Obituaries

MALTA - Richard (Dick) Joseph Plouffe, 65, died Monday, Dec. 29, 2003, in Fargo, N.D., from a heart attack while visiting a longtime friend. Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Friday at the Adams Memorial Chapel in Malta. Interment will be in the Malta Cemetery. Dick was born on Oct. 29, 1938, in Malta to Lewis and Mabel (Homier) Plouffe. He was raised and educated in the Strater community. He worked various farm and ranch jobs in the area before going to work for the Malta Irrigation District. He retired from the district in...

ROUNDUP - William "Bill" James McMaster, 42, of Roundup died in an automobile accident near Thermopolis, Wyo., on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2003. A funeral service was scheduled for Monday morning at St. Benedict's Catholic Church in Roundup with burial following at the Musselshell Cemetery. Bill was born on Jan. 23, 1961, in Havre to John and Agnes (Roles) McMaster. He was raised and educated in Chinook. Bill worked in the oil field most of his adult life. At the time of his death, he was employed with True Drilling of Casper, Wyo....

BOTHELL, Wash. - Theodore(Ted) J. Kluzek, 71, died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003, in Bothell, Wash. after a long illness. He was to be interred at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Everett, Wash. Ted graduated from Havre High School and the University of Montana in Missoula. He had retired from the Boeing Corporation after having worked in Everett and Renton, Wash., and in New Orleans. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Bob and Dick. Survivors include four nieces and a nephew, their children, and his sisters-i...

Patrick Edward Shea, 87, died Thursday, Dec. 25, 2003, at a Havre care center. A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church at Pendleton, Ore., with the Rev. Gregory officiating. Entomb-ment will follow at the Olney Mausoleum. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the Elks Club immediately following the services at the Mausoleum. There will be a memorial vigil service held at the Eagles Manor in Havre at a later date. Pat was born on Feb. 3, 1916, in Astoria, Ore., to Patrick and Laura...

CHESTER - Anna (Schwab) Nordstrom, 94, died Saturday, Dec. 27, 2003, at a Chester hospital of natural causes. A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Chester. Burial will follow at Chester Cemetery. Anna was born on Feb. 20, 1909, in Wisconsin. Her family homesteaded in 1910 near Chester. She was educated at Chester and graduated from Chester High School in 1927 as class valedictorian. She taught school in the Chester community for several years. Anna married Bert Nordstrom on Oct. 27,...

ROCKY BOY - Nancy Knife Meyers, 75, died Thursday, Dec. 25, 2003, at a Havre hospital of natural causes. A wake service began Friday at the Rocky Boy Catholic Church. A funeral service was to be held at 7 p.m. at the Rock Boy Catholic Church with Ken Writing Bird and Sister Mary Margaret O'Doherty officiating and also at the Catholic Church in Ahtahkakoop Reserve No. 104 in Ahtahkakoop, Saskatchewan. Burial will be in the Ahtahkakoop Cemetery in Sandy Lake, Saskatchewan. Nancy was born Jan. 27, 1928, to Peter and Matilda...

STANWOOD, Wash. - Omer C. Thon, 71, died on Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, in Stanwood, Wash. Omer was born in Havre to Ingvald and Olina Thon on May 18, 1932. The family farmed out of Kremlin. He lived in Montana until 1943, when he moved to Mount Vernon, Wash., after the death of his father. He attended Lincoln Grade School and graduated in 1950 from Union High School. After graduation, he began his career in accounting with the firm of Hartwick Accounting, until he was called into the service of his country, serving in the Army...

STANWOOD, Wash. - Omer C. Thon, 71, died on Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, in Stanwood, Wash. Omer was born in Havre to Ingvald and Olina Thon on May 18, 1932. The family farmed out of Kremlin. He lived in Montana until 1943, when he moved to Mount Vernon, Wash., after the death of his father. He attended Lincoln Grade School and graduated in 1950 from Union High School. After graduation, he began his career in accounting with the firm of Hartwick Accounting, until he was called into the service of his country, serving in the Army...

William F. Stewart, 77, died Friday, Dec. 19, 2003, at his home surrounded by his family after a long battle with cancer. A prayer vigil will be held at 7 p.m. today at the St. Jude Catholic Church with the funeral Mass at 1 p.m. Tuesday at St. Jude Catholic Church with the Rev. Robert D. Grosch officiating. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery. William "Bill" was born on March 10, 1926, in Havre to Robert and Rosa (Tucker) Stewart. Bill was raised and educated in Havre and graduated from Havre High School. He also...

CHINOOK - Dave Sprinkle, 89, died Saturday, Dec. 20, 2003, at a Chinook nursing home due too natural causes. A rosary will be held at 7 p.m. today in St. Gabriel's Catholic Church. A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday in St. Gabriel's Catholic Church with burial following in Kuper Memorial Cemetery with military honors. Dave was born on Nov. 20, 1914, in Havre to Charles and Corona (Bessette) Sprinkle. He attended schools in Havre and graduated from Havre High School in 1932. Dave married Betty McCartney on July 8, 1941,...

MISSOULA - Joyce E. Bunton, 56, of Missoula, died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003, at a Missoula hospital. A service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Garden City Funeral Home in Missoula. Services will be held later in Libby. Joyce was born on Dec. 24, 1946, in Havre. She was preceded in death by her parents and a son, William. Survivors include her husband, Jim of Missoula; children, James Bunton Jr. of Libby, Leasa Markwardt and husband Ken Petersen of Missoula, Robert Bunton in the armed forces, Nate (Julie) Bunton of...

Perry D. Neiss, 76, died Thursday, Dec. 18, 2003, at a Havre care center due to natural causes. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at the Holland and Bonine Funeral Chapel. Burial with full military honors will follow at Highland Cemetery. Perry was born on Aug. 2, 1927, to Ezra and Margaret (Hutchinson) Neiss in Coopers Town, N.D. He was raised and educated in the area. He served in the Marine Corps. After his discharge in the 1950s came to Havre. He married Betty Clampitt and had three children. They later...

RUDYARD - Freda Gene Hansard, 75, died Sunday, Dec. 14, 2003, at her home in Rudyard. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Blue Sky High School gymnasium in Rudyard. Her ashes will be buried in the family plot at the Rudyard Cemetery. Freda was born on March 30, 1928, at Havre to Alfred "Pete" Rathbun and Winifred "Winnie" Boyer. She grew up on the Rathbun homestead south of Inverness and received her early education at the Cockrell Springs country school near the farm. During several winters in her...

Kable Kain Williams, 19, of Havre, formerly of Broadus, died at his home in Havre on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2003. Visitation will begin on Friday at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Broadus. A funeral service will be held on Saturday at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Broadus. Interment will follow in the family lot in the Valley View Cemetery in Broadus. Kable was born on Jan. 23, 1984, to Lacy and Starlean (Perkins) Williams in Miles City. He lived on the family ranch south of Broadus and attended schools in Broadus and Miles...

Diane Rose Russette, 39, died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003, at a Great Falls hospital due to kidney failure. A wake service was to begin at 2 p.m. today with a rosary to begin at 7 p.m. at the Rocky Boy Lutheran Church. A funeral service will be 10 a.m. Thursday at the Rocky Boy Lutheran Church with the Rev. Pete Guthneck officiating. Burial will be held at the Russette Family Cemetery. Diane was born on June 19, 1964, in Havre to Calvin and Carol (Caplette) Russette. She was raised and educated at Rocky Boy and graduated from Box...

POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. - The Rev. Robert D. Bitterman, 71, died Monday, Dec. 15, 2003. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Calvary Baptist Church in Powder Springs with the Rev. Snyder Turner officiating. Interment will follow at Powder Springs Memorial Gardens. Bitterman was born on Aug. 13, 1932, in Havre. He received his master of divinity in 1961. Bitterman was the pastor of Christ Memorial Baptist Church in Warren, Ohio, for 33 years. After being a minister for more than 50 years, he retired in 1997 and...

POTOMAC - Stacey Ann "Stace" Ambo, 39, died Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003. Memorial Services will be 2 p.m. Saturday at the Kings Christian Church at 10225 South, U.S. Highway 93 between Missoula and Lolo. Stace was born on Jan. 25, 1964, in Great Falls to Victor Ambo and Doris Fae Tompkins. She attended Bonner Grade School and Hellgate High School. In 1981, she married Larry D. Bush of Seeley Lake. In 1995, she married David Skones of Havre. Stace was a spiritual person. She held her church families at the Sixth Avenue Christian...

ROCKY BOY - Mary A. Denny, 82, a full blood Chippewa from Turtle Mountain, N.D., died Sunday, Dec. 14, 2003, at a Great Falls hospital of natural causes. A wake service began at 4 p.m. Monday at the Rocky Boy Lutheran Church. A funeral service was scheduled for 10 a.m. today at the Rocky Boy Lutheran Church with the Rev. Pete Guthneck officiating. Burial was to be held at the Rocky Boy Cemetery. Mary was born on Oct. 31, 1922, in Denseth, N.D., to Joseph and Mary Rose (Peltier) Skinner. She was raised and educated in...

ROCKY BOY - LeRoy Charles "Dakota" Windyboy, whose Indian names were Piyesis and Wahpos, 53, of Rocky Boy died Monday, Dec. 8, 2003, at a Havre hospital after a long illness. A wake service began Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Rocky Boy Catholic Church. The funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Rocky Boy Catholic Church with the Rev. Pete Guthneck officiating and Marvin Russette performing the Indian traditions. Burial will be held after the services at the Rocky Boy Cemetery. LeRoy was born on Jan. 14, 1950, to...

George Albert Turbak, 89, died Friday, Dec. 5, 2003, at a Havre care facility after a long battle with cancer. A public viewing will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Holland and Bonine Funeral Home. A rosary will be recited at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Holland and Bonine Funeral Chapel with a vigil service at 7 p.m. with Tim Maroney officiating. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the St. Jude Thaddeus Church with the Rev. Robert D. Grosch officiating. George was...

Violet M. Swick, 70, of Cut Bank died Friday, Dec. 5, 2003, at a Shelby care center due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday with visitation starting one hour prior to service time at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Cut Bank. A luncheon will follow at the Moose Lodge. Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Highland Cemetery in Havre, with a reception to follow at the Vet's Club. Violet was born on Feb. 14, 1933, to Albert and Dorothy (Schaffer) Knudson in Havre...

CHINOOK - Dorothy (Dot) Nelson, 70, died at a Havre hospital due to natural causes on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2003. A memorial service was held Saturday afternoon in the Edwards Funeral Home Chapel. Cremation has taken place. Dorothy was born on June 30, 1933, in Malta to Frank and Mary (Dove) Fanning. She attended schools in the Malta area. Dorothy married Elmer William Nelson in Havre on Aug. 8, 1949. She enjoyed camping, bowling, and was a lifelong member of the VFW. Dorothy worked as a waitress in Malta, Lewistown and Billings....

MISSOULA - Nancy A. "Grammy" Stulc, 54, died early Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2003, at her home in Missoula due to cancer. A Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated on Friday, Dec. 12, at 1 p.m. at Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 200 44th St. South, Great Falls. Nancy was born to Bert and Dorothy Reiner in Choteau on Sept. 23, 1949. She graduated from Choteau High School in 1968 and Northern Montana College in 1973. She earned a double Bachelor of Science degree in history and English with a teaching certificate. She met Rod...

FORT BELKNAP - Luetta Irene (Van Hollan) Rock, 60, died Thursday, Nov. 27, 2003, at a Havre hospital due to a lengthy illness and heart complications. A wake service was held Friday evening in Red Whip Center at Fort Belknap Agency. A funeral service was scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday in Red Whip Center at Fort Belknap Agency. Burial was to follow at Pony Hill Cemetery. Luetta was born to Laura Irene (Sanquins) Rudie and the late Everett Van Hollan on July 30, 1943, in Havre. Luetta was a trained practical nurse and was...

CHINOOK - Elizabeth "Queenie" Peterson, 91, died Friday, Nov. 28, 2003, at a Havre care center of natural causes. A funeral service was scheduled for 11 a.m. today at the Edwards Funeral Home Chapel. Burial was to follow in the Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Queenie was born to Erato Hedges and Oscar Dougherty on July 6, 1912, in Lohman. She was raised in Chinook and attended schools there and also in Havre. Queenie married Reynold Peterson on March 4, 1933, in Chinook. Besides raising her children, she cooked, cleaned houses,...