Obituaries

CHINOOK - Georgia Lewis Ijams, 91, died Thursday, Dec. 22, 2005, at Northern Montana Hospital due to natural causes. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in the Presbyterian Church in Chinook. Georgia was born Jan. 20, 1914, in Portland, Ore., to Frank and Etta (Blaydon) Lewis. The family moved to Montana in 1915 and lived in Valier, Park City, Hardin, Miles City and moved to Chinook in 1930. Georgia graduated from Chinook High School in 1931 and received a four-year scholarship to Northern Montana College. Georgi...

KALISPELL - Richard Patrick Ihnot, 51, died Monday, Dec. 12, 2005, in Pampanga, in the Philippines. His cause of death is under investigation. A funeral service for Richard will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday 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 at St. Jude Parish Center immediately after the graveside service. Richard was born Sept. 18, 1954, in Glasgow to John and Phyllis Ihnot. He attended schools in Butte, Nashua...

GREAT FALLS - Edward Lawrence Donohue, 74, of Great Falls died Monday, Dec. 19, 2005, in Maplewood, Minn. A funeral Mass was held at St. Ann's Cathedral and the rite of committal was held at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Great Falls. Ed was born in Havre in 1931. He graduated from Havre High School in 1949 and attended Northern Montana College. He graduated from Montana State University in Bozeman in 1953 with a bachelor of science degree in architectural engineering. He joined the U.S. Army in 1953 and was stationed in Alaska as...

Frances Helen Schafer, 87, a lifetime resident of Havre, died of natural causes Monday, Dec. 26, 2005, at Northern Montana Care Center. Her rosary will be at St. Jude's Catholic Church at 7 p.m. Thursday with a funeral Mass to be celebrated at 10 a.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 at the St. Jude Parish Center immediately after the graveside service. Frances was born Sept. 21, 1918, to Ed and Anna...

Frances Helen Schafer, 87, a lifetime resident of Havre, died of natural causes Monday, Dec. 26, 2005, at Northern Montana Care Center. Her rosary will be at St. Jude's Catholic Church at 7 p.m. Thursday with a funeral Mass to be celebrated at 10 a.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 at the St. Jude Parish Center immediately after the graveside service. Frances was born Sept. 21, 1918, to Ed and Anna...

BILLINGS - Neil Eugene Keller, 64, died Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2005, in Billings of natural causes. A prayer vigil service will be held in Billings at 7 p.m. today in St. Patrick's Co-Cathedral with his funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Thursday in Havre at the St. Jude's Catholic Church with the Rev. Jose Valliparambil officiating. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the St. Jude Parish Center immediately after the funeral. Burial will be held 2 p.m. at the Cottonwood Cemetery north of Havre. Neil was born May 23, 1941, in Havre to...

JOPLIN - John Iver Fusk, 85, died Friday, Dec. 23, 2005, when he was struck by a railroad train while walking into Joplin. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Bethel Lutheran Church in Joplin. Burial will follow in the Joplin Cemetery. John was born May 23, 1920, on the family homestead in the Alma community north of Joplin to Peter and Olianna (Gotsvosli) Fusk. John grew up on the farm and received his formal education at the nearby Tingdahl country school. John helped on the family farm for a few years,...

NEWBERG, Ore. - Samantha Dianne Durham died three hours and 16 minutes after her birth Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005, at Newberg, Ore., to Angela and Thomas Paul Durham of Newberg. A funeral service was held at 2 p.m. Dec. 15 at Valley View Cemetery in Newberg. A memorial service was held Dec. 18 at the Church of Christ in Newberg. Survivors include her parents, Angela and Thomas Paul Durham; brothers, Thomas and Alex Durham; paternal grandparents, Mike Formway, Barbie Formway and Mary Durham; and maternal grandparents, Ernest and...

Clifford Lee Kinholt, 76, of Havre died Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005, from complications likely due to asbestosis and lung disease. His funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Fifth Avenue Christian Church with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating. A viewing will be held at the church beginning at 10 a.m. A luncheon will follow immediately after the service at the Fifth Avenue Christian Church. A private burial service will be held at Calvary Cemetery. Clifford was born March 30, 1929, in Havre to Emil and Jean Kinholt. He...

HARLEM - Leo “Baby Boy” Brockie Jr., whose Gros Ventre name Naw-Wos means “My Bear,” 68, died Friday, Dec. 16, 2005, at Benefis East Hospital in Great Falls of natural causes. A wake service will be held at 7 p.m. today in Red Whip Center at Fort Belknap Agency. A funeral Mass will be at held at 11 a.m. Tuesday in the Harlem High School gymnasium. Burial will follow in Fort Belknap Agency Cemetery. Leo was born Sept. 17, 1937, to Leo and Alma (Skinner) Brockie at Fort Belknap Agency. He was a 1955 graduate of Har...

Clifford Lee Kinholt, 76, of Havre died Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005, from complications likely due to asbestosis and lung disease. His funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Fifth Avenue Christian Church with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating. A viewing will be held at the church beginning at 10 a.m. A luncheon will follow immediately after the service at the Fifth Avenue Christian Church. A private burial service will be held at Calvary Cemetery. Clifford was born March 30, 1929, in Havre to Emil and Jean Kinholt. He...

HARLEM - Leo “Baby Boy” Brockie Jr., whose Gros Ventre name Naw-Wos means “My Bear,” 68, died Friday, Dec. 16, 2005, at Benefis East Hospital in Great Falls of natural causes. A wake service will be held at 7 p.m. today in Red Whip Center at Fort Belknap Agency. A funeral Mass will be at held at 11 a.m. Tuesday in the Harlem High School gymnasium. Burial will follow in Fort Belknap Agency Cemetery. Leo was born Sept. 17, 1937, to Leo and Alma (Skinner) Brockie at Fort Belknap Agency. He was a 1955 graduate of Har...

BIG SANDY - Alvin F. Swanson, 88, of Big Sandy, died, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2005, at his home from natural causes. Visitation will be held from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday at Benton Funeral Home and on Monday one hour prior to the services at the church. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Christ Lutheran Church in Big Sandy, with the Rev. Jeff Stoopes officiating. Burial will be in the Big Sandy Cemetery. He was born on the family farm on April 10, 1917, to Ferdinand and Alma (Blixt) Swanson. His mother died the foll...

RUDYARD - Lillian (Sanvik) DeMartin, 88, died Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2005, at the nursing home in Chester. Her funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Rudyard. A graveside service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Highland Cemetery in Havre. Lillian was born Aug. 11, 1917, on the family homestead 21 miles north of Gildford to Ole and Lena (Berge) Sanvik. In 1928, the Sanviks moved to Rudyard, where Lillian graduated from high school. She married Howard DeMartin on June 29, 1935. They lived on...

CASCADE - Russell Chinadle, 66, of Cascade and former Havre resident, died Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2005, at Peace Hospice of cancer. A gathering of friends will be held at the Dearborn Inn at 3 p.m. Saturday. A family burial of ashes will be held at a later date. Cremation has taken place. Russell was born March 18, 1939, and raised in Hingham. He joined the U.S. Army in 1958. He was a bar owner prior to becoming a U.S. Postal worker, where he delivered mail to the Rocky Boy Reservation for 28 years. He formed many lifelong...

MISHAWAKA, Ind. - Flora Catherine Gatzemeier, Sister M. Clara Ann, 85, of Mishawaka, Ind., died Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2005, due to bile duct cancer. A Eucharistic funeral liturgy was held Dec. 3 at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Angels Convent. She was buried in the convent cemetery. Flora was born to Edward and Anna Mae Gatzemeier of Rudyard on Dec. 16, 1919. The family did many things together, including working in the wheat fields and playing cards and other games. The family belonged to Our Lady of Ransom Church in Hingham. Flora...

Marilyn (Strand) McLean, 79, of Havre died Friday, Dec. 9, 2005, at Northern Montana Care Center after suffering from lung cancer. Crema-tion has taken place. Her memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating. A graveside service will follow at Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the Vets Club immediately after the service at the graveside. Marilyn was born March 3, 1926, in Lignite, N.D., to Oscar and Myrtle (Gustofson)...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Anthony Wendel Keller, 94, died in his sleep Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005, in Albuquerque, N.M. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at Sunset View Mortuary at Colusa and Fairmount Avenue in El Cerrito, Calif., followed by a memorial Mass at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Cornelius Church, 225 28th St. in Richmond, Calif. Anthony was born Dec. 23, 1910, in a village near Odessa, Russia, to John and Magdalena Keller. The family immigrated to America in 1911, settling first in Collyer, Kan., and then on a farm...

Mary Ann Dion, 81, of Havre died Saturday, Dec. 3, 2005, at Northern Montana Hospital of natural causes. Cremation has taken place. A graveside memorial service will be held at a later time at the Gethsemane Cemetery in Federal Way, Wash. Mary was born March 16, 1924, in Dodge, N.D., to Joseph and Magdalena (Kletzel) Bleile. As a young child, she moved with her family to Helena for a short time. They returned to Dickenson, N.D., where Mary Ann was educated. She lived with her brother in Anaconda when she was a teenager. She...

CHINOOK - Lucille Alice Finley, 95, of Billings died Thursday, Dec. 1, 2005, of natural causes at a Billings care center. A funeral service will be held Friday at 1 p.m. in the Chinook United Methodist Church with burial following in Kuper Memorial Cemetery. She was born to Elard and Lucinda (Anderson) Phares in Chinook. She lived and worked in Chinook most of her life, moving to Great Falls and then to Billings in later years. She was preceded in death by her son Mack Savage. Survivors include her son, Mark Savage of...

Elena Marie (Guevara) Crilly, 49, of Helena and formerly of Havre, died Dec. 4, 2005, at St. Peter's Hospital. A service was scheduled for 11 a.m. today at Helena Funeral Chapel. A second memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Fifth Avenue Christian Church. Elena was born in St. Albans, Vt., to Jose and Pat Guevara. She attended Carroll College and graduated from Northern Montana College with a nursing degree. She had worked as an RN, director of nursing in Northern Montana Hospital Emergency Room, Intensive Care...

GILDFORD - Willis Warren Cady, 87, of Gildford died peacefully Monday, Dec. 5, 2005 at Liberty County Hospital in Chester. Willis was born Aug. 30, 1918, at Havre to Harry and Rose (Vosen) Cady. Willis grew up on the family farm, which was located between Gildford an Kremlin. He received his formal education in both communities. Following his graduation from Gildford High School in 1936, he began his life as a full-time Montana farmer. Willis married Dorothy M. Blanchard on Oct. 16, 1941, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in...

AUBURN, Wash. - Havre native Estelle Beatrice (Kickbusch) Ward, 82, of Auburn, Wash., died Friday, Nov. 11, 2005, of natural causes at Auburn, Wash. Funeral services were conducted Nov. 18 at Hobart Community Church with burial in Maple Valley. Estelle was the second of identical twins born to August and Mildred Kickbusch on April 12, 1923, at Havre. She graduated from Havre High School in 1941, with her twin, Eleanor, and sister, Wilma, and worked as a waitress at Danny's Cafe in Havre. During World War II, Estelle was...

CHINOOK - John Thomas McMaster, 80, of Chinook died Tuesday Dec. 6, 2005, at Northern Montana Hospital after a long battle with cancer. A rosary and vigil service will be Friday at St. Gabriel's Catholic Church at 7 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Gabriel's Catholic Church in Chinook. Burial will follow at Kuper Memorial Cemetery with military honors. A luncheon will be held at the church immediately after the graveside service. John was born in St. John, N.D., on June 6, 1925, to George and Bertha...

Alfred B. Lathrop, 89, of Havre died Sunday, Dec. 4, 2005, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. Crema-tion has taken place and a graveside service will be held later in the spring. Alfred was born July 27, 1916, in Havre to Avery and Mary (Malstrom) Lathrop. Alfred was raised and educated in Havre. Alfred married Irene Williams on Oct. 30, 1942, in Chinook. He entered into the U.S. Army in October of 1942 and served in World War II. He was honorably discharged in 1944 as a private. After his discharge, he...