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Laura Iona Engel
YUMA, Ariz. - Laura Iona Engel, 68, formerly of Broadus, Mont., died Tuesday, Feb. 23, 1999.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Powder River Congregational Church in Broadus with interment in the family lot in the Valley View cemetery. Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home of Broadus is in charge.
Margaret Ann Houk King
Margaret Ann King, of Billings, died at the age of 62 on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 1999. Maggie died at St. Vincent's Hospital from complications following surgery.
Maggie was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, on Aug. 31, 1936, the daughter of Dr. John Houk and Mary Hammond (O'Brien) Houk. Maggie was raised and educated in Shaker Heights. She went on to graduate from Marymount College in Tarrytown, N.Y., majoring in Spanish with a minor in art history.
On June 11, 1958, Maggie was united in marriage to Richard B. King at Gesu Church in University Heights, Ohio. They spent the early part of their married
life in Nashville, Tenn., Charlottesville, Va., and after living six years in Cleveland, Ohio, they moved to Billings in 1972. Here they raised their children.
She worked as a representative of Northwest National Life Insurance.
Maggie's dynamic and generous character and her capacity to love others motivated her to be deeply involved in her community at every period in her adult life. She was a president of MAFE (Montana Association of Female Executives), for the Diocese of Great Falls, Billings, she was an advocate for the Marriage Tribunal and represented the diocese to the Montana Association of Churches.
Maggie assisted with many fund-raisers, the latest being the new church for St. Pius X Catholic Church. She was an Eucharistic Minister and helped with the Christian Service Commission and the Habitat for Humanity. As a member of the secular Carmel, Maggie was associated with several Orders since college.
She was actively involved in the planning, development, and exposition of the Anne Frank exhibit at the Parmly-Billings Library. Always an elegant and well-educated woman, she had a deep appreciation of the arts: music, drama, literature, classical arts, the Yellowstone Art Center and politics. She was an avid promoter of Billings Catholic schools and education in general. A longtime advocate for the development of ZooMontana, Maggie was active in their fund-raising. For the past 18 years, Maggie worked with Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon, helping herself and others to achieve and maintain sobriety.
She gave everything she had in her to give and often put aside her personal beliefs to bring comfort to someone in need. But by far and above all else, Maggie was passionately interested in her family and her extended family of parent, siblings, and grandchildren.
Survivors include her beloved husband of 40 years, Richard B. King; her children, Mary Beth King of St. Paul, Minn., Richard B. King Jr. of Blanford Forum, United Kingdom, Teri Bohlinger of Cheyenne, Wyo., Louise King Wragg of Los Angeles, Alison King Henneman of Seattle, their spouses and 15 grandchildren. She is also survived by her mother, Mary O'Brien Houk of Bellaire, Mich.; two sisters, Lisa Houk Foster of Shaker Heights, Ohio, and Sara Frances Houk of Boston; two brothers, John W. Houk III of Chicago, and Dr. William M. Houk of Frederick, Md.; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
A daughter, Megan, and a grandson, Brandon M. Wragg preceded Maggie in death.
A Vigil and Remembrance service will be 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25, 1999, at St. Pius X Church. Funeral Services will be 11 a.m. Friday at St. Pius. Cremation will take place. Rite of committal will be in Holy Cross cemetery, 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, 1999. Memorials may be made to ZooMontana, 2100 Shiloh Road, Billings, MT 59102. Dahl Funeral Chapel is entrusted with arrangements.
Jack Genesis Kountz
CIRCLE - Jack Genesis Kountz, 93, of Circle, died Monday, Feb. 22, 1999, at the Glendive Medical Center after a short illness.
Visitation will be 2-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Clayton Memorial Chapel. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, at the Evangelical Church in Circle with interment in the Brockway cemetery.
Dorothy Francis Lee
Dorothy Francis Lee was born near St. Xavier on Feb. 18, 1925, to Nellie (Vandersloot) and Ben Feller. She attended schools in Hardin and at the St. Xavier Mission before graduating from the Ursuline Academy in Great Falls in June of 1943. She then attended the St. Vincent's School of Nursing, earning her degree in nursing in 1946.
Dorothy died Feb. 24, 1999, at the age of 74 in Billings.
On Oct. 12, 1946, Dorothy was united in marriage to Ivan W. (Pete) Lee in Billings. They lived in Bozeman and Billings throughout their marriage.
Dorothy enjoyed making dolls and stuffed animals for her family, friends and especially her grandchildren. She was close to the people from the St. Patrick's bus who she considered her spiritual family.
Survivors include her children, Judy (Jerry) McCann, Billings, Linda (Michael) Forney, Bremerton, Wash., Vivie (Clint) Portnell, Belgrade, and Peter (Anna) Lee, Billings; 12 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; two brothers, Benny Feller, Canby, Ore., and Ray Feller, Billings; four sisters, Mrs. Robert (Bernice) Torske and Mrs. Bill (Barbara) Hibnes, both of Hardin, Mrs. Tom (Louise) Dabner, West Yellowstone, and Mrs. Danny (Lois) O'Neal, Chandler, Ariz. Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, I.W. "Pete, " her parents, and a brother, Bud Feller.
A vigil will be 7 p.m. Friday at Dahl Funeral Chapel. Funeral mass will be celebrated 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Patrick's Co-Cathedral with Rite of Committal at Holy Cross cemetery.
Frederick Alden Jr.
HARDIN - Frederick Alden Jr., 70, of rural Hardin died Tuesday, Feb. 23, 1999, in the Crow Agency IHS Hospital.
He was born March 28, 1929, in St. Xavier, a son of Fred Alden Sr. and Matilda Prairie Bird. He attended the Soap Creek County School.
Fred started working in the Soap Creek oil field when he was 12 years old, where he worked for several years. He later worked for area ranchers and the Hardin Sugar Factory, until it's closing in 1971. After the factory closed, he began his own ranching operation, raising cattle and horses. He trained race horses and often attended area horse races.
He married
Ruth House in Hardin on Nov. 24, 1949, and the couple made their home in the Dunmore area.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth; two daughters, Susan White of Crow Agency and Jana Alden of the family home; six sons, Patrick Alden Sr., Fred Alden III and Aaron Alden of Crow Agency, Ricky Fighter Sr. of Hardin, Leon and Gary Alden of Hardin; four adopted children, Gladys Brien and Alden Big Man of Crow Agency, Verna Jefferson of Hardin and Jacklyn Ware of Dunmore; one sister, Hanna Big Man of Crow Agency; an adopted sister, Dorthea Adams of Crow Agency and one aunt, Ruth Alden of Lodge Grass; 24 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
Rosary will be recited 4 p.m. Thursday in the Bullis Funeral Chapel. Funeral Mass will be celebrated 10 a.m. Friday in the Crow Agency St. Dennis Catholic Church with Fr. Charles Robinson, and Rev. Kenneth Pretty on Top, officiating. Interment will follow in the Crow Agency cemetery. Bullis Mortuary of Hardin has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Jacob Allmer
SIDNEY - Jacob Allmer, 91, died Sunday, Feb. 21, 1999, at the Sidney Health Center-Extended Care Facility.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 26, at St. Michael's Catholic Church with interment in the Riverview cemetery, both in Savage. Fulkerson Funeral Home is in charge.
Thomas J. Apple
LEWISTOWN - Thomas J. Apple, 92, died Monday, Feb. 22, 1999, at the Central Montana Skilled Nursing Center after a short illness.
Cremation has taken place, and at his request, no service will be held. Creel Funeral Home was in charge.
Dean Russell Baker
DENVER - Dean Russell Baker, 93, formerly of Powell, Wyo., died Sunday, Feb. 21, 1999, at the Cherry Creek Nursing Center in Aurora.
Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Miratsky-Easton Funeral Home in Powell. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, at the Church of Christ with interment in Crown Hill cemetery, both in Powell.
Tynie Leona Carpani
Tynie Leona Carpani, a longtime resident of Billings, passed away Feb. 20, 1999, at St. James Hospital in Butte. She had been in a nursing home for a short time, where friends and a granddaughter looked after her. She was known to all her friends and family as "Tiny".
Tiny will be cremated in Billings and buried next to her mother at the Bridger cemetery, Bridger.
She was born Sept. 19, 1919, at Warden, to John Thomas and Lena May Shipp. She married
John Anthony Carpani of Red Lodge.
Her parents, Tom and Lena, and two sisters, Byrdie Alene and Bessie Louise, preceded her in death.
Survivors include a sister, Dorothy May Shipp Colby of Townsend; a brother, Jean Allen Shipp of Sheridan, Mont.; two sons, John Carpani of Billings and Kenneth Lance of Bull Shoals, Ark.; two daughters, Dorothy Alice O'Conner of Seal Beach, Calif., and Cherri Gist of Nevada; and her grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
Tiny drove a transit bus in Seattle during the war years and later drove a taxi in the oil fields of Rawlins, Wyo., and a pilot car for Lyle's Pilot Service of Billings. She enjoyed work, traveling, and most of all her children, family and friends.
She was a member of the Catholic church.
Tiny will be missed for all the love and kindness she gave to everyone.
Ellen Grace Higginbotham Durr
Ellen Grace Higginbotham Durr passed away Tuesday, Feb. 23, 1999, at St. Vincent Hospital in Billings following a lengthy battle with cancer.
Ellen was born in Forsyth, the daughter of James and Margaret (Steele) Higginbotham. She spent her youth and attended schools in Forsyth, graduating from Forsyth High School.
On June 18, 1958, Ellen married
Donald Durr in Red Lodge. For a time Ellen worked in Laurel, including serving as city treasurer, before dedicating her life as a loving wife and mother. She enjoyed spending time with her family, camping, fishing, and playing the piano and accordion.
Survivors include her husband, Donald of Billings; one son, Randy and his wife, Carolyn, and two grandsons, Sheldon and Carson Durr, all of Roberts; brother-in-law, Clarence Filley of Hamilton; sister-in-law, Berniece Higginbotham of Forsyth; nephew, Jimmy Higginbotham and his wife, Debbie of Billings; and several nieces and nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews.
Ellen was preceded in death by her parents; five brothers, Joe, William, Charles, Tom, and Eddy Higginbotham; and two sisters, Mary Wells and Ida Filley.
Graveside Services will be held Monday, March 1, at the Forsyth cemetery at 1 p.m. Pallbearers will be Bob Lee, Brent Heberle, Todd Heberle, Bill Rolston, Carson Durr, Sheldon Durr, and Jimmy Higginbotham. Honorary pallbearers are all of Ellen's friends. Interment will follow in the Forsyth cemetery. Should friends desire, memorials can be made to the American Cancer Society or the charity of their choice.
Jerry Glenn Buckner
Jerry Glenn Buckner at age 37 passed away on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 1999, from injuries sustained in a car accident.
He is survived by his fiance, Debbie Harden of Billings; two children, Jesse and Justine Buckner and their mother, Jennifer Hamilton Buckner of Lafayette, Calif.; father, Glenn of Worden; brother, Tim of Milton, Wis.; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. He was preceded in death by his mother, Marie and grandparents.
Cowboy, bullrider, outdoors-man, and genuine good hearted person, Jerry, we love you and will miss you.
A memorial gathering will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the VFW Hall in Worden. Cremation has been held at Cremation or Funeral Gallery.
Ione Helmey Olson
Ione Helmey Olson, 78, was born Aug. 2, 1920, near Rothiemay, north of Ryegate. She was delivered by a midwife in a one-room cabin on the family homestead at the base of her beloved Snowy Mountains. She was the daughter of Olga and Lawrence Helmey and died of natural causes on Feb. 22, 1999, at Deaconess Hospital.
She was married
to Dale Swartz, and to that union two daughters were born: Sharon Dickerson (Mel), Billings, and Glenda Schnell (Bob), Indianapolis, Ind. In 1952, she married
Sam Olson, and two daughters were born: Peggy Cluff (Don), Billings, and Betty Kay Jarvis (Bob), Bozeman. Survivors include Sharon's children, Serene and Ryan; Glenda's children, Patrea, Danielle, and Casey; and Peggy's children, Krista and Kari; as well as five great-grandchildren. Also surviving are sisters, Lila Lambert (Wesley) of Raynesford, and Laura Mattheis of Billings; two brothers, Leonard Helmey (Peggy) of Denver, and Jim Helmey (Veda) of Billings; and a good supply of nieces and nephews, and many friends. Preceding Ione in death were her parents; her husband, Sam; a brother, Orville; sister, Norma Olsen; and an infant sister.
Ione's sturdy pioneer heritage prepared her for a hard life in rural Montana in the '30s and '40s. At age 18, Ione drove a 1930 Model A Ford to deliver the mail to ranchers on the desolate country roads north of Lavina. The route was over 50 miles long. If severe weather changes made the roads impassable mid-way, she set out on foot to lug the 40 pound mailbags sometimes two or three miles across rugged country to the nearest ranch house for help.
Ione then went on to get her teaching degree at Eastern Montana College Normal School and taught in several one-room schools on the prairies of Golden Valley County and in Broadview. In the '50s, her family moved to Billings where she began a career in the insurance industry and retired in 1982 from Hoiness-LaBar Ins. Co.
Ione was creative and talented with a delightful sense of humor. She wrote and performed many one-woman skits throughout central Montana. She was also one of the original cast members of the Billings Studio Theatre, helping to refurbish the old Baptist Church in downtown Billings into the first BST location.
Ione was also an accomplished writer and wrote many stories for family and friends about her life and times. She was an avid bowler, puzzle-solver, and card player. Pinochle, bridge, cribbage, and gin rummy were among her passions, and if anyone was brave enough to play with her, they better be brave enough to lose. Wherever Ione went, fun was close by.
A memorial service will be held 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at Michelotti, Sawyers & Nordquist, 1001 Alderson Ave. with Pastor John Akre officiating. Cremation has taken place. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Big Sky Hospice, Box 1049, Billings 59103; or to the American Liver Foundation, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 603, New York, N.Y. 10038.
Ione was an amazing woman and a wonderful representative of the "greatest generation." We will miss her.
Marvin T. Onstad
Marvin T. Onstad went to be with his Lord on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 1999. Marvin, a local Billings businessman, passed away peacefully at his home from cancer with his family present.
Marvin was born at Blooming, Saskatchewan, Canada, on Oct. 14, 1921. He attended school in Blooming and finished high school in Gladmar, Saskatchewan.
In 1943 he married
Arlene Carlson of Crosby, N.D. They farmed at Blooming until 1946 and then moved to Crosby, where they continued farming operations. While in Crosby, their son Lorne was born.
In 1960, the family moved to Wolf Point where they opened a farm, home and automotive store. In 1966 they moved to the Billings area where Marvin helped found Tire Supply, a wholesale tire distributorship in which he was engaged until the time of his death.
Also in 1982, he and his son Lorne began ranching and farming operations. Marvin loved inspecting the cattle and enjoyed watching the wheat fields waving in the wind. He will be most remembered for his honesty, integrity, and positive attitude.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Lestor.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Arlene; and his son and daughter-in-law, Lorne and Edna of Acton.
Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 26, 1999, at Smith's West Chapel in Billings with Rev. Orville Carlson of Springfield, Mo., officiating. Interment will be at Broadview cemetery with Smith West Chapel in charge of arrangements. Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday at Smith West Chapel.
Phyllis B. Reed
LAUREL - Phyllis B. Reed, 72, of Laurel, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 23, 1999, at St. Vincent Hospital in Billings.
Phyllis was born Aug. 9, 1926, at Greeley, Colo., a daughter of George and Mary Ellen Beals. She was married
to Robert O. Reed, July 21, 1956, at Yuma, Ariz.
She was a member of Laurel Women's Bowling Association Hall of Fame and the National 600 Club.
Survivors include her husband, Robert of Laurel; two sisters, Elnora Valdez of Delta, Colo., and Agnes Whatley of Montrose, Colo.
No services are planned at this time. Smith Funeral Chapel-Laurel was in charge of cremation.
