jack was born in Chinook on Nov. 8, 1922, to George and Etta (Allison) Barrow. He graduated from Chinook High School in 1940. Jack attended Montana State College in Bozeman, where he played football for the Bobcats. Following service in the United States Navy, he graduated from the University of Montana with a bus...

Lillian Margaret (Holst) Phalen, 91, of Havre died Friday, Nov. 10, 2006, at her home in Havre. Rosary for Lillian will be held at the Saint Jude's Catholic Church at 7 p. m. Wednesday. Her funeral Mass will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at St. Jude's Catholic Church. Burial will follow in the Kuper Memorial Cemetery at Chinook. Lillian wanted her friends and family not to mourn, but to remember her by taking a walk or ride in the Bear Paw Mountains. Lillian Phalen was born Nov. 24, 1914, in Chinook to Gustavus and Katherine...

Francis Marion Lowen, 84, died Wednesday evening, Nov. 8, 2006, at Northern Montana Care center. His service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Fifth Avenue Christian Church with Pastor Rowlie Hutton presiding. A military honor service will be conducted immediately following the memorial service. Francis was born June 25, 1922, in Trenton, Mo., to Charles F. and Neoma C. (Moss) Lowen. He attended school in Rural Independence, Mo. He served his country in the Navy during World War II Francis met Clara Belle Armstrong and...

Francis Marion Lowen, 84, died Wednesday evening, Nov. 8, 2006, at Northern Montana Care center. His service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Fifth Avenue Christian Church with Pastor Rowlie Hutton presiding. A military honor service will be conducted immediately following the memorial service. Francis was born June 25, 1922, in Trenton, Mo., to Charles F. and Neoma C. (Moss) Lowen. He attended school in Rural Independence, Mo. He served his country in the Navy during World War II Francis met Clara Belle Armstrong and...

HARDIN Lambert Vandersloot Jr., 71, of Hardin died Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006, in the Big Horn County Memorial Hospital. Rosary will be recited 7 p.m. Friday in St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hardin. His funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a. m. Saturday in the church. Interment with military honors will follow in the Hardin Fairview Cemetery. Bert was born Aug. 31, 1935, in Hardin to Lambert and Katherine Feller Vandersloot Sr. He grew up in the St. Xavier area and attended the public and St. Xavier Mission schools, before...

BIG SANDY Julia Hansen O'Neil, 82, died Monday evening, Nov. 6, 2006, at the Benefis East Medical Center in Great Falls following a two-year battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Friday at the Big Sandy Historical Museum. Burial of ashes will follow at the Big Sandy Cemetery. She was born Julia Frances Fisher on April 10, 1924, in a sod house southeast of Big Sandy in the Iliad community to Louis Fisher and Julia Vrabel. Julia received her formal education at the Iliad country school, then began...

HARDIN Lambert Vandersloot Jr., 71, of Hardin died Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006, in the Big Horn County Memorial Hospital. Rosary will be recited 7 p.m. Friday in St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hardin. His funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a. m. Saturday in the church. Interment with military honors will follow in the Hardin Fairview Cemetery. Bert was born Aug. 31, 1935, in Hardin to Lambert and Katherine Feller Vandersloot Sr. He grew up in the St. Xavier area and attended the public and St. Xavier Mission schools, before...

Lynn Elwood Taplin, 65, of Havre, retired railroad conductor, died Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006, of complications from diabetes at Northern Montana Hospital. Friends and family are invited to share their stories and memories of Lynn at the VFW Club in Havre on Thursday from 5 to 8 p. m. A meal will be provided. Lynn was born Aug. 4, 1941, in Butte to James Elwood Taplin and Mary Ellen (Seery) Aune. He graduated from Dixon High School in 1959 and went to work as a gandy dancer on the railroad, fixing and repairing the track. He...

ROCKY BOY “Joe” Whitehorse Sr., 66, a retired transportation supervisor for Rocky Boy School District died at Northern Montana Hospital on Monday, Nov. 6, 2006, of cancer. A wake service will be today at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Rocky Boy. A traditional funeral service will be held at 11 a. m. Thursday with burial following in the Rocky Boy Cemetery. Joe was born Sept. 23, 1940, in Rocky Boy to John P. and Julia (Roasting Stick) Whitehorse. He attended schools in Rocky Boy. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and was hon...

BIG SANDY Julia Hansen O'Neil, 82, died Monday evening, Nov. 6, 2006, at the Benefis East Medical Center in Great Falls following a two-year battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Friday at the Big Sandy Historical Museum. Burial of ashes will follow at the Big Sandy Cemetery. She was born Julia Frances Fisher on April 10, 1924, in a sod house southeast of Big Sandy in the Iliad community to Louis Fisher and Julia Vrabel. Julia received her formal education at the Iliad country school, then began...

CHESTER Reuben Harvey Halverson, 88, died Friday evening, Nov. 3, 2006, at the Liberty County Nursing Home. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Chester. A luncheon will follow in the church fellowship hall. Reuben was born March 1, 1918, at Broadview to Harvey and Clara (Johnson) Halverson. Reuben received his formal education at the Liberty Valley Country School near Rapelje. During the early Depression years, Reuben worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps near Neihart. His...

Marie “Mame” Pierson, 76, of Havre Sunday, Nov. 5, 2006, died of natural causes at her home surrounded by her loving family. Her funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Jude's Catholic Church in Havre, with burial to follow at Highland Cemetery in Havre. Her vigil and rosary services will be 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral home of Havre. Mame Pierson was born Feb. 4, 1930, in Havre to Arthur F. and Gertrude M. (Fitzgerald) Heeter. She met and later married Melvin C. Pierson on June 18, 1949, and...

MALTA Bernard Jerome “Swede” Goodheart, 83, of Malta, an Army veteran of World War II, retired station agent for the Great Northern Railway and a state senator, died Friday, Nov. 3, 2006, at Phillips County Hospital of leukemia. A vigil service was held Sunday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Malta, and his funeral Mass was held Monday morning at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Interment was in the Malta Cemetery with military honors. B. J. was born Aug. 27, 1923, in Wagner, to Ervin and Mildred (Miller) Goodheart. He gra...

BOZEMAN Lee Stevens, 64, of Belgrade and formerly of Havre, died recently due to cancer. His funeral service will be held at 2 p. m. Friday at Christ the King Lutheran Church at 4383 Durston Road in Bozeman. Interment will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Lee was born May 22, 1942, in Havre to his adopted-at-birth parents, Guy and Garnet Stevens. Lee graduated from high school in Havre and completed several years of college education. Lee was baptized and was an active member of First Lutheran Church while growing up in Havre....

GREAT FALLS Mary Louise Guza, 83, of Great Falls, a secretary and former Havre Credit Bureau manager, died of natural causes on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2006, at a Great Falls hospital. The funeral liturgy was held at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church on Saturday at 1 p.m., with Father Lou Krauth presiding. Burial followed in Mount Olivet Cemetery. Mary Louise Guza was born July 16, 1923, to Oscar and Elia (Bernardoni) Bachini in Havre, where was raised and educated and graduated from Havre High School. She married Rudolph...

John MacKay, 83, died on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006, at a Havre care center of natural causes. Cremation has taken place at his request. Also at his request, there will not be any services held, memorials or flowers. John was born Nov. 20, 1923, at Isle of Lewis, Scotland, to Norman and Margaret A. (MacNaughton) MacKay. He came to the United States with his mother in 1928. He graduated from Chinook High School in 1942. John was a Navy World War II veteran and served aboard a submarine tender in the Pacific. He was honorably...