Obituaries

North Havre resident Reginald Lloyd Spensley, a retired custodian for Northern Montana College, died Wednesday, July 9, 2003, at Northern Montana Hospital of natural causes. He was 71. A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Glacier Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Kalispell with full military graveside honors. Reginald was born Dec. 2, 1931, to Lloyd B. and Greta Mae (Aitchison) Spensley in Livingston, Calif. He attended school in Turlock, Calif. In 1951 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in the Korean War....

GREAT FALLS - Marjorie Mary Gruber, 83, of Great Falls died Tuesday, July 8, 2003, of natural causes. A memorial service was scheduled for 11 a.m. today at Sts. Peter and Paul. A private family burial will be at Mount Olivet Cemetery. She was born Dec. 29, 1919, at Great Falls. She grew up and attended schools in Great Falls and graduated from Great Falls High School. She attended McPhail School of Music and Dance in Minneapolis, Minn. She taught dance and music with her sister, Virginia, at the Klick School of Music and...

DOUGLAS, Wyo. - Lori Lynn Minnehan Darr, 48, of Douglas, Wyo., died Wednesday, July 9, 2003, at a Casper, Wyo., medical center. Funeral services were scheduled for 11 a.m. today at the First United Methodist Church in Douglas, Wyo., with the Rev. Dr. Robert D. Firebaugh and the Rev. Bill Moore officiating. Internment will be in the Douglas Park Cemetery. Lori was born Jan. 1, 1955, in Shelby to John and Ruth (Carlson) Minnehan. She graduated from Havre High School in 1973. She then attended Montana State University, earning...

North Havre resident Reginald Lloyd Spensley, a retired custodian for Northern Montana College, died Wednesday, July 9, 2003, at Northern Montana Hospital of natural causes. He was 71. A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Glacier Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Kalispell with full military graveside honors. Reginald was born Dec. 2, 1931, to Lloyd B. and Greta Mae (Aitchison) Spensley in Livingston, Calif. He attended school in Turlock, Calif. In 1951 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in the Korean War....

Laceen Elizabeth Ophus of Big Sandy died Sunday, July 6, 2003, in a horse riding accident south of Havre in the Bear Paw Mountains. She was 19. A service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday in the Big Sandy High School gymnasium with the Rev. Pete Guthneck officiating. Those who wish are welcome to ride horses in the funeral procession from the high school to the reception afterward at St. Margaret Mary's Catholic Church, Big Sandy. Visitation will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the church and one hour before the service at the sc...

ROCKY BOY'S INDIAN RESERVATION - Dean Blake Anderson, 42, was pronounced dead on arrival Monday at Northern Montana Hospital as a result of an accidental drowning. A wake service for Blake, whose Native American name is Eagle Child, began Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church at Rocky Boy. A Native American funeral service will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church with burial to follow at Rocky Boy Cemetery. Blake was born April 20, 1961, in Blackfoot, Idaho, to Henry and Nancy (Raining Bird)...

Laceen Elizabeth Ophus of Big Sandy died Sunday, July 6, 2003, in a horse riding accident south of Havre in the Bear Paw Mountains. She was 19. A service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday in the Big Sandy High School gymnasium with the Rev. Pete Guthneck officiating. Those who wish are welcome to ride horses in the funeral procession from the high school to the reception afterward at St. Margaret Mary's Catholic Church, Big Sandy. Visitation will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the church and one hour before the service at the sc...

ROCKY BOY'S INDIAN RESERVATION - Dean Blake Anderson, 42, was pronounced dead on arrival Monday at Northern Montana Hospital as a result of an accidental drowning. A wake service for Blake, whose Native American name is Eagle Child, began Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church at Rocky Boy. A Native American funeral service will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church with burial to follow at Rocky Boy Cemetery. Blake was born April 20, 1961, in Blackfoot, Idaho, to Henry and Nancy (Raining Bird)...

Laceen Elizabeth Ophus of Big Sandy died Sunday, July 6, 2003, in a horse riding accident south of Havre in the Bear Paw Mountains. She was 19. A service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday in the Big Sandy High School gymnasium with the Rev. Pete Guthneck officiating. Those who wish are welcome to ride horses in the funeral procession from the high school to the reception afterward at St. Margaret Mary's Catholic Church, Big Sandy. Visitation will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the church and one hour before the service at the sc...

ROCKY BOY'S INDIAN RESERVATION - Dean Blake Anderson, 42, was pronounced dead on arrival Monday at Northern Montana Hospital as a result of an accidental drowning. A wake service for Blake, whose Native American name is Eagle Child, began Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church at Rocky Boy. A Native American funeral service will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church with burial to follow at Rocky Boy Cemetery. Blake was born April 20, 1961, in Blackfoot, Idaho, to Henry and Nancy (Raining Bird)...

Laceen Elizabeth Ophus of Big Sandy died Sunday, July 6, 2003, in a horse riding accident south of Havre in the Bear Paw Mountains. She was 19. A service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday in the Big Sandy High School gymnasium with the Rev. Pete Guthneck officiating. Those who wish are welcome to ride horses in the funeral procession from the high school to the reception afterward at St. Margaret Mary's Catholic Church, Big Sandy. Visitation will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the church and one hour before the service at the sc...

ROCKY BOY'S INDIAN RESERVATION - Dean Blake Anderson, 42, was pronounced dead on arrival Monday at Northern Montana Hospital as a result of an accidental drowning. A wake service for Blake, whose Native American name is Eagle Child, began Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church at Rocky Boy. A Native American funeral service will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church with burial to follow at Rocky Boy Cemetery. Blake was born April 20, 1961, in Blackfoot, Idaho, to Henry and Nancy (Raining Bird)...

Randy Lynn Miller, 53, of Chandler, Ariz., died at his home surrounded by family and friends on March 17, 2003, after a battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Evangelical Church, 152 Aberdeen St. in Glasgow. Randy was born Sept. 18, 1949, in Wessington Springs, S.D., the son of Ivan and Helen Dascher Miller. He moved from South Dakota to Montana with his family in 1954, and graduated from Nashua High School in 1968. Randy then moved to Havre, where he studied music at Northern...

HINGHAM - Michael J. Burkhartsmeyer, 89, died Sunday, July 6, 2003, at a Great Falls hospital of natural causes. A prayer vigil service will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday. A funeral mass will be at 11 a.m. Thursday. Both will be at Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church with the Rev. Joseph Diekhans officiating. A fellowship will follow the service at the church. Burial will be held after the fellowship luncheon at the Highland Cemetery. Michael was born Sept. 6, 1913, to Josephine and Gottlieb Burkhartsmeyer at home on the...

HARLEM - Rosella Marie O'Bryan Welch, 88, of Harlem died July 3, 2003, in Billings due to natural causes. A graveside service will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Kuper Memorial Cemetery in Chinook. Rosella was born on Dec. 14, 1914, at the O'Bryan family ranch home near the old town of Coberg on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. She was the only daughter of James Edward Smith O'Bryan and Sarah Standing Bear. In her early years she attended school at Coberg and later attended secretarial school at Haskell Indian School in...

CHINOOK - Lena Ramberg, 91, died Thursday at the Sweet Memorial Nursing Home due to natural causes. A funeral service will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the American Lutheran Church with burial following in Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Lena was born Magdalena Katarina Dorothia Albrecht on Jan. 7, 1912, in Hussum, Germany, to Herman and Minna (Fieland) Albrecht. She came to the United States on Nov. 27, 1923, with her parents and three brothers. She married Harry "Pat" Ramberg on April 15, 1931, and they lived on a farm south of...

HARLEM - Rosella Marie O'Bryan Welch, 88, of Harlem died July 3, 2003, in Billings due to natural causes. A graveside service will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Kuper Memorial Cemetery in Chinook. Rosella was born on Dec. 14, 1914, at the O'Bryan family ranch home near the old town of Coberg on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. She was the only daughter of James Edward Smith O'Bryan and Sarah Standing Bear. In her early years she attended school at Coberg and later attended secretarial school at Haskell Indian School in...

CHINOOK - Lena Ramberg, 91, died Thursday at the Sweet Memorial Nursing Home due to natural causes. A funeral service will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the American Lutheran Church with burial following in Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Lena was born Magdalena Katarina Dorothia Albrecht on Jan. 7, 1912, in Hussum, Germany, to Herman and Minna (Fieland) Albrecht. She came to the United States on Nov. 27, 1923, with her parents and three brothers. She married Harry "Pat" Ramberg on April 15, 1931, and they lived on a farm south of...

PLENTYWOOD - Britt Chandler, 81, died Monday, June 30, 2003, at his home surrounded by his family. A funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Plentywood. with the Rev. Bob Sewvello officiating. Burial will be at Plentywood Cemetery. A public gathering will be held at 7 p.m. today at Fulkerson Memorial Chapel in Plentywood. Britt was born in Plentywood to John Britton Chandler II and Ellen Parsley on Feb. 3, 1922. On Aug. 21, 1945, he married Elizabeth Lodahl of Dagmar. When he was 17, he...

RITZVILLE, Wash. - Agnes Monson Slonaker, 88, died Monday, June 30, 2003, at a Ritzville care center. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Emanuel Lutheran Church at Ritzville. Graveside services will be held at the Highland Cemetery at Havre on Monday at 1 p.m. Viewing was today at Danekas Chapel in Ritzville. She was born in Chinook on Aug. 28, 1914, to Martin and Gina (Halingstad) Monson. Agnes graduated from Chinook High School in 1932. She married Fred T. Slonaker on Aug. 19, 1938, at Havre. They lived...

LODGE POLE - Dora First Chief Helgeson, "Cheen-Jaw-Na-Hoonga-Weya," meaning Chief Calf Woman, 89, died Tuesday, July 1, 2003, at her residence west of Lodge Pole. A wake, rosary and pipe ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. today in the Medicine Bear Lodge at Lodge Pole. The funeral Mass will be on Thursday at Medicine Bear Lodge with burial following in the Lodge Pole Cemetery. Arrangements are be Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook. Dora was born to Sam and Charlotte (Black Bull) First Chief on Feb. 13, 1914, in Lodge Pole. She...

PLENTYWOOD - Britt Chandler, 81, died Monday, June 30, 2003, at his home surrounded by his family. A funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Plentywood. with the Rev. Bob Sewvello officiating. Burial will be at Plentywood Cemetery. A public gathering will be held at 7 p.m. today at Fulkerson Memorial Chapel in Plentywood. Britt was born in Plentywood to John Britton Chandler II and Ellen Parsley on Feb. 3, 1922. On Aug. 21, 1945, he married Elizabeth Lodahl of Dagmar. When he was 17, he...

BIG SANDY - Eugene D. "Gene" Reichelt, 78, of Great Falls, a former Big Sandy farmer and business- man, died Saturday, June 28, 2003, at a Great Falls hospital of natural causes. Visitation was today at Schnider Funeral Home in Great Falls. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Christ Lutheran Church in Big Sandy, with burial with military honors in Big Sandy Cemetery. A luncheon will follow at the church. Gene was born on April 21, 1925, at Verona to Benjamin and Jennie (Larson) Reichelt. he attended school at Verona...

LODGE POLE - Robert Messerly, 40, a rancher died Saturday, June 28, 2003, at his home after suffering a heart attack at his home. A wake service will be this evening at the family home at mile marker 2 on the road north of Lodge Pole. The funeral service will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the family home. Cremation will follow the service. Robert was born on June 17, 1963 at Fort Belknap to Glen and Leona (Longfox) Messerly Jr. He was raised at Fort Belknap and attended school at Harlem. At Harlem he met Pat Crantz and after many...

DALLAS - Gay Duane Kravik, 64, died Friday, June 27, 2003, from cancer. A celebration of his life was scheduled for this morning at the Wildwood Chapel at Restland Funeral Home, with a graveside service following. Gay was born on March 27, 1939, at Havre to Gay Laverne and Breta (Anderson) Kravik. He grew up on a dairy farm in Havre and graduated from Havre High School. After attending Montana Tech University, he graduated with a master's degree in petroleum engineering from Penn State University. He worked in the oil and...