Obituaries

Eva Elizabeth (Benner) Slonaker, 86, died peacefully with her children and husband at her bedside Thursday, Feb. 24, 2005, at a Havre hospital of natural causes. Cremation has taken place. Her memorial service was scheduled for 11 a.m. today at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel with Brad Ulgenes officiating. Burial will be held at a later date with a private family ceremony at the John Stevens Memorial Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the Eagles immediately after the service. Eva was born 86 years ago in...

obituary BIG SANDY - Wilfred A. Berlinger, 84, died, Monday, Feb. 21, 2005, at the Big Sandy Medical Center of natural causes. A Mass of Christian burial was scheduled for 11 a.m. today at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church. Interment will be in the Big Sandy Cemetery, with military honors provided by the Big Sandy Veterans of Foreign Wars. A vigil service was scheduled for Sunday evening at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church. He was born July 16, 1920, to John and Katherine (Joa) Berlinger in Canada at Maple Creek, and moved...

HAVRE-Delbert R. Jensen, 46, a maintenance engineer, died Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005, at Northern Montana Hospital of apparent natural causes. The Hill County coroner is investigating. A funeral Mass will be 10 a.m. Saturday at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Dodson. Interment will be in the Hillside Cemetery at Dodson. Del was born Aug. 5, 1958, in Havre, to Gordon and Leona (Albrecht) Jensen. He was raised and educated in Havre, Washington and Alaska. Delbert married Melissa Cohenour in 1989 and was later divorced. Del...

CHINOOK - Herbert O. Gruss, 78, formerly of Chinook, died Sunday evening, February 20, 2005, at his Missoula residence. Herb was born Nov. 17, 1926, to Otto Wilhelm and Berta Gruss in Langenols, Germany. Before the age of 18, he was drafted into the German army. He fought in several World War II historical campaigns, including the Battle of the Bulge. Near the end of the war, he surrendered to the British Army. After his release from POW camp, Herb resided in Wolfenbrttle Germany, where he met the love of his life, Ingeburg S...

CHINOOK - Herbert O. Gruss, 78, formerly of Chinook, died Sunday evening, February 20, 2005, at his Missoula residence. Herb was born Nov. 17, 1926, to Otto Wilhelm and Berta Gruss in Langenols, Germany. Before the age of 18, he was drafted into the German army. He fought in several World War II historical campaigns, including the Battle of the Bulge. Near the end of the war, he surrendered to the British Army. After his release from POW camp, Herb resided in Wolfenbrttle Germany, where he met the love of his life, Ingeburg S...

KREMLIN - Leon C. Vosen, 92, a farmer from south of Kremlin, died Friday, Feb. 18, 2005, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. A viewing will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Home. His funeral service will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Assembly of God with the Rev. Steve Flatau officiating, with burial to follow at the Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the church immediately after the services at the graveside. Leon was born May 22, 1912, south of...

ROCKY BOY - Antonio P. Rego, 74, died at his home in Rocky Boy with his family by his side on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2005, after a long illness. A wake service began Friday at 1 p.m. with his funeral service at 10 a.m. Saturday, all at the Rocky Boy Catholic Church with the Rev. Pete Guthneck officiating. Burial with full military honors was to follow at the Rocky Boy Cemetery. Antonio was born Aug. 2, 1930, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Antonio and Candida (Pascual) Rego. When he was a young boy, he moved with his family to Tampa,...

BILLINGS - William C. Eckhardt, 91, of Billings died Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005, at Sweet Memorial Nursing Home in Chinook. A service and burial were held Thursday in Billings. Survivors include his daughter, Loretta (Bill) Loranger or Havre; granddaughter, Kimberly (Kevin) Powell of Spokane, Wash.; and two great-grandsons of Spokane....

KREMLIN - Leon C. Vosen, 92, a farmer from south of Kremlin, died Friday, Feb. 18, 2005, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. A viewing will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Home. His funeral service will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Assembly of God with the Rev. Steve Flatau officiating, with burial to follow at the Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the church immediately after the services at the graveside. Leon was born May 22, 1912, south of...

KREMLIN - Leon C. Vosen, 92, a farmer from south of Kremlin, died Friday, Feb. 18, 2005, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. A viewing will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Home. His funeral service will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Assembly of God with the Rev. Steve Flatau officiating, with burial to follow at the Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the church immediately after the services at the graveside. Leon was born May 22, 1912, south of...

ROCKY BOY - Antonio P. Rego, 74, died at his home in Rocky Boy with his family by his side on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2005, after a long illness. A wake service began Friday at 1 p.m. with his funeral service at 10 a.m. Saturday, all at the Rocky Boy Catholic Church with the Rev. Pete Guthneck officiating. Burial with full military honors was to follow at the Rocky Boy Cemetery. Antonio was born Aug. 2, 1930, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Antonio and Candida (Pascual) Rego. When he was a young boy, he moved with his family to Tampa,...

BILLINGS - William C. Eckhardt, 91, of Billings died Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005, at Sweet Memorial Nursing Home in Chinook. A service and burial were held Thursday in Billings. Survivors include his daughter, Loretta (Bill) Loranger or Havre; granddaughter, Kimberly (Kevin) Powell of Spokane, Wash.; and two great-grandsons of Spokane....

obituary Lorraine Helen Louise Richards, 93, died Saturday, Feb. 12, 2005, at Northern Montana Hospital of natural causes. Her funeral service will be 2 p.m. today at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel with Ila McClenahan officiating. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery. Lorraine was born Jan. 23, 1912, in Burlington, Wis., to Louie and Esther (Oberg) Lightfield. When she was a young girl, she moved with her family to Sidney, where she attended country school. The family later moved to Havre. On Nov. 4, 1930,...

Michelle Rae (Main) Plain Feather, 25, died Monday, Feb. 14, 2005, in an automobile accident at Lodge Pole. A wake service will begin today at 7 p.m. in Chief Nosey Recreation Center at Lodge Pole with participation by the Fort Belknap Catholic Church and Lodge Pole Assembly of God. A funeral service will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Rhea Goes Ahead from the Full Gospel Revival Tabernacle in Billings officiating. Michelle was born to Glenda "Bea" Has The Eagle of Lodge Pole and Douglas "Tiny" Main Sr. of Malta...

Matthew Tyson Yates IV, 26, of Havre died Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005, at his residence. The cause of death is under investigation by the Hill County coroner's office. A funeral service will be 6 p.m. Tuesday at Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating. Visitation is 6 to 9 p.m. Monday and from 1 p.m. to service time Tuesday at the Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel. Cremation will follow the service and interment of the cremains will take place at a later date. A luncheon will be held at the VFW Club...

Edward John Olszewski, 67, formerly of Hogeland and Colstrip, died Feb. 10, 2005, at Benefis East Healthcare due to natural causes. A funeral Mass was scheduled for 11 a.m. today in Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church with burial following in Wing Cemetery with military honors. Rosary was recited Sunday at 7 p.m. at Edwards Funeral Home Chapel in Chinook. Edward (Ed) was born April 21, 1937, at Havre to Adrian and Kathleen (Leinan) Olszewski. He was raised on the Big Flat, graduated from Hogeland High School in 1955 and...

Carrol Louise Oedewaldt, 74, a bookkeeper and clerk from Shelby, died Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005, at her home due to natural causes. A funeral service was scheduled for 11 a.m. today at the First Baptist Church in Shelby with burial in the Mountain View Cemetery. Visitation was to be one hour before service time at the church. Carrol was born June 20, 1930, at Havre to Howard and Helen (Swartout) Davidson. She was raised near Kremlin and also lived part time in California, where her father did seasonal construction work. Carrol...

RUDYARD - Alice Camille (Chvilicek) Langel, 68, died Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005, at her daughter's home in Phoenix, Ariz. Vigil prayers will be 7 p.m. Friday at Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church in Hingham. Funeral Mass will be 2 p.m. Saturday at the church. Cremation will follow per Alice's request. A graveside service and burial of ashes will be 11 a.m. next Monday at the Rudyard Cemetery. Alice was born Feb. 17, 1936, at Hingham to John and Marion (Huestis) Chvilicek. Alice grew up on the family farm and received her early e...

Marie Vander Ven, 96, died Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. A vigil service will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday at St. Jude's Catholic Church. The funeral Mass will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at St. Jude's Catholic Church. Burial will follow at the Calvary Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held immediately after the committal service at the Parish Center. Marie was born Aug. 16, 1908, in Nijmegan, Holland, to Henry and Petronella Verploegen. The family immigrated to America in 1910 and...

George Kato, 78, of Great Falls, a retired warehouse manager, died of natural causes Monday, Feb. 7, 2005, at a Great Falls hospital. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Great Falls. A rite of committal will be 11 a.m. Monday in Calvary Cemetery in Havre. A vigil will be 7 p.m. Friday at the O'Connor Memorial Chapel in Great Falls. Visitation is 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at the O'Connor Funeral Home. George was born Jan. 3, 1927, in Havre and was...

CHINOOK/LIBBY - John Melvin Norberg Jr., 67, died Friday, Feb. 4, 2005, of heart failure in Kalispell. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Christ Lutheran Church in Libby. A luncheon will follow in Libby. A burial service will be held at 11 a.m. aturday at Kuper Memorial Cemetery in Chinook. He was born July, 28, 1937, in Chinook to John Melvin and Myrtle (Swenson) Norberg. He received his early education in Chinook and graduated from Chinook High School in 1957. He served in the National Guard of Montana...

HARLOWTON - Earl Wesley Kardell, 69, died Saturday, Feb. 5, 2005, at Wheatland Memorial Hospital in Harlowton due to cancer. No services planned at this time. Earl was born in Havre on Oct. 9, 1935, to Frank W. and Mildred L. Kardell. He attended Havre public schools through high school and then was employed by Great Northern Railway. In 1955, Earl enlisted in the U.S. Army and served honorably for three years. Upon his discharge, Earl returned to Havre and worked for the railroad for 10 years. He then moved to Lewistown....

CHINOOK/LIBBY - John Melvin Norberg Jr., 67, died Friday, Feb. 4, 2005, of heart failure in Kalispell. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Christ Lutheran Church in Libby. A luncheon will follow in Libby. A burial service will be held at 11 a.m. aturday at Kuper Memorial Cemetery in Chinook. He was born July, 28, 1937, in Chinook to John Melvin and Myrtle (Swenson) Norberg. He received his early education in Chinook and graduated from Chinook High School in 1957. He served in the National Guard of Montana...

HARLOWTON - Earl Wesley Kardell, 69, died Saturday, Feb. 5, 2005, at Wheatland Memorial Hospital in Harlowton due to cancer. No services planned at this time. Earl was born in Havre on Oct. 9, 1935, to Frank W. and Mildred L. Kardell. He attended Havre public schools through high school and then was employed by Great Northern Railway. In 1955, Earl enlisted in the U.S. Army and served honorably for three years. Upon his discharge, Earl returned to Havre and worked for the railroad for 10 years. He then moved to Lewistown....

Robert W. "Wayne" Dafoe, 86, of Chester died Thursday, Feb. 3, 2005, at Liberty County Nursing Home in Chester. A funeral service will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Chester Alliance Church. A graveside service with military rites will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Whitlash Cemetery. Wayne was born April 11, 1918, at Ithaca, Mich., to Ernest and Nellie (Peck) Dafoe. After receiving his formal education, Wayne began working in the tool-and-dye division at the Buick factory in Flint. He later completed a course in auto body repair at a...