Obituaries

BOX ELDER - Isabel M. Bitz, 87, died Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2004, at a Havre Care Center of natural causes. Her funeral service will be 11 a.m. Friday at the Fifth Avenue Christian Church in Havre with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the church immediately after the graveside service. Isabel was born on Dec. 14, 1916, on the family farm in Brady to Harry and Selma (Wagner) McClintock. She was an only child. She attended country school in Brady... Full story

WHITEFISH - Shari Marie McCann Harris, 43, died at her home in Whitefish on Friday, Sept. 23, 2004, after a long, courageous battle with cancer. A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. on Oct. 9 at the Christ Lutheran Church in Whitefish. Cremation has taken place. Shari was born in Billings on Aug. 9, 1961, to Donald L. and Joneva Svetich McCann. Shari attended elementary schools in Yellowstone National Park and Billings. She graduated from high school in Bozeman in 1979, after spending a year as a foreign exchange student... Full story

Karl A. Nystrom, 98, of Bozeman died Friday, Sept. 24, 2004, at his home of natural causes. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Havre Seventh-day Adventist Church, 405 Sixth St. Cremation has taken place. Karl was born to Fred and Anna Nystrom on June 28, 1906, in Havre. Karl married Ruth M. Cooper on May 19,1941. She preceded him in death in 1999. Survivors include his daughter, Carol A. Forshee, Caldwell, Idaho; son, Clair K. Nystrom of Bozeman; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and numerous... Full story

L. Jean Holden, 71, of Great Falls, a retired nurse's aide, died of natural causes on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2004, at a Great Falls hospital. A memorial service is 2 p.m. Thursday at St. Jude's Catholic Church in Havre, with burial of ashes in Highland Cemetery. Jean was on born, May 5, 1933, in Havre to Irene and Alex Gerstenberger. She grew up in Havre and graduated from Havre Catholic High School. She married Carl Holden on Oct. 4, 1949. They divorced in 1997. She started working at Sacred Heart Hospital in Havre in 1965 as...

CHINOOK - Elmer LeRoy Ross, 85, died of natural causes on Friday, Sept. 24, 2004, at Sweet Memorial Nursing Home. A funeral service will be 2 p.m. Wednesday in the American Lutheran Church with burial following in Kuper Memorial Cemetery. LeRoy was born on Aug. 4, 1919, in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan by midwife to Pete and Jennie Mabel (Powell) Ross. He came to the United States at age 2 with his mother. They moved to Chinook in 1925 and lived out south on Cow Creek with his Uncle Dell Powell. He attended the Rattlesnake School...

ROCKY BOY - Sara Rachelle Big Knife, 19, died Friday, Sept. 24, 2004, from injuries she sustained in a vehicle accident on Duck Creek Road. A wake service began Saturday afternoon at Joe Big Knife's ranch. Sara was moved to Our Saviour's Lutheran Church at Rocky Boy on Sunday, with the wake service continuing there. A funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the church with Tony Castillo officiating. Burial will follow at the Joe Big Knife Ranch. Sara was born to Shelley (Big Knife) Viall and Anthony R. Charles on Jan... Full story

Francis Adeline Suttle, 73, died Friday, Sept. 10, 2004, at a Havre nursing home of cancer. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Northern Montana Care Center chapel with Ila McClenahan officiating. Interment of the ashes will be held at the Acton Cemetery in Acton, Ind. Adeline was born on July 28, 1931, in Horse Cave, Ky., to Johnnie Washington Jewell and Ida (Scott) Jewell. When she was 2, the family moved to Fairland, Ind. She attended school and graduated in 1949 from Fairland High School. She...

Elizabeth Anne Matelski, 62, a resident of Havre, died Tuesday Sept. 21, 2004, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday at the Eagles Manor Community Room. Interment of the remains will be held at a later date in Minnesota. Betty was born on Nov. 5, 1941, at Little Fork, Minn., to William and Fannie (Manninen) Fors. The family lived near International Falls, where she attended school. She later obtained her GED. Betty married Ernest...

CHICAGO - Wayne W. Beach, 67, a Chicago-area orthodontist, died Thursday, Sept. 9, 2004. A private funeral service was planned. Wayne was a 1954 graduate of Havre Central High School. He graduated from Carroll College and the Loyola School of Dentistry and Orthodontics. Wayne had a practice in the Chicago area for 34 years. He was a free spirit who always gave to those in need. Wayne was preceded in death by his parents. Survivors include his sisters, Mary Roberts of Great Falls and Joyce Hickethier of Missoula; four...

Francis Adeline Suttle, 73, died Friday, Sept. 10, 2004, at a Havre nursing home of cancer. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Northern Montana Care Center chapel with Ila McClenahan officiating. Interment of the ashes will be held at the Acton Cemetery in Acton, Ind. Adeline was born on July 28, 1931, in Horse Cave, Ky., to Johnnie Washington Jewell and Ida (Scott) Jewell. When she was 2, the family moved to Fairland, Ind. She attended school and graduated in 1949 from Fairland High School. She...

Elizabeth Anne Matelski, 62, a resident of Havre, died Tuesday Sept. 21, 2004, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday at the Eagles Manor Community Room. Interment of the remains will be held at a later date in Minnesota. Betty was born on Nov. 5, 1941, at Little Fork, Minn., to William and Fannie (Manninen) Fors. The family lived near International Falls, where she attended school. She later obtained her GED. Betty married Ernest... Full story

CHICAGO - Wayne W. Beach, 67, a Chicago-area orthodontist, died Thursday, Sept. 9, 2004. A private funeral service was planned. Wayne was a 1954 graduate of Havre Central High School. He graduated from Carroll College and the Loyola School of Dentistry and Orthodontics. Wayne had a practice in the Chicago area for 34 years. He was a free spirit who always gave to those in need. Wayne was preceded in death by his parents. Survivors include his sisters, Mary Roberts of Great Falls and Joyce Hickethier of Missoula; four...

Francis Adeline Suttle, 73, died Friday, Sept. 10, 2004, at a Havre nursing home of cancer. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Northern Montana Care Center chapel with Ila McClenahan officiating. Interment of the ashes will be held at the Acton Cemetery in Acton, Ind. Adeline was born on July 28, 1931, in Horse Cave, Ky., to Johnnie Washington Jewell and Ida (Scott) Jewell. When she was 2, the family moved to Fairland, Ind. She attended school and graduated in 1949 from Fairland High School. She...

CHINOOK - Lillian Westin, 97, a longtime Chinook homemaker, died of natural causes Friday, Sept. 17, 2004, at a Chinook nursing home. At her request, no services are planned. Cremation has taken place with burial of ashes in Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Lillian was born in Chinook on Aug. 15, 1907, to Chris and Carolyn (Kuhr) Miller. She was raised on the Miller Brothers ranch near Cleveland. After graduating eighth grade at Cleveland School, she attended Chinook High School boarded in town for three years. She graduated from... Full story

FORT BELKNAP AGENCY - Gilbert James Has The Eagle Jr., 33, whose Indian name was TATANKA HE' HOKSHINA, Buffalo Horn Boy, died Saturday, Sept. 18, 2004. A wake service will begin this evening at 7 p.m. in the Red Whip Center. A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday in the Red Whip Center, with burial following in the Buckman Family Cemetery at Wild Horse Butte. Gilbert was born on Feb. 1, 1971, to Gilbert Has The Eagle Sr. and Mary Lou Buckman at Fort Belknap Agency. He was raised in the Lodge Pole and the Fort... Full story

HARLEM - Richard M. "Dick" Burton, 75, died at his home in Harlem on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004. A graveside service with military honors was scheduled for 2 p.m. today in the Harlem Cemetery. Richard was born on Nov. 16, 1928, in Harlem to Morris and Ella (Raddatz) Burton. He was raised in the Harlem area and graduated from Harlem High School in 1946. Dick joined the U.S. Air Force for a tour of four years serving in the Korean conflict. He worked for the Equity Co-op and purchased the Harlem Dry Cleaning business and later...

CHESTER - Richard Darby O'Brien, 82, died peacefully at Peace Hospice in Great Falls on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2004. A public visitation was scheduled for today at Rockman Funeral Chapel in Chester. A funeral Mass will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Cremation will follow. Darby was born on Aug. 22, 1922, at Grace City, N.D., to Joseph and Lucy (Willoughby) O'Brien. Darby grew up in the Chester community, where he received his formal education. He enjoyed journalism, so following his graduation from C.H.S. in...

BIG SANDY - Hazel M. Genereux, 85, a resident of Big Sandy died Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004, at her residence of natural causes. A memorial service will be held on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Big Sandy United Methodist Church with the Rev. Marvin Eldridge and the Rev. Tyler officiating. Interment of the ashes will be at the Big Sandy Cemetery. A luncheon will follow at the United Methodist Church. Hazel was born on Nov. 20, 1918, in Loma to Benjamin O. and Nettie (Gumsrud) Callison. She attended school at Fort Benton and graduated...

CHINOOK - Mike J. Daniel, 50, died at his hunting camp north of Winnett on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2004, due to natural causes. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Friday in St. Jude's Catholic Church in Havre. Viewing will be Thursday afternoon at Edwards Funeral Home Chapel from 1 to 6 p.m. and at St. Jude's Catholic Church from 7 to 9 p.m. At his wishes, cremation will take place. Mike was born on July 18, 1954, to Louis and Margaret (Heeter) Daniel. He was raised in Havre and attended St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic School and... Full story

HARLEM - Cecile M. Ashton, 88, of Harlem died Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004, at the Northern Montana Hospital in Havre due to natural causes. A funeral Mass will be Saturday at 11 a.m. in Saint Thomas Catholic Church with burial following in the Harlem Cemetery. A rosary will be Friday at 7 p.m. in St. Thomas Catholic Church. Cecile was born on March 23, 1916, in Harlem to Harold and Gertrude (Rohlik) Henriksen. She grew up in the Turner area, attended the Little Jewel School and finished her high school education in Harlem. She...

LOTHAIR - Archie Leroy Violett, 91, died peacefully at the Chester rest home on Friday, Sept. 10, 2004. A funeral service will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Chester. Burial will follow at the Chester Cemetery. Archie was born on Aug. 2, 1913, on the family homestead south of Lothair to William "Lee" and Leone (Marson) Violett. Archie received his formal education at Lothair, then began working on the family farm. He married Ellen I. Warness on June 16, 1934, at Havre. They farmed at Lothair... Full story

GAITHERSBURG, Md. - Roderick Random Pressly, 79, died of natural causes on Friday, Aug. 27, 2004 at Gaithersburg, Md. He was born in Havre on Nov. 30, 1924 to Hector "Jack" and Bertha Pressly. Over the years, he told many stories about growing up in Havre with his friends, especially Ben Kampf. The tales usually involved broken glass, a few bloody noses and a lot of laughs. He left Havre High School to fight in World War II. Because of poor eyesight, he was turned down by every branch of the service except the Army. They... Full story

Andrew James Dolph was delivered Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2004, at a Havre hospital. He was a stillborn birth. Cremation has taken place. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Calvary Cemetery with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating. A luncheon will follow at the Fifth Avenue Christian Church. Andrew was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Raymond Lewis Carpenter Jr.; paternal grandmother, Nadyne Larson Dolph; two paternal uncles; and an unborn sibling. Survivors include his parents, James Michael...

HAYS - Vivian Leigh "Mousy" Babe Anderson, 40, died Friday, Sept. 10, 2004, at her residence in Havre. A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday in St. Paul's Recreation Center with burial following in St. Paul's Mission Cemetery. A wake and rosary will be Tuesday at 7 p.m. in St. Paul's Mission Recreation Center. Cause of death is pending investigation by the Hill County Sheriff and Coroner's Office. Vivian, a member of the Gros Ventre Tribe, was born on Jan. 23, 1964, to Thomas and Agnes Virginian Ruth (Iron Man Walking...

TWIN FALLS, Idaho, - Val E. Murri, 91, of Twin Falls, Idaho, died peacefully on Monday, Sept. 6, 2004. A funeral service was scheduled for 2 p.m. today at the Parke's Magic Valley Funeral Home 2551 Kimberly Road, Twin Falls. Interment with military honors will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Highland Cemetery in Havre. Val was born on May 25, 1913, in Saint Anthony, Idaho, to Ernest and Eliza Baer Murri. He grew up and received his formal education through the eighth grade in Saint Anthony. He then worked on the family farm... Full story