Obituaries

JOPLIN - Pearl Orlanda (Eggen) Moore, 84, died on Monday, Feb. 9, 2004, at a Chester nursing home. Pearl was cremated per her request. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Bethel Lutheran Church in Joplin. Burial of ashes will follow at the Joplin Cemetery. Pearl was born on March 9, 1919, on the family homestead south of Inverness to Harold and Nelsina (Otterness) Eggen. Pearl received her education at Inverness and graduated from Inverness High School in 1937. She married Max Simon Moore in Havre on...

JOPLIN - Pearl Orlanda (Eggen) Moore, 84, died on Monday, Feb. 9, 2004, at a Chester nursing home. Pearl was cremated per her request. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Bethel Lutheran Church in Joplin. Burial of ashes will follow at the Joplin Cemetery. Pearl was born on March 9, 1919, on the family homestead south of Inverness to Harold and Nelsina (Otterness) Eggen. Pearl received her education at Inverness and graduated from Inverness High School in 1937. She married Max Simon Moore in Havre on...

ZURICH - William James Brewer, Jr., 79, died Monday, Feb. 9, 2004, at a Havre care center due to natural causes. A funeral service will be held Friday at 2 p.m. in the Edwards Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow in the Kuper Memorial Cemetery with military honors. Jim was born on Sept. 19, 1924, in Wolf Point to William James and Ivah Edith (Cody) Brewer Sr. James married Marjorie Lansdell on Jan. 8, 1953, in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, and moved to Malta, where he worked on farms and later construction. He moved to Wagner...

FORT BELKNAP AGENCY - Margaret Frances "Peggy" Ball, 64, died Feb. 9, 2004, due to complication of diabetes at a Havre care center. A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Red Whip Center with burial following at the Hi-way Cemetery. A wake and rosary will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Red Whip Center. Peggy was born on Aug. 2, 1939, to George and Ell (Cloud Robe) Blackbird at Fort Belknap Agency. She was raised and attended school in Harlem. Peggy married George "Monty" Ball on Dec. 27, 1973, and they renew...

BOZEMAN - James Elwood Taplin died Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2004, at a Bozeman health center. A memorial service was scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday at Dokken-Nelson Sunset Chapel. He was born on Nov. 20, 1917, in Livingston to Harry and Lucille (McClain) Taplin. He graduated from Ronan High School, where he played basketball, a game he truly loved. He played on the St. Ignatius town team until he was past 50. He continued to follow his beloved game and spent many hours watching and cheering for his favorite teams. Jim attended one year...

WHITEFISH - Edward Max Peter, 81, a longtime Whitefish resident, died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004, at a Columbia Falls veterans home of natural causes. A graveside funeral service with military honors was scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday at the Glacier Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Kalispell. Edward was born on Oct. 3, 1922, in Mercer, Wis., to August and Monica Peter. He entered the U.S. Army during World War II and served with the 94th Signal Corps. He was discharged in 1945. He married Mabelle Oestreich, and she died in 1977. He...

HARLEM - Terry "Uggy Bearcat" Werk, 42, died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004, east of Fort Belknap Agency due to a self-inflicted gunshot injury. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in the St. Paul's School gymnasium with burial following at the Lamebull/ Werk Family Cemetery. Rosary and wake services will begin today at 7 p.m. in the St. Paul's School gym. Terry was born on Feb. 23, 1961, to Robert and Monica (Lamebull) Werk at Fort Belknap Agency. He attended St. Paul's Mission School, Hays High School and one year at E...

Axel Schmaing, 60, of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and of Havre, died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004, at a Billings hospital. A memorial service for Axel will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Dahl Funeral Chapel in Billings. There will be a memorial service at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Havre High School auditorium in Havre. A reception will follow. Axel was born on Dec. 29, 1943, in Augsburg, Germany, to Don E. and Clara (Langl) Schmaing. He graduated from Billings Senior High School in 1962 and from MSU in 1968. "Axel retired...

Percy A. Boettger of Havre died Tuesday, Feb, 3, 2004, in a Great Falls Hospital. He was 82. Cremation has taken place and no services are planned. Percy was the son of Dewey and Helen (Duncan) Boettger. He was born Feb. 10, 1921, in Dow City, Iowa. He moved with his parents at age 4 to a farm north of Havre. Later, Percy attended Havre High School, then joined the Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1945. He worked for the railroad, for Rex Harris and Sons, and for Tom Patrick Construction. He loved to camp, fish and...

HARLEM - Terry "Uggy Bearcat" Werk, 42, died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004, east of Fort Belknap Agency due to a self-inflicted gunshot injury. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in the St. Paul's School gymnasium with burial following at the Lamebull/ Werk Family Cemetery. Rosary and wake services will begin today at 7 p.m. in the St. Paul's School gym. Terry was born on Feb. 23, 1961, to Robert and Monica (Lamebull) Werk at Fort Belknap Agency. He attended St. Paul's Mission School, Hays High School and one year at E...

Axel Schmaing, 60, of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and of Havre, died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004, at a Billings hospital. A memorial service for Axel will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Dahl Funeral Chapel in Billings. There will be a memorial service at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Havre High School auditorium in Havre. A reception will follow. Axel was born on Dec. 29, 1943, in Augsburg, Germany, to Don E. and Clara (Langl) Schmaing. He graduated from Billings Senior High School in 1962 and from MSU in 1968. "Axel retired...

Percy A. Boettger of Havre died Tuesday, Feb, 3, 2004, in a Great Falls Hospital. He was 82. Cremation has taken place and no services are planned. Percy was the son of Dewey and Helen (Duncan) Boettger. He was born Feb. 10, 1921, in Dow City, Iowa. He moved with his parents at age 4 to a farm north of Havre. Later, Percy attended Havre High School, then joined the Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1945. He worked for the railroad, for Rex Harris and Sons, and for Tom Patrick Construction. He loved to camp, fish and...

BIG SANDY - Signe Marie Boettcher, 95, died Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2004, at a Big Sandy medical center of natural causes. Visitation will begin at noon Monday at Christ Lutheran Church in Big Sandy with the funeral service to follow at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Jeff Stoopes officiating. Burial will be in the Big Sandy Cemetery. Boettcher was born on Feb. 17, 1908, at Fergus Falls, Minn., to Hartvik and Georgia (Gordon) Bergby. The Bergby family moved to Big Sandy in 1916 to homestead northeast of town. She married Walter Richard...

Carol Sue Peterson, 58, died Monday, Feb. 2, 2004, at a Great Falls hospital of natural causes. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at the First Lutheran Church with the Rev. Brad Ulgenes and the Rev. Catherine Card officiating. A fellowship luncheon will be held immediately following the service at the First Lutheran Church. A private family interment will be held at a later date. Carol was born on Feb. 17, 1945, to Russell and Vineta (Mapes) Peterson in Havre. She was raised on the family farm north of Havre....

SPOKANE, Wash. - Selena T. Paulson, 100, former Havre resident died Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2004, at a Spokane care center of natural causes. The funeral service will be held Saturday at Van Orsdel United Methodist Church. The Eastern Star Funeral Rites will be said at 9:15 a.m. with Worthy Matron Elaine Roseman presiding and the funeral service will be at 10 a.m. with the Rev. VaunDalee Delong officiating. A memorial service will be held at the Riverview Terrace in Spokane Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. Selena was born on March 20, 1903,...

MALTA - Lorraine J. Grabofsky, 72, a homemaker, died Friday, Jan. 23, 2004, at the Phillips County Hospital after a lengthy battle with emphysema. A funeral service was held last Tuesday morning at Malta Lutheran Church with interment in the Malta Cemetery. Lorraine was born on May 15, 1931, in Saco to Vern and Hazel (Buttolph) Newton. She married Alfred Grabofsky on July 2, 1956, in Malta. They resided on the family farm northwest of Loring until retirement in November of 1994. She was a member of the Loring Lutheran Church...

MALTA - Lorraine J. Grabofsky, 72, a homemaker, died Friday, Jan. 23, 2004, at the Phillips County Hospital after a lengthy battle with emphysema. A funeral service was held last Tuesday morning at Malta Lutheran Church with interment in the Malta Cemetery. Lorraine was born on May 15, 1931, in Saco to Vern and Hazel (Buttolph) Newton. She married Alfred Grabofsky on July 2, 1956, in Malta. They resided on the family farm northwest of Loring until retirement in November of 1994. She was a member of the Loring Lutheran Church...

LIBBY - Genevieve H. "Jennie" Mejie, 86, of Libby, died Friday, Jan. 30, 2004, at a Libby care center. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Nelson and Vial Funeral Home Chapel with Deacon David Weisbeck officiating. A reception will follow at Christ Lutheran Church. Jennie was born on July 4, 1917, at Havre to Helen Marcinkowski Doubek and Bartolome "Bart" Doubek. She attended school at a country school near Turner. She attended Turner High School but had to withdraw from school two months before graduation...

JOPLIN - Donald V. Fusk, 80, of Joplin, died at a Havre hospital on Friday, Jan. 30, 2004. It was Donald's wish to be cremated. A private family memorial service is being planned. Donald V. Fusk was born Aug. 15, 1923, to Peter and Olianna (Gotsvosli) Fusk on the family homestead in the Alma community north of Joplin. Donald grew up on the farm and received his early education at the Tingdahl country school. He finished his school years in Joplin and graduated from Joplin High School in 1942. Donald enlisted into the U. S....

JOPLIN - Earl Kenneth "Bud" Poppler, 91, of Joplin, died on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2004. A funeral service was scheduled for 11 a.m. today at the Bethel Lutheran Church in Joplin. Burial was to follow at the Joplin Cemetery. Bud was born at St. Paul, Minn., on Oct. 26, 1912, to Benjamin and Ruth (Knutson) Poppler. In 1913, the Popplers came to Montana to homestead 30 miles north of Joplin. Bud attended the Burke School near the farm. He finished his education in Joplin, where he graduated at age 16 as valedictorian of Joplin High...

LIBBY - Genevieve H. "Jennie" Mejie, 86, of Libby, died Friday, Jan. 30, 2004, at a Libby care center. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Nelson and Vial Funeral Home Chapel with Deacon David Weisbeck officiating. A reception will follow at Christ Lutheran Church. Jennie was born on July 4, 1917, at Havre to Helen Marcinkowski Doubek and Bartolome "Bart" Doubek. She attended school at a country school near Turner. She attended Turner High School but had to withdraw from school two months before graduation...

JOPLIN - Donald V. Fusk, 80, of Joplin, died at a Havre hospital on Friday, Jan. 30, 2004. It was Donald's wish to be cremated. A private family memorial service is being planned. Donald V. Fusk was born Aug. 15, 1923, to Peter and Olianna (Gotsvosli) Fusk on the family homestead in the Alma community north of Joplin. Donald grew up on the farm and received his early education at the Tingdahl country school. He finished his school years in Joplin and graduated from Joplin High School in 1942. Donald enlisted into the U. S....

EARL K. POPPLER Obituary JOPLIN - Earl K. "Bud" Poppler, who worked in the grain elevator business and farmed in the Joplin community for many years, died of natural causes on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2004, at the Liberty County Hospital in Chester. He was 91. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Bethel Lutheran Church in Joplin. Burial will follow at the Joplin Cemetery. He was preceded in death by his wife, Myrtle, in 2002, his parents, and four sisters, Lucille Thorson and Sarah, Joyce and Laura Poppler. Bud is...

SUN CITY, Ariz. - Mary Elizabeth Hoffman, 83, died Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2004, at the Home of Loving Hands in Glendale, Ariz., of natural causes. A funeral service will be 11 a.m. Monday at the Hillcrest Lawn Chapel in Great Falls with the Rev. Robert D. Grosch officiating. Entombment will follow at the Hillcrest Mausoleum. Mary Liz was born June 20, 1920, to Jack and Mae (Sheedy) Hennessy in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. When she was 9, she moved with her family to Conrad, where her father and uncle operated the Hennessy Lumber Co....

MISSOULA - Bernard W. Thomas, 88, formerly of Chinook, a retired Montana District Court judge, died on Jan. 6, 2004, at a Missoula hospital of natural causes. A parish vigil service will be at 7 p.m. on Friday at Pope John XXIII Catholic Community with the Rev. Matthew Huber officiating. A funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the church with the Rev. Frank McCormick celebrant. Burial will follow at the Old St. Mary's Cemetery in Missoula. Bernard was born in Terry on Jan. 26, 1915, to Prairie County homesteaders Iva...