Obituaries

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...

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....

INVERNESS - Adolph Edward Eggen, 86, a retired Inverness-area farmer, died on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2004, at a Chester nursing home of natural causes. Private family graveside services are being planned. Adolph was born March 12, 1917, on the family homestead south of Inverness. He was one of five children born to Harold and Nelsina (Otterness) Eggen. He was educated in Inverness, where he graduated from high school in 1937. In his younger years, Adolph enjoyed playing in a local band throughout the Hi-Line. His pride and joy...

HINGHAM - Robert Joseph "Bob" Blake Sr. died Sunday, Jan. 25, 2004, at the Chester rest home. He was 97. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service with burial of ashes is planned for later this spring at the Highland Cemetery in Havre. Bob was was born Sept. 3, 1906, at Maybass, N.D. He was the youngest of five sons born to Frank and Mary (Diermer) Blake. Bob's mother died when he was 8 years old, so he was raised by the Monroe family. He received his formal education at a country school near Fairfax, N.D., then began...

KALISPELL - Robert Lewis "Bob" Anderson of Kalispell died Jan. 20, 2004, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center after having suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. A funeral service was held Saturday in Kalispell. Bob was born on July 14, 1919, in Havre to Lewis and Bernice Anderson. He graduated from Havre High School, Northern Montana College, and Kinman Business School. On June 2, 1943, he married Lola B. McAuley. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary last year. Bob served in the Army and was stationed in France and...

INVERNESS - Adolph Edward Eggen, 86, a retired Inverness-area farmer, died on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2004, at a Chester nursing home of natural causes. Private family graveside services are being planned. Adolph was born March 12, 1917, on the family homestead south of Inverness. He was one of five children born to Harold and Nelsina (Otterness) Eggen. He was educated in Inverness, where he graduated from high school in 1937. In his younger years, Adolph enjoyed playing in a local band throughout the Hi-Line. His pride and joy...

HINGHAM - Robert Joseph "Bob" Blake Sr. died Sunday, Jan. 25, 2004, at the Chester rest home. He was 97. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service with burial of ashes is planned for later this spring at the Highland Cemetery in Havre. Bob was was born Sept. 3, 1906, at Maybass, N.D. He was the youngest of five sons born to Frank and Mary (Diermer) Blake. Bob's mother died when he was 8 years old, so he was raised by the Monroe family. He received his formal education at a country school near Fairfax, N.D., then began...

KALISPELL - Robert Lewis "Bob" Anderson of Kalispell died Jan. 20, 2004, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center after having suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. A funeral service was held Saturday in Kalispell. Bob was born on July 14, 1919, in Havre to Lewis and Bernice Anderson. He graduated from Havre High School, Northern Montana College, and Kinman Business School. On June 2, 1943, he married Lola B. McAuley. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary last year. Bob served in the Army and was stationed in France and...

MALTA - Lorraine J. Grabofsky, a homemaker, died Jan. 23, 2004, at the Phillips County Hospital after a lengthy battle with emphysema. She was 72. A funeral service will be 11 a.m. Tuesday 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 and...

POLSON - Frederick "Fred" H. Mielke, 85, of Polson, died at a Missoula hospital on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2004, from natural causes. A memorial service, with military honors and Masonic rites was scheduled for Monday afternoon at the Polson Community Church with the Rev. Richard Widerholdt officiating. Inurnment will be held at the Richland Memorial Park in Sidney. Fred was born on Oct. 14, 1918, in Sidney to George and Maude (Harrison) Mielke. He grew up and attended schools in Sidney and graduated from Sidney High School. Fred...

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...

RUDYARD - Morris Nels Smith, 94, died Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2004, at a Havre care center. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Rudyard. Burial is to follow at Rudyard Cemetery. Morris was born on Dec. 11, 1909, at Havre to Soren and Anna (Bohm) Smith. Morris grew up on his father's homestead north of Rudyard and attended the Oreana Country School. He entered the ninth grade in Rudyard, but quit to help out with the farming operations. Morris married Esther Goldberg on June 21,...

Gregory John Dorsha, 84, died of natural causes at a Havre care center on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2004. Cremation is planned per his wishes. A private family service will be held. Greg was born on Sept. 28, 1919, at Buena Vista, Wis., to John and Ida (Newby) Dorsha. He grew up in Wisconsin and received his education there. He graduated from Stevens Point High School in 1938. He continued his education at Central State Tech College in Stevens Point, where he earned a bachelor of science degree. Gregory was inducted in to the U.S. A...