Obituaries

Alba Estelle Bugg, 91, former longtime Havre resident, died Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006, in Chicago. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at a future date. Alba was born to John Pit Phillips and Della Mae Love Phillips on Oct. 14, 1914, at Andrews, N.C. She attended public school there until her graduation. She entered the U.S. Navy in 1942 and completed her active service in 1946. She married Robert Edger Bugg of Whitefish in January 1946. In March of 1946, they moved to Havre, where the couple settled and...

Granville Stuart Skillman, 87, died at his home in Havre of natural causes with his family by his side. Crema-tion has taken place. His memorial service will be 11 a.m. Saturday in Havre at Fifth Avenue Christian Church with the Rev. John Skillman officiating. A luncheon will be held at the church immediately following the service. Granville was born April 23, 1918, at a ranch home in Livingston to Stephen P. and Almeda I. (Bruffey) Skillman. He was raised and educated in the Livingston area. At age 14 Granville left school...

Melvin C. Erickson Jr., 61, died Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital with his family by his side from effects of Agent Orange. Cre-mation has taken place. A memorial service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow at the Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the Vets Club immediately following the graveside service. Melvin was born Sept. 28, 1944, in Whitefish to Melvin Erickson Sr.... Full story

Granville Stuart Skillman, 87, died at his home in Havre of natural causes with his family by his side. Crema-tion has taken place. His memorial service will be 11 a.m. Saturday in Havre at Fifth Avenue Christian Church with the Rev. John Skillman officiating. A luncheon will be held at the church immediately following the service. Granville was born April 23, 1918, at a ranch home in Livingston to Stephen P. and Almeda I. (Bruffey) Skillman. He was raised and educated in the Livingston area. At age 14 Granville left school...

Melvin C. Erickson Jr., 61, died Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital with his family by his side from effects of Agent Orange. Cre-mation has taken place. A memorial service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow at the Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the Vets Club immediately following the graveside service. Melvin was born Sept. 28, 1944, in Whitefish to Melvin Erickson Sr....

Granville Stuart Skillman, 87, died at his home in Havre of natural causes with his family by his side. Crema-tion has taken place. His memorial service will be 11 a.m. Saturday in Havre at Fifth Avenue Christian Church with the Rev. John Skillman officiating. A luncheon will be held at the church immediately following the service. Granville was born April 23, 1918, at a ranch home in Livingston to Stephen P. and Almeda I. (Bruffey) Skillman. He was raised and educated in the Livingston area. At age 14 Granville left school...

Melvin C. Erickson Jr., 61, died Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital with his family by his side from effects of Agent Orange. Cre-mation has taken place. A memorial service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow at the Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the Vets Club immediately following the graveside service. Melvin was born Sept. 28, 1944, in Whitefish to Melvin Erickson Sr....

Granville Stuart Skillman, 87, died at his home in Havre of natural causes with his family by his side. Crema-tion has taken place. His memorial service will be 11 a.m. Saturday in Havre at Fifth Avenue Christian Church with the Rev. John Skillman officiating. A luncheon will be held at the church immediately following the service. Granville was born April 23, 1918, at a ranch home in Livingston to Stephen P. and Almeda I. (Bruffey) Skillman. He was raised and educated in the Livingston area. At age 14 Granville left school...

Melvin C. Erickson Jr., 61, died Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital with his family by his side from effects of Agent Orange. Cre-mation has taken place. A memorial service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow at the Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the Vets Club immediately following the graveside service. Melvin was born Sept. 28, 1944, in Whitefish to Melvin Erickson Sr....

Gordon LeRoy Borchers, 80, died Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2006, in at the Northern Montana Care Center in Havre of natural causes. His funeral service is today at 2 p.m. at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Home, with Pastor Tim Zerger officiating. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery. Gordon was born Sept. 10, 1925, in Grand Forks, N.D., to William and Anna (Wyne) Borchers. As a young boy he moved with his family to Missoula, where he was raised. He attended Central High School in Missoula. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1944...

REXFORD - Gary F. Stuker, 65, of Rexford died Monday, Jan. 16, 2006, at Health Care Northwest in Kalispell from natural causes. A service will be held Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Jude Catholic Church in Havre. Gary was born May 6, 1940, in Zurich to Jerry and Edna Daniels Stuker. He grew up and attended school in Havre. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps in the Special Forces during the Vietnam War. After his honorable discharge, he returned to Havre where he went to work for Nault Plumbing and Heating. He later opened his... Full story

FORT BELKNAP - Priscilla Jean Flying Jackson, 36, whose Assiniboine name was Eagle Feather Woman or Wam-ni We-yah-ga We-yah, died Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital due to liver failure. The funeral service will be Friday at 11 a.m. in Chief Nosey Center at Lodge Pole. The wake service will begin at 5 p.m. today in Chief Nosey Center. Priscilla was born on Nov. 27, 1969, in Havre to Duane and Barbara (Stanley) Flying. She was raised by her grandparents Irvin and Dora Flying, and attended schools in Harlem....

Sterling Wolery, 64, died Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006, at the Peace Hospice in Great Falls after a 23-month battle with glioblastoma multiforme brain cancer. A funeral service was held Sunday at 3 p.m.at the Joplin Community Hall. The Rev. Dale Wolery officiated. A memorial luncheon followed at the hall. Sterling Ernest Wolery was born on Nov. 9, 1941, in Havre, the second of three sons born to Olyn and Bernece (Shipman) Wolery. The three excited brothers and surprised parents later welcomed a girl to the family. Sterling was...

DANIELLE “DANI” SNIDER obituary TURNER - Danielle “Dani” Snider, 37, died as a result of a single-vehicle rollover 12 miles north of Harlem on Montana Highway 241 on Jan. 14, 2006. A funeral service will be Thursday at 11 a.m. in the Turner High School gymnasium, with burial following in the Turner Cemetery. Danielle was born on Aug. 2, 1968, in Seattle to Jim and Sandy (Doyle) Stevenson. She attended schools in Snoqualmie and graduated from Liberty High School in 1986. In high school she was involved with the dri...

THADDEUS “TED” BABIAK obituary Thaddeus A. “Ted” Babiak, 92, died Saturday, Jan. 14, 2006, at the Marcus Daly Hospice Center in Hamilton. A vigil service will be held Wednesday, at 7 p.m. at the Dowling Funeral Home chapel. Mass will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at St. Francis Catholic Church in Hamilton. The Rev. John Darragh will be the celebrant. Military honors will be provided by American Legion Post No. 47 and Marine Corps League Bitterroot Valley Detachment No. 937 following the service. A reception will fol...

CHINOOK - Dorothy Marie Moxley, 65, died at home on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2006. A memorial service will be held Saturday, Jan. 21, 2006, at 1 p.m. in the Lloyd Sweet Auditorium. Born on Sept. 10, 1940, to Arthur E. McLeish Jr. and Susan B. (Fish) McLeish, Dorothy spent most of her younger years living in Chinook, with her summers helping out on the family's TU Ranch south of the Bear Paws. While attending Chinook High School, she met the love of her life, Clair Moxley. They were married in Chinook on Dec. 27, 1958, and moved to...

TUCSON, Ariz. - Edward Ray Gwynn, 61, of Tucson, Ariz., a retired helicopter pilot, died Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006, at University Medical Center after a long battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday at Resurrection Lutheran Church, 11575 N. First Ave., in Oro Valley. Ed was born to Elmer and Grace Gwynn in Havre. He graduated from Flathead County High School in Kalispell in 1962, attended college in Bozeman and graduated from Cameron University in Lawton, Okla. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 19... Full story

HOGELAND - World War II veteran Aaron Burton Lacox, 82, of Hogeland died Sunday, Jan. 8, 2006, surrounded by his family at Northern Montana Care Center. Visitation will begin at 7 p.m. today at Edwards Funeral Home in Chinook. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in Hogeland American Lutheran Church. Burial will follow in Wing Cemetery with military honors. Aaron was born Feb. 16, 1923, in Nodaway, Iowa, and came to Hogeland with his parents in 1929. The family was involved in farming and ranching south of...

JOPLIN - Frances Louise “Francy” Fraser, 70, of Joplin died Sunday, Jan. 8, 2006, at Benefis East Medical Center in Great Falls. Vigil prayers will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Sacred Heart Church in Inverness. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at the church. Burial will follow at Inverness Cemetery. Francy was born May 17, 1935, in Havre to George and Margaret (Schwan) Richter. Francy grew up in the Inverness community and received her early education there. She finished her schooling in Joplin, graduating from...

ROCKY BOY - Chenoah Rose Flat Lip, 7 months 23 days, died Sunday Jan. 8, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital from pneumonia. Her wake service began Monday night with her funeral service scheduled for 10 a.m. today at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church at Rocky Boy. Burial was to follow at the Eagleman Cemetery. Chenoah was born May 16, 2005, in Havre to Jerry and Gladys (Stanley) Flat Lip. Chenoah lived in Rocky Boy with her aunt and attended Rocky Boy Early Head Start. She was a very happy baby, who always had a smile on her face...

SHELBY - Ramona 'Mona K' Katherine Mayer Irvin, 68, of Shelby died Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006, at Marias Medical Center due to a lengthy illness. A family gathering will be held at a later date. Mona K was born Jan. 30, 1937, at Glasgow to Mark and Josephine (Emily) Mayer. She was raised in Havre, where she graduated from Central High School in 1955. She married Dwayne Irvin on Sept. 19, 1964, in Conrad. Along with being a homemaker, she had worked as a waitress at various places in Shelby. She was a member of First Baptist...

SHELBY - Dianne Lynne Abernathy, 65, a retired secretary from Cut Bank, died due to cancer at her home Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006, surrounded by her family. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Cut Bank Community Bible Church. She was born April 2, 1940, to George and Inger (Yates) Renaker in Glasgow. She was raised in Havre, where she graduated from high school in 1958. While in business school in Spokane, Wash., she met Bill Abernathy. They were married May 1, 1961, in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. They moved...

KALISPELL - Richard “Dick” McCoy Sherrill, 71, formerly of Havre, died Saturday, Dec. 31, 2005, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center. At his request, a private family service will be held in Havre. Dick was born Aug. 8, 1934, in Chattanooga, Tenn., to George and Cecil Sherrill. He was raised in Chattanooga, where he attended public schools through the eighth grade. He attended a tech school in Miami, Fla., and received his GED during his time in the U.S. Air Force. He married Perregrina “Perry” Fisher on Oct. 22,...

CHESTER - Frank Schwan, 83, died peacefully at the Chester rest home Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005. Frank was cremated per his request. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at the Assembly of God Church in Chester. Frank was born June 5, 1922, on the family homestead in the Goldstone community north of Rudyard to Anton and Juliana Schwan. Frank received his formal education at Central country school near the farm. In his late teens, he worked at the Civilian Conservation Corps Camp in northwestern Montana, where he...

Evelyn Agnes Morse, 80, of Havre died of natural causes Sunday, Jan. 1, 2006, at Northern Montana Care Center surrounded by her family and friends. Her funeral Mass will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at St. Jude's Catholic Church with the Rev. Robert D. Grosch officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held after the graveside service at St. Jude Parish Center. Evelyn was born Jan. 12, 1925, in Dunlo, Pa., to Peter and Annie (Koris) Drobnak. She was raised and educated in Dunlo, where she...