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... Full story

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... Full story

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... Full story

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... Full story

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...

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,... Full story

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....

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...

Dale Dean Kinniburgh, 66, died Saturday, Feb. 12, 2005, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. His memorial service will be 2 p.m. next Tuesday at Calvary Baptist Church with Adam Harris offi- ciating. A second memorial service and interment of the ashes will follow July 31 at the First Baptist Church in Marion. Dale was born Sept. 9, 1938, in Marion to John and Jeanette (Rawson) Kinniburgh. He attended the Marion schools and Flathead High School. Dale married Juanita Patton on March 7, 1958, in Norwalk, Calif....

WHITEFISH - William F. Hoppe, 86, of Whitefish died Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2005, of congestive heart failure at Kalispell Regional Medical Center in Kalispell. A memorial service was held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Columbia Falls with the Rev. Terry Forke officiating. Bill was born in Havre on Feb. 6, 1919, to Carl and Elizabeth Hoppe. He attended schools in Havre and worked in his father's coal mine and on construction, until he was inducted into the Army. Bill married his wife, Erma, on March 4,...

MISSOULA - Vera M. Heil, 84, of Missoula died Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005, after a short illness. A service was scheduled for 2 p.m. today at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home in Missoula with the Rev. David W. Renfro officiating. Cremation has taken place. Vera was born June 13, 1920, in Charbono, N.D., to Murray and Jane Vanderhoef. Vera led a long and rewarding life. She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings and husband, Vernon. Survivors include her children, Vandra Hanson of Bozeman, DeeAnn Messmer of Fairview, Kathy... Full story

memorial service BIG SANDY - A memorial service for Grace Garcia, mother of Joseph DiSalvo of Big Sandy, will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Box Elder. Grace died Saturday, Jan. 29, 2005, at a Great Falls hospital of lung cancer.... Full story

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... Full story

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... Full story

Donald Andrew Gondeiro, 77, of Havre, a farmer, rancher and Army veteran, died Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2005, of natural causes at Peace Hospice in Great Falls. Visitation will be at Schnider Funeral Home from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and one hour before the 7 p.m. Sunday vigil service at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. The funeral liturgy will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, with burial following at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Donald was born Jan. 30, 1928, in Great Falls to Andrew 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... Full story

Ethel Charlotte Ward, 94, died Thursday, Feb. 3, 2005, at the Northern Montana Care Center. A memorial service was scheduled for 11 a.m. today at Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel with Ila McClenahan officiating. A fellowship luncheon was to follow at the VFW Club immediately after the memorial service. A graveside service will be 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Fairview Cemetery in Fairview, N.D. Ethel was born May 27, 1910, in Germantown, Minn., to Charles Peter and Anna Marie (Olson) Cook. She attended school in various places in...

J. Marie Havskjold, 96, of Minot, N.D., died Thursday, Feb. 3, 2005, at a Minot nursing home. A funeral service was held Saturday at 2 p.m. in St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Minot. Interment will be later in the spring in Highland Park Cemetery in Havre. Julia Marie was born Feb. 26, 1908, on the family homestead near Larson, N.D. to the Rev. Adolf and Ida Marie (Isakson) Buckneberg. She grew up helping in the church by playing the organ, working with the choir, and occasionally teaching her dad's confirmation classes. She...

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... Full story