Obituaries

MALTA - Richard (Dick) Joseph Plouffe, 65, died Monday, Dec. 29, 2003, in Fargo, N.D., from a heart attack while visiting a longtime friend. Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Friday at the Adams Memorial Chapel in Malta. Interment will be in the Malta Cemetery. Dick was born on Oct. 29, 1938, in Malta to Lewis and Mabel (Homier) Plouffe. He was raised and educated in the Strater community. He worked various farm and ranch jobs in the area before going to work for the Malta Irrigation District. He retired from the district in...

ROUNDUP - William "Bill" James McMaster, 42, of Roundup died in an automobile accident near Thermopolis, Wyo., on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2003. A funeral service was scheduled for Monday morning at St. Benedict's Catholic Church in Roundup with burial following at the Musselshell Cemetery. Bill was born on Jan. 23, 1961, in Havre to John and Agnes (Roles) McMaster. He was raised and educated in Chinook. Bill worked in the oil field most of his adult life. At the time of his death, he was employed with True Drilling of Casper, Wyo....

BOTHELL, Wash. - Theodore(Ted) J. Kluzek, 71, died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003, in Bothell, Wash. after a long illness. He was to be interred at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Everett, Wash. Ted graduated from Havre High School and the University of Montana in Missoula. He had retired from the Boeing Corporation after having worked in Everett and Renton, Wash., and in New Orleans. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Bob and Dick. Survivors include four nieces and a nephew, their children, and his sisters-i...

Patrick Edward Shea, 87, died Thursday, Dec. 25, 2003, at a Havre care center. A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church at Pendleton, Ore., with the Rev. Gregory officiating. Entomb-ment will follow at the Olney Mausoleum. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the Elks Club immediately following the services at the Mausoleum. There will be a memorial vigil service held at the Eagles Manor in Havre at a later date. Pat was born on Feb. 3, 1916, in Astoria, Ore., to Patrick and Laura...

CHESTER - Anna (Schwab) Nordstrom, 94, died Saturday, Dec. 27, 2003, at a Chester hospital of natural causes. A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Chester. Burial will follow at Chester Cemetery. Anna was born on Feb. 20, 1909, in Wisconsin. Her family homesteaded in 1910 near Chester. She was educated at Chester and graduated from Chester High School in 1927 as class valedictorian. She taught school in the Chester community for several years. Anna married Bert Nordstrom on Oct. 27,...

ROCKY BOY - Nancy Knife Meyers, 75, died Thursday, Dec. 25, 2003, at a Havre hospital of natural causes. A wake service began Friday at the Rocky Boy Catholic Church. A funeral service was to be held at 7 p.m. at the Rock Boy Catholic Church with Ken Writing Bird and Sister Mary Margaret O'Doherty officiating and also at the Catholic Church in Ahtahkakoop Reserve No. 104 in Ahtahkakoop, Saskatchewan. Burial will be in the Ahtahkakoop Cemetery in Sandy Lake, Saskatchewan. Nancy was born Jan. 27, 1928, to Peter and Matilda...

Alice Elizabeth Huff, 92, died Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2003, at a Havre care center of natural causes. Viewing for Alice will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at the Holland and Bonine Funeral Home with the funeral service at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Holland and Bonine Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Zoe Coutts officiating. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery. Alice was born on June 2, 1911, in Lilloico, Alberta to Arnold and Gina (Espeseth) Lund. The family immigrated to the United States in 1922 and settled in Wolf Point. Alice...

BIG SANDY - Wilbur "Bill" Marion Cavitt Jr., 76, of Big Sandy died Monday, Dec. 22, 2003, at a Big Sandy medical center of natural causes. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the United Methodist Church in Big Sandy with the Rev. Marvin Eldridge officiating. Visitation will be held one hour before the service. Burial will be in the Big Sandy Cemetery with Masonic rites. Bill was born on Aug. 29, 1927, at Great Falls to Wilbur and Vivian (Edmister) Cavitt. He attended the Grandview School north of Galata....

STANWOOD, Wash. - Omer C. Thon, 71, died on Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, in Stanwood, Wash. Omer was born in Havre to Ingvald and Olina Thon on May 18, 1932. The family farmed out of Kremlin. He lived in Montana until 1943, when he moved to Mount Vernon, Wash., after the death of his father. He attended Lincoln Grade School and graduated in 1950 from Union High School. After graduation, he began his career in accounting with the firm of Hartwick Accounting, until he was called into the service of his country, serving in the Army...

STANWOOD, Wash. - Omer C. Thon, 71, died on Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, in Stanwood, Wash. Omer was born in Havre to Ingvald and Olina Thon on May 18, 1932. The family farmed out of Kremlin. He lived in Montana until 1943, when he moved to Mount Vernon, Wash., after the death of his father. He attended Lincoln Grade School and graduated in 1950 from Union High School. After graduation, he began his career in accounting with the firm of Hartwick Accounting, until he was called into the service of his country, serving in the Army...

MISSOULA - Joyce E. Bunton, 56, of Missoula, died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003, at a Missoula hospital. A service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Garden City Funeral Home in Missoula. Services will be held later in Libby. Joyce was born on Dec. 24, 1946, in Havre. She was preceded in death by her parents and a son, William. Survivors include her husband, Jim of Missoula; children, James Bunton Jr. of Libby, Leasa Markwardt and husband Ken Petersen of Missoula, Robert Bunton in the armed forces, Nate (Julie) Bunton of...

CHINOOK - Marie "Mary" Tilleman, 91, died Sunday, Dec. 21, 2003, at a Chinook nursing home due to natural causes. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Edwards Funeral Home Chapel with burial following in Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Mary was born on Feb. 5, 1912, in Grenfell, Saskatchewan, to William and Marie (Saunders) Zich. Mary married Arthur F. Tilleman on Nov. 27, 1930, in Chinook. She was active with her husband on their farm/ranch west of Zurich. Mary had resided in the Sweet Memorial Nursing Home...

TURNER - Alice Simons, 92, a retired licensed practical nurse who had been residing in Conrad, died of natural causes on Monday, Dec. 15, 2003, at a Conrad medical center. A funeral service will be held at the Turner Christian Church on Saturday with burial following at the Turner Cemetery. Alice was born on Feb. 3, 1911, in the Gallatin Valley area to William Davis and Emma Elizabeth (Dale) Davis. She received her education and spent her early years in that area, where she was a homemaker and worked at various jobs. In...

Irene D. Miller, 79, died Sunday, Dec. 14, 2003, at a Havre care center of natural causes. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Paul's Lutheran Church with the Rev. Alfred Ebel officiating. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery. A fellowship will be held at the church immediately after the services at the graveside. Irene was born on March 22, 1924, in Glasgow to Matthew and Margaret (Wisch) Voss. As a young girl, Irene attended schools in Rudyard and Cottonwood. She graduated from Chinook High...

Kable Kain Williams, 19, of Havre, formerly of Broadus, died at his home in Havre on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2003. Visitation will begin on Friday at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Broadus. A funeral service will be held on Saturday at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Broadus. Interment will follow in the family lot in the Valley View Cemetery in Broadus. Kable was born on Jan. 23, 1984, to Lacy and Starlean (Perkins) Williams in Miles City. He lived on the family ranch south of Broadus and attended schools in Broadus and Miles...

Diane Rose Russette, 39, died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003, at a Great Falls hospital due to kidney failure. A wake service was to begin at 2 p.m. today with a rosary to begin at 7 p.m. at the Rocky Boy Lutheran Church. A funeral service will be 10 a.m. Thursday at the Rocky Boy Lutheran Church with the Rev. Pete Guthneck officiating. Burial will be held at the Russette Family Cemetery. Diane was born on June 19, 1964, in Havre to Calvin and Carol (Caplette) Russette. She was raised and educated at Rocky Boy and graduated from Box...

POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. - The Rev. Robert D. Bitterman, 71, died Monday, Dec. 15, 2003. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Calvary Baptist Church in Powder Springs with the Rev. Snyder Turner officiating. Interment will follow at Powder Springs Memorial Gardens. Bitterman was born on Aug. 13, 1932, in Havre. He received his master of divinity in 1961. Bitterman was the pastor of Christ Memorial Baptist Church in Warren, Ohio, for 33 years. After being a minister for more than 50 years, he retired in 1997 and...

POTOMAC - Stacey Ann "Stace" Ambo, 39, died Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003. Memorial Services will be 2 p.m. Saturday at the Kings Christian Church at 10225 South, U.S. Highway 93 between Missoula and Lolo. Stace was born on Jan. 25, 1964, in Great Falls to Victor Ambo and Doris Fae Tompkins. She attended Bonner Grade School and Hellgate High School. In 1981, she married Larry D. Bush of Seeley Lake. In 1995, she married David Skones of Havre. Stace was a spiritual person. She held her church families at the Sixth Avenue Christian...

Donald B. Anderson, 79, of Havre died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, at Havre. A funeral Mass was held Saturday at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic in Circle with the Rev. Leo McDowell officiating. A vigil ser- vice will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church. Don was born on Nov. 19, 1924, at Scranton, N.D., and was raised on the family farm at Haley, N.D. He graduated from Buffalo High School in Buffalo, S.D., in 1943 and entered the Navy in 1945. He served in Whiting Field, Pensacola, Fla., and Hawaii...

MOORHEAD, Minn. - Betty L. Kuka, 84, a longtime Havre resident and elementary school teacher, died quietly Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, a Fargo, N.D. hospital. A private memorial service in Moorhead has been held and a date for a memorial service in Havre is to be announced. Betty was born Archie and Betty Lou Richey Taylor on Aug. 2, 1919, in Richey. She grew up in Frazer, where her father was the depot agent for the Great Northern Railway. Upon graduation from Frazer High School in 1937, she attended Northern Montana College, whe...

Alma Marlene Hanson, 70, died Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2003, at a Havre hospital of natural causes. A prayer vigil will be 7 p.m. Sunday at the Holland and Bonine Funeral Chapel. The funeral Mass will be celebrated 10 a.m. Monday at the St. Jude Catholic Church with the Rev. Robert D. Grosch officiating. A fellowship will be held immediately after the Mass at the St. Jude Parish Center. Marlene was born on June 18, 2003, in Hingham to Edward and Alma (Voss) Norenberg. She attended school in Hingham and graduated from Hingham High...

SUMNER, Wash. - Mae Giesick, 78, died Monday, Dec. 10, 2003. A memorial service will be Monday at 11 a.m. at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 245 Valley Avenue, Sumner, Wash. She was the daughter of the late Andrew and Agnes Wilson of Havre. She was preceeded in death by her husband Jack Giesick. She is survived by her sons, Larry Auge of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Allan Auge of Puyallup, Wash.; sisters, Maxine Catt of Havre, Darlene Sharp and Marlene Malone, both of Spokane, Wash.; nieces and nephews, Myrna, Jim and Cindy;...

RUDYARD - Orville Kenneth Solum, 71, of Rudyard died Saturday, Dec. 6, 2003, at a Kalispell nursing facility. He was diagnosed with lung cancer two years ago. A funeral service will be 3 p.m. Monday at Alliance Church in Chester. Burial with military rites will follow at the Rudyard Cemetery. Orville was born on May 29, 1932, at Joplin to Edwin and Karen (Spaberg) Solum. He grew up on the family farm south of Inverness and received his early education at the Rathbun Country School. He finished his education in Rudyard and...

HARLEM - Knute Kulbeck, 78, died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, at a Fort Belknap hospital due to natural causes. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Harlem High School gymnasium with burial following in the Harlem Cemetery. Knute was born on June 26, 1925, in Vermillion, Alberta, to William and Margaret Hall. He was adopted and raised by Edwin "Bat" and Flossie Kulbeck. Knute was raised and attended school in Havre. At the age of 18 he began his farming career with nine head of cattle. In 1947 he moved to Harle...

Herschel Fox, 86, retired farmer/rancher, former Hill County Commissioner and a lifetime residence of this area, died unexpectedly Monday, Dec. 8, 2003, at his residence. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 15, 2003, in the Fifth Avenue Christian Church with burial following in the Highland Cemetery. Herschel was born on Aug. 29, 1917, at the family homestead 15 miles southeast of Havre on Clear Creek in Blaine County to Clyde and Bessie (Spoonemore) Fox. He attended Sprague School through the eighth grade...