Obituaries

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...

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...

William F. Stewart, 77, died Friday, Dec. 19, 2003, at his home surrounded by his family after a long battle with cancer. A prayer vigil will be held at 7 p.m. today at the St. Jude Catholic Church with the funeral Mass at 1 p.m. Tuesday at St. Jude Catholic Church with the Rev. Robert D. Grosch officiating. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery. William "Bill" was born on March 10, 1926, in Havre to Robert and Rosa (Tucker) Stewart. Bill was raised and educated in Havre and graduated from Havre High School. He also...

CHINOOK - Dave Sprinkle, 89, died Saturday, Dec. 20, 2003, at a Chinook nursing home due too natural causes. A rosary will be held at 7 p.m. today in St. Gabriel's Catholic Church. A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday in St. Gabriel's Catholic Church with burial following in Kuper Memorial Cemetery with military honors. Dave was born on Nov. 20, 1914, in Havre to Charles and Corona (Bessette) Sprinkle. He attended schools in Havre and graduated from Havre High School in 1932. Dave married Betty McCartney on July 8, 1941,...

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...

Perry D. Neiss, 76, died Thursday, Dec. 18, 2003, at a Havre care center due to natural causes. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at the Holland and Bonine Funeral Chapel. Burial with full military honors will follow at Highland Cemetery. Perry was born on Aug. 2, 1927, to Ezra and Margaret (Hutchinson) Neiss in Coopers Town, N.D. He was raised and educated in the area. He served in the Marine Corps. After his discharge in the 1950s came to Havre. He married Betty Clampitt and had three children. They later...

RUDYARD - Freda Gene Hansard, 75, died Sunday, Dec. 14, 2003, at her home in Rudyard. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Blue Sky High School gymnasium in Rudyard. Her ashes will be buried in the family plot at the Rudyard Cemetery. Freda was born on March 30, 1928, at Havre to Alfred "Pete" Rathbun and Winifred "Winnie" Boyer. She grew up on the Rathbun homestead south of Inverness and received her early education at the Cockrell Springs country school near the farm. During several winters in her...

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...

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...

ROCKY BOY - Mary A. Denny, 82, a full blood Chippewa from Turtle Mountain, N.D., died Sunday, Dec. 14, 2003, at a Great Falls hospital of natural causes. A wake service began at 4 p.m. Monday at the Rocky Boy Lutheran Church. A funeral service was scheduled for 10 a.m. today at the Rocky Boy Lutheran Church with the Rev. Pete Guthneck officiating. Burial was to be held at the Rocky Boy Cemetery. Mary was born on Oct. 31, 1922, in Denseth, N.D., to Joseph and Mary Rose (Peltier) Skinner. She was raised and educated in...

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...

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...

ROCKY BOY - LeRoy Charles "Dakota" Windyboy, whose Indian names were Piyesis and Wahpos, 53, of Rocky Boy died Monday, Dec. 8, 2003, at a Havre hospital after a long illness. A wake service began Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Rocky Boy Catholic Church. The funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Rocky Boy Catholic Church with the Rev. Pete Guthneck officiating and Marvin Russette performing the Indian traditions. Burial will be held after the services at the Rocky Boy Cemetery. LeRoy was born on Jan. 14, 1950, to...

John P. Verploegen, 93, of Havre died Monday Dec. 8, 2003, at a Havre care center of natural causes. A vigil service will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Jude Catholic Church. The funeral Mass will be celebrated 10 a.m. Friday at St. Jude Catholic Church with the Rev. Robert D. Grosch officiating. Burial will follow at the Cottonwood Cemetery north of Havre. A fellowship dinner will be held at the St. Jude Parish Center immediately after the services at the graveside. J.P. was born on Aug. 20, 1910, in Milwaukee, Wis., to...

Gavin Lewis Vande Sandt, died six hours following his birth on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2003, at a Great Falls hospital due to a chromosomal abnormality. A funeral service was scheduled for 11 a.m. today at the Assembly of God Church in Chester. Burial was to follow at the Chester Cemetery. Gavin was the first child born to Curtis and Sara (Gjesdal) Vande Sandt, who were married on Jan. 2, 2002. They made their home in Havre. Gavin is survived by his parents, Curtis and Sara (Gjesdal) Vande Sandt of Havre; paternal grandparents,...

FRESNO, Calif. - Daniel Francis Mueller, 70, died Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003, at Fresno of respiratory arrest a day after mitral valve replacement surgery. A celebration of life was held at Riverpark Bible Church at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21. Dan was born on March 24, 1933, at Havre and was educated here. Before moving from Havre, he played softball and was a pitcher in the Havre fastpitch softball league Dan had lived in Des Moines, Iowa, and had been a resident of Fresno for 33 years. He worked in the life insurance field for 40...

George Albert Turbak, 89, died Friday, Dec. 5, 2003, at a Havre care facility after a long battle with cancer. A public viewing will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Holland and Bonine Funeral Home. A rosary will be recited at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Holland and Bonine Funeral Chapel with a vigil service at 7 p.m. with Tim Maroney officiating. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the St. Jude Thaddeus Church with the Rev. Robert D. Grosch officiating. George was...

Violet M. Swick, 70, of Cut Bank died Friday, Dec. 5, 2003, at a Shelby care center due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday with visitation starting one hour prior to service time at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Cut Bank. A luncheon will follow at the Moose Lodge. Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Highland Cemetery in Havre, with a reception to follow at the Vet's Club. Violet was born on Feb. 14, 1933, to Albert and Dorothy (Schaffer) Knudson in Havre...

Edna A. Thompson, 87, died Saturday, Nov. 29, 2003, at a Havre care center. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Highland Cemetery and a memorial service is to begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Northern Montana Care Center Chapel with Ila McClenahan officiating. Edna was born on Jan. 7, 1916, south of Havre in the Bear Paw Mountains. She spent her early years on the family ranch in the Bear Paw Mountains on the Little Box Elder Creek. She moved to Havre with her parents in the late 1950s. At the time of her...

CHINOOK - Esther Dougherty, 81, of Chinook died Friday, Nov. 28, 2003, at a Chinook nursing home due to natural causes. A funeral service will be Friday at 2 p.m. in the American Lutheran Church with burial following in Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Esther was born on Dec. 1, 1921, on the family farm north of Chinook to Martin and Gina (Halingstad) Monson. She attended local schools and graduated from Chinook High School. She married Howard Dougherty on Dec. 1, 1939, in Chinook. Esther worked at the Dime Store and U & I Sugar...

Eugene Louis Bodner, 71, died Thursday, Nov. 27, 2003, at a Fort Benton medical center of natural causes. Open public viewing was Sunday afternoon and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m . today. His funeral service will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Holland and Bonine Funeral Home with Dean Rohner officiating. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery in Havre. Eugene was born on March 26, 1932, in Havre to Louis and Lottie (Parks) Bodner. He was raised and educated in Havre and graduated from Havre High School in 1949. Eugene went to work f...

CHINOOK - Mary Jane Bartlette, 62, died Saturday, Nov. 29, 2003, at a Chinook nursing home due to heart related complications. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday in the Assembly of God Church with burial following in Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Mary Jane was born on Feb. 11, 1941, in Bellefontaine, Ohio, to Revered Lyle and Glenna (Miller) Marine. Mary completed high school in Bellefontaine and worked various jobs in the area upon graduation. In May 1973, she moved to Chinook with friends to start a new life. She...