Obituaries

Amelia Catherine (Peters) Schaefer, 87, died Tuesday morning, Dec. 5, 2006 at Benefis East Medical Center in Great Falls. Amelia was born Jan. 8, 1919, at Conrad to Charles and Anna (Theis) Peters. Amelia grew up on the Peters' family farm in the Ledger community and received her early education at a nearby country school. She finished her formal education in Conrad, where she graduated from high school in 1937. She then attended beauty school for a short while. Amelia met her husband-tobe, Lawrence Schaefer, a Minnesota nati...

FORT BELKNAP AGENCY Ada Nina Buckman Blackbird, 84, died Monday, Dec. 4, 2006, at the Northern Montana Care Center due to natural causes. Her funeral service will be held Friday at 11 a.m. in the Red Whip Center with burial following in the Wild Horse Buckman Cemetery. Her wake service will begin today at 5 p.m. in the Red Whip Center. Ada was born Aug. 11, 1922, near Lodge Pole to Richard and Carrie (Lemon) Snell on the family ranch. She was raised in the Little Warm and Lodge Pole area on the Snell Family Ranch, where she... Full story

Willard Purkett, 78, of Havre died Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2006, at his home surrounded by his family of natural causes. Memorial services will be Saturday at 11 a.m. in Fifth Avenue Christian Church. Cremation has taken place. Willard was born Oct. 15, 1928, in Glasgow to Paul and Catherine (Gabrelick) Purkett. He attended schools in Glasgow and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was honorably discharged Oct. 28, 1947. Willard married Evelyn Huestis on Dec. 1, 1948, in Great Falls. Willard retired from Burlington... Full story

Willard Purkett, 78, of Havre died Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2006, at his home surrounded by his family of natural causes. Memorial services will be Saturday at 11 a.m. in Fifth Avenue Christian Church. Cremation has taken place. Willard was born Oct. 15, 1928, in Glasgow to Paul and Catherine (Gabrelick) Purkett. He attended schools in Glasgow and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was honorably discharged Oct. 28, 1947. Willard married Evelyn Huestis on Dec. 1, 1948, in Great Falls. Willard retired from Burlington...

Willard Purkett, 78, of Havre died Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2006, at his home surrounded by his family of natural causes. Memorial services will be Saturday at 11 a.m. in Fifth Avenue Christian Church. Cremation has taken place. Willard was born Oct. 15, 1928, in Glasgow to Paul and Catherine (Gabrelick) Purkett. He attended schools in Glasgow and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was honorably discharged Oct. 28, 1947. Willard married Evelyn Huestis on Dec. 1, 1948, in Great Falls. Willard retired from Burlington...

FORT BELKNAP Linda Marie Bacon, 42, a nurse's aide, died Sunday, Nov. 26, 2006, at the Northern Montana Care Center from complications of diabetes. Her wake and rosary will beging at 7 p.m. today at the Red Whip Community Center at Fort Belknap. Her funeral Mass will be held at 10 a. m. Thursday at the center with burial at the Hi-way Church Cemetery on U.S. Highway 2 east of Fort Belknap. Linda was born Feb. 8, 1964, in Havre, to Benny and Lorena (Buck) Bacon. She was raised and educated at Fort Belknap and New Jersey....

FORT BELKNAP Linda Marie Bacon, 42, a nurse's aide, died Sunday, Nov. 26, 2006, at the Northern Montana Care Center from complications of diabetes. Her wake and rosary will beging at 7 p.m. today at the Red Whip Community Center at Fort Belknap. Her funeral Mass will be held at 10 a. m. Thursday at the center with burial at the Hi-way Church Cemetery on U.S. Highway 2 east of Fort Belknap. Linda was born Feb. 8, 1964, in Havre, to Benny and Lorena (Buck) Bacon. She was raised and educated at Fort Belknap and New Jersey....

FORT BELKNAP Linda Marie Bacon, 42, a nurse's aide, died Sunday, Nov. 26, 2006, at the Northern Montana Care Center from complications of diabetes. Her wake and rosary will beging at 7 p.m. today at the Red Whip Community Center at Fort Belknap. Her funeral Mass will be held at 10 a. m. Thursday at the center with burial at the Hi-way Church Cemetery on U.S. Highway 2 east of Fort Belknap. Linda was born Feb. 8, 1964, in Havre, to Benny and Lorena (Buck) Bacon. She was raised and educated at Fort Belknap and New Jersey.... Full story

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.... Full story

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.... Full story

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... Full story

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... Full story

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;... Full story

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... Full story

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... Full story

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...

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... Full story

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... Full story

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... Full story