Obituaries

Alfred W. Arendt, 99, a pioneer farmer and railroader, died at a Havre care center on April 16, 2003, one week before his 100th birthday. A vigil will be on Friday at 7 p.m. at the St. Jude's Catholic Church. A funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday at St. Jude's Catholic Church, followed by a burial in the Calvary Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon in the church's social hall will follow the burial. Alfred was born in Wimbledon, N.D., to Peter and Elizabeth (Jonas) Arendt on April 23, 1903. The family homesteaded near...

Leon Robert Jette, 56, Army veteran, died Thursday, April 17, 2003, at his residence after a long battle with cancer. Cremation has taken place. He will be interred at the Fort Harrison Cemetery at a later date. There are no services planned at this time. Leon was born Jan. 20, 1947, in Missoula to Francis and Helen (Might) Jette. He was raised and educated in Missoula and received a GED. He entered the Army on Nov. 24, 1967, and served in Vietnam and later in Germany as a heavy equipment operator. He was discharged in 1973....

Elizabeth Solnicka, 80, formerly of Havre, died Friday, April 11, 2003, at a Kennewick, Wash., hospice of natural causes. The funeral service has taken place in Washington. Viewing in Havre will be 3 to 7 p.m. Friday at Holland and Bonine Funeral Home. Graveside services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Highland Cemetery with Pastor Catherine Card officiating. Elizabeth was born on Nov. 11, 1922, to Fred and Emma (Olhauser) Stolz in Laredo. Her parents homesteaded a farm in Laredo and later moved to Havre to farm. She...

LODGE POLE - Lydia "Pinky" Snell, (Cha k ta wko we ko we) "Deer Hoofed Women," 53, died April 13, 2003, at her residence in Lodge Pole due to cancer. Wake services will be today at 7 p.m. in the Medicine Bear Lodge. Funeral services will be Thursday at 11 a.m. in the Medicine Bear Lodge, with burial following in the Lodge Pole Cemetery. Lydia was born at Fort Belknap Agency to Walter and Agnes (Gives The Blanket) Longfox on Oct. 25, 1949. She was raised and attended elementary school in the Lodge Pole area. She graduated...

FORT BENTON - Lillian "Billie" Lippard, 95, a retired nurse, died April 10, 2003, at a Fort Benton care center of natural causes. Memorial services were Saturday in the Bertha Brock room at the Missouri River Medical Center. Cremation has taken place. Lillian was born at the family home in Watertown, N.Y., to William and Bertha Bates on Dec. 24, 1907. When she was almost 3, the family moved to the Bear Springs area near Denton, where her father had purchased a relinquished homestead. They went by train to Wolf Point and made...

Magdalen "Maggie" Gersten-berger, 75, died on Monday, April 7, 2003, at a Denver, Colo., hospice due to kidney failure. Cremation has taken place. The funeral Mass has taken place. A memorial service and sharing of memories will be held 11 a.m. Saturday at the Holland and Bonine Funeral Home in Havre. At the request of family, this memorial service is a casual dress affair. Maggie was born Nov. 27, 1927, in Cleveland, Ohio. At the age of 3, she moved with her parents to homestead 16 miles north of Harlem known as The Big...

THREE BUTTES - David Alan "Buzz" Hawley, 60, died on Friday, April 11, 2003, at his residence near Three Buttes due to natural causes. Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Saint Paul's Recreation Center with funeral Mass on Thursday at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in the Buzz Hawley Family Cemetery at Three Buttes. Buzz was born at Fort Belknap Agency to David J. Jr. and Virginia (Chandler) Hawley on March 21, 1943. He attended schools in California and graduated from St. Paul's Mission in 1961. Buzz married...

Magdalen "Maggie" Gersten-berger, 75, died on Monday, April 7, 2003, at a Denver, Colo., hospice due to kidney failure. Cremation has taken place. The funeral Mass has taken place. A memorial service and sharing of memories will be held 11 a.m. Saturday at the Holland and Bonine Funeral Home in Havre. At the request of family, this memorial service is a casual dress affair. Maggie was born Nov. 27, 1927, in Cleveland, Ohio. At the age of 3, she moved with her parents to homestead 16 miles north of Harlem known as The Big...

S. Charles Curry, 80, died on Sunday, April 6, 2003, at a Kalispell medical center. Services were Monday morning at Christ Episcopal Church in Kalispell. A private family burial followed at the Riverside Cemetery in Hamilton. Curry was born to S. Charles and Rachel Curry in Havre on May 29, 1922. He grew up and received his education in Havre. He joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and entered the U.S. Army in 1942, serving in Austria, France, Germany and Ireland with the 92nd Signal Battalion during World War II. In...

Thomas Francis Burns, 83, a former U.S. Marine pilot and retired Hereford breeder and rancher, died on Friday, April 11, 2003, at his home in Chinook of natural causes. A memorial service will be May 24 at 2 p.m. at the Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Thomas was born at the family ranch near Lohman on Jan. 28, 1920, and graduated from Chinook High School in 1938. He attended Montana State College in Bozeman in 1942 and earned a bachelor of science degree in botany and bacteriology. Thomas married Ethel Graybill of Great Falls in...

S. Charles Curry, 80, died on Sunday, April 6, 2003, at a Kalispell medical center. Services were Monday morning at Christ Episcopal Church in Kalispell. A private family burial followed at the Riverside Cemetery in Hamilton. Curry was born to S. Charles and Rachel Curry in Havre on May 29, 1922. He grew up and received his education in Havre. He joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and entered the U.S. Army in 1942, serving in Austria, France, Germany and Ireland with the 92nd Signal Battalion during World War II. In...

Thomas Francis Burns, 83, a former U.S. Marine pilot and retired Hereford breeder and rancher, died on Friday, April 11, 2003, at his home in Chinook of natural causes. A memorial service will be May 24 at 2 p.m. at the Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Thomas was born at the family ranch near Lohman on Jan. 28, 1920, and graduated from Chinook High School in 1938. He attended Montana State College in Bozeman in 1942 and earned a bachelor of science degree in botany and bacteriology. Thomas married Ethel Graybill of Great Falls in...

BIG SANDY - Margaret Melvina "Mugie" Beaudette, 89, of Big Sandy, a retired rancher and farmer, died of natural causes at a Big Sandy medical center on Thursday, April 10, 2003. A private graveside service will be held at the Big Sandy Cemetery. Margaret was born on Feb. 22, 1914, to Edward and Florence (Heise) Beaudette in Chicago, Ill. In 1915 she accompanied her parents and grandparents to Montana, where they homesteaded next to each other on the Big Sandy Creek in the foothills of the Bear Paw Mountains. Margaret...

Norman Stanley Johnson, 89, retired Kremlin Farmers Union Oil Company manager, died Monday, April 7, 2003, at a Havre care facility of natural causes. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 23, 2003, at the Fifth Avenue Christian Church with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating. A fellowship luncheon will follow the memorial service at the church. A private family committal service will take place at a later date. Norman was born on Aug. 1, 1913, to John and Inga (Vigness) Johnson...

FORT BELKNAP - Delmar J. "Poncho" Bigby, 60, an Army veteran and cultural adviser for Fort Belknap Community College, died Friday, April 4, 2003, at a Havre hospital from natural causes. A wake service was Monday evening at the family home at Fort Belknap. The traditional funeral services were Tuesday morning at the family home with burial in the Pony Hill Cemetery at Fort Belknap. Poncho was born Dec. 9, 1942, at Fort Belknap. He was raised and educated at Harlem and graduated from Harlem High School in 1960. Following high...

Norman Stanley Johnson, 89, retired Kremlin Farmers Union Oil Company manager, died Monday, April 7, 2003, at a Havre care facility of natural causes. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 23, 2003, at the Fifth Avenue Christian Church with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating. A fellowship luncheon will follow the memorial service at the church. A private family committal service will take place at a later date. Norman was born on Aug. 1, 1913, to John and Inga (Vigness) Johnson...

Mary A. Azure, 79, retired housekeeper for the Rocky Boy Clinic, died Thursday April 3, 2003, at a Havre care facility of natural causes. Viewing will begin Friday at 2 p.m. and be held again Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Holland and Bonine Funeral Chapel. Mary's wake will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Rocky Boy Catholic Church with the funeral service beginning at 10 a.m. Monday at the Rocky Boy Catholic Church with the Rev. Pete Guthneck officiating. Burial will follow the funeral service at the Calvary Cemetery...

HARLEM - William T. "Bill" Mohar, 93, died on Saturday, March 29, 2003, at a Havre hospital due to natural causes. A funeral Mass will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the Saint Thomas Catholic Church with burial following at the Turner Cemetery. Following the burial, there will be a fellowship and reception at the Big Flat Catholic Church. A vigil will be recited today at 7 p.m. in the Saint Thomas Catholic Church. Bill was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Joseph and Julia (Wolfe) Mohar on Sept. 12, 1909. He came to Montana in 1914...

Linda Hass, 78, of Havre died Monday, March 31, 2003, at a Billings hospital of complications from a stroke she had in 1995. Linda's wishes were to be cremated with a private family memorial service. Linda was born in Sidney on Sept. 26, 1924, to David and Ida (Schultz) McConaha. She graduated from Savage High School. Following graduation, she joined the U.S. Army and served 2 1/2 years as a medical technician. Following her honorable discharge, she returned to Sidney where she met and married David Hass in 1950. They lived...

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. - J. Worth Timmons, 84, formerly of Havre, died Dec. 8, 2002, at Lake Havasu City, Ariz. He was born on Aug. 4, 1918, the son of longtime Hill County Sheriff R.C. "Doc" Timmons. He graduated from Havre High School in 1936 and attended Northern Montana College for three years. During World War II, he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. Following his military service, he became a project engineer for the Montana Highway Department in...

HARLEM - William T. "Bill" Mohar, 93, died on Saturday, March 29, 2003, at a Havre hospital due to natural causes. A funeral Mass will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the Saint Thomas Catholic Church with burial following at the Turner Cemetery. Following the burial, there will be a fellowship and reception at the Big Flat Catholic Church. A vigil will be recited today at 7 p.m. in the Saint Thomas Catholic Church. Bill was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Joseph and Julia (Wolfe) Mohar on Sept. 12, 1909. He came to Montana in 1914...

Elizabeth L. Dewar, 85, died March 29, 2003, at a Havre hospital of natural causes. A funeral service will be Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Bell Chapel in Glasgow, with the Rev. Emory Robotham officiating. Burial will be in the Highland Cemetery in Glasgow. Elizabeth was born in Hinsdale to George and Mary Elizabeth (Biddle) Schweitzer on Jan. 8, 1918. She lived in Glasgow and graduated from Glasgow High School in 1936. She went to Business College in Great Falls and worked at First National Bank in Glasgow. Elizabeth married...

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. - J. Worth Timmons, 84, formerly of Havre, died Dec. 8, 2002, at Lake Havasu City, Ariz. He was born on Aug. 4, 1918, the son of longtime Hill County Sheriff R.C. "Doc" Timmons. He graduated from Havre High School in 1936 and attended Northern Montana College for three years. During World War II, he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. Following his military service, he became a project engineer for the Montana Highway Department in...

HARLEM - William T. "Bill" Mohar, 93, died on Saturday, March 29, 2003, at a Havre hospital due to natural causes. A funeral Mass will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the Saint Thomas Catholic Church with burial following at the Turner Cemetery. Following the burial, there will be a fellowship and reception at the Big Flat Catholic Church. A vigil will be recited today at 7 p.m. in the Saint Thomas Catholic Church. Bill was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Joseph and Julia (Wolfe) Mohar on Sept. 12, 1909. He came to Montana in 1914...

CHESTER - Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Fenger, 80, died on Wednesday, March 26, 2003, at a Chester hospital of cancer. Funeral services were today at 11 a.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Chester, with burial following at the Chester Cemetery. Betty was born on April 18, 1922, in Gilliam, La. She spent her early life in Louisiana, where she received her elementary education at Belcher. Her mother, Elizabeth Starling, married a Montana farmer, Scott Benjamin, so she grew up with her two sisters in north-central Montana. Betty...