Obituaries

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

CHINOOK - Dorothy (Dot) Nelson, 70, died at a Havre hospital due to natural causes on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2003. A memorial service was held Saturday afternoon in the Edwards Funeral Home Chapel. Cremation has taken place. Dorothy was born on June 30, 1933, in Malta to Frank and Mary (Dove) Fanning. She attended schools in the Malta area. Dorothy married Elmer William Nelson in Havre on Aug. 8, 1949. She enjoyed camping, bowling, and was a lifelong member of the VFW. Dorothy worked as a waitress in Malta, Lewistown and Billings....

HINGHAM - Elizabeth "Lizzie" Schweitzer, 93, died Monday, Dec. 1, 2003, at a Chester rest home. A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church in Hingham. A graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Highland Cemetery in Havre. Elizabeth was born on Sept. 29, 1910, at Bow Island, Alberta, to George and Katherine (Dorscher) Roth. She grew up in Canada and received her formal education there. In November of 1928, Elizabeth married Anton Schweitzer at Bow island. They made their home in...

Gladys Juanita Cornella, 94, formally of Havre, died Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2003, in Chandler, Ariz., at a care facility of natural causes. Her funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Van Orsdel United Methodist Church with the Rev. VaunDalee Delong officiating. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery. A fellowship reception will be held at the church immediately following the graveside service. Gladys was born on Aug. 23, 1909, to William and Edith (Ryder) Lamphere in Dead Lake Township, Ottertail County, Minn. Her...

HINGHAM - Elizabeth "Lizzie" Schweitzer, 93, died Monday, Dec. 1, 2003, at a Chester rest home. A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church in Hingham. A graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Highland Cemetery in Havre. Elizabeth was born on Sept. 29, 1910, at Bow Island, Alberta, to George and Katherine (Dorscher) Roth. She grew up in Canada and received her formal education there. In November of 1928, Elizabeth married Anton Schweitzer at Bow island. They made their home in...

PORT ORCHARD, Wash. - James R. "Jim" Burchard, 76, of Port Orchard died Saturday, Nov. 29, 2003, at his residence in Port Orchard. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Rill Chapel's Life Tribute Center in Port Orchard. A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1550 Hoover Ave., in Port Orchard. Interment will be at Sunset Lane Memorial Park in Port Orchard. He was born April 12, 1927, to Charles and Anna Mae (Dubois) Burchard at Havre. He attended Havre High...

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...

MISSOULA - Nancy A. "Grammy" Stulc, 54, died early Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2003, at her home in Missoula due to cancer. A Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated on Friday, Dec. 12, at 1 p.m. at Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 200 44th St. South, Great Falls. Nancy was born to Bert and Dorothy Reiner in Choteau on Sept. 23, 1949. She graduated from Choteau High School in 1968 and Northern Montana College in 1973. She earned a double Bachelor of Science degree in history and English with a teaching certificate. She met Rod...

FORT BELKNAP - Luetta Irene (Van Hollan) Rock, 60, died Thursday, Nov. 27, 2003, at a Havre hospital due to a lengthy illness and heart complications. A wake service was held Friday evening in Red Whip Center at Fort Belknap Agency. A funeral service was scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday in Red Whip Center at Fort Belknap Agency. Burial was to follow at Pony Hill Cemetery. Luetta was born to Laura Irene (Sanquins) Rudie and the late Everett Van Hollan on July 30, 1943, in Havre. Luetta was a trained practical nurse and was...

CHINOOK - Elizabeth "Queenie" Peterson, 91, died Friday, Nov. 28, 2003, at a Havre care center of natural causes. A funeral service was scheduled for 11 a.m. today at the Edwards Funeral Home Chapel. Burial was to follow in the Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Queenie was born to Erato Hedges and Oscar Dougherty on July 6, 1912, in Lohman. She was raised in Chinook and attended schools there and also in Havre. Queenie married Reynold Peterson on March 4, 1933, in Chinook. Besides raising her children, she cooked, cleaned houses,...

Ragna (Rags) McLean, 90, died on Monday, Nov. 24, 2003, at a care facility in Twin Falls, Idaho. She was born on Aug. 19, 1913, in Hankinson, N.D., to Peter and Thora Mahlum, emigrants from Norway. Rags was the ninth of 15 children. The Mahlums moved to the Flathead Valley, near Kalispell, in 1917 and Rags and her siblings were raised on the family farm. Rags graduated from Flathead High School in 1933 and attended Washington State University for one year, where she took business classes while working at a sanitarium. Rags...

Robert Paul Keith, 31, died Friday, Nov. 28, 2003, at a Havre care facility after a courageous battle with cancer. A funeral service will be held at 2:30 p.m Tuesday at the Assembly of God Church in Havre with the Rev. Russ Michaels officiating. The committal rite will be at the Highland Cemetery following the service. A fellowship will be held at the church immediately following the interment. Robert was born on Aug. 8, 1972, to David and Louise (Orr) Keith in Council Bluffs, Iowa. After moving to Montana in childhood, he...