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Jesse McNiven 'Mac' Taggart
CODY, Wyo. - Cody Wyoming lost one of their most energetic community leaders and authentic western personalities this week, with the death of Jesse McNiven "Mac" Taggart. He died at 79 years old Dec. 14, 1999, at the West Park Hospital in Cody after a sudden heart attack.
A proud descendant of one of the state's pioneer families, Mac was born in Cowley, Wyoming, March 15, 1920, to Lloyd and Louise Welch Taggart. He always viewed himself as a Cowley boy no matter where he was. Mac moved to the Cody area with his parents and eight brothers and sisters in 1932, when his father and uncle consolidated the offices of Taggart Construction Company in Cody.
Growing up, Mac worked summers for Taggart Construction until his father and uncle expanded their holdings by purchasing the Two Dot Ranch north of Cody, and Mac decided he favored ranching. A graduate of Cody High School, Mac attended the Universities of Wisconsin and Wyoming, and returned to the Two Dot until World War II, when he served In the U.S. Army as a staff sergeant, assigned to the Alaskan Defense Command. He was fond of recalling to his friends and family that his service on the tiny island of Attu was an experience which deferred him from leaving dry land for the rest of his life.
Returning to Cody alter the war, he married
Janet Blackburn Jan.24, 1946. The couple made their first home in the original ranch house on the Two Dot. The couple gave birth to four children on the ranch. When the Two Dot was sold in 1963, they moved to Cody.
Mac took on more of an active role as president of the construction company, by then known as Pat O'Hara Company, which included gypsum mining and ready-mix concrete operations in Cody and Riverton. The family sold the Pat O'Hara Company this year.
Mac's active professional life shared a schedule filled with extraordinary service to his family, friends, and community. An ardent supporter of the Scouting movement, Mac served in one capacity or another with the Boy Scouts of America for over 35 years.
As a scout leader, he received the highest scouting awards, including the Silver Beaver, Order of the Arrow, and Silver Antelope. Mac was also the award winning recipient of the scouting's Distinguished Citizen Award in Wyoming in 1995. He sponsored or encouraged hundreds of young men in the scouting movement. Mac devoted thousands of hours to maintaining and constructing scouting camps throughout the Northern Rockies area.
An active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, he dedicated himself to service in several capacities, but none were more valuable than his work with young people. He will be always remembered in church for his great hugs and red bandanna handkerchief.
His interest in assuring health care for the Cody area found him serving years on the boards of the West Park Hospital District, Deaconess Hospital, and the Coe Medical Foundation. He was instrumental in obtaining the dialysis unit, the new cancer treatment, the MRI imaging machines, the long-term care center and the expansion of the hospital itself. His primary interest was that every employee and patient was treated properly and that Cody had the very best health care possible.
Mac served on the Benson Institute of Brigham Young University and was active in city government. He was an emeritus member of the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, a lifelong member of the Wyoming Stockbrokers Association and the National Cattleman Association, a member of the Directors' Club and the Elks Club, and served on the boards of directors of the Shoshone First National Bank and the First Bank of Newcastle.
Through it all, his real love was to help his fellow man, the community and his family. He gave his financial resources and time to many, many people and organizations because it was the right thing to do and not to garner awards or recognition. He constantly stressed compassion, correctness, dignity and devotion. One of his favorite sayings was, "Remember who you are."
His wife, Janet, passed away in June of 1995. His older daughter, Leslie, died in June of 1997. Also preceded in death by a brother, Charles W. in Jan. of 1996, Mac is survived by a daughter, Jessie McNiven, of Brussels, Belgium, and Frank Blackburn of Shepherd, Mont., and Jim of Cody, two brothers, Lloyd of Cody and Scott of Seattle, Wash.; five sisters, Ruth Blair and Mary Louise Greever of Cody, Harriet Byrtus and Raye Rita Graham Keif of Salt Lake City; and Becky Watkins of Glendora, Calif.; and eleven grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is further survived by countless nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
His funeral services will be at 10a.m. Monday, Dec. 20, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints Cody Stake Center, 1500 Heart Mountain Drive (on Taggart Hill) in Cody. The casket will be open from 9-10a.m. at the church. Interment to follow at the Riverside cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Boy Scouts of America-Central Wyoming Council, P.O. Box 1505, Casper, WY 82602-1506, or Big Horn Basin Cancer Center, 1025 Ninth Street, Cody, WY 82414.
Marcia (Woodley) Trainer
FALLBROOK, Calif. - Marcia Ann "Marcy" Trainer, 64, quietly passed away late Saturday, Dec. 4, at her family home near Fallbrook, Calif., after a courageous battle with cancer.
Born in Billings on Oct. 15, 1935, the daughter of Ralph and Dorothy (Kline) Woodley, Marcy participated in numerous Billings Senior High activities until graduation in 1953. She then enrolled in the nursing program at Montana State College at Bozeman where she met and married
her husband Jerry D. Trainer. Following a "tour" as an Air Force wife, Marcy completed requirements in California for her bachelors degree and then for a master's in business administration. She worked for a number of years as an office manager before "retiring" with her husband to their avocado and citrus farm in San Diego County.
Survivors include her husband for 45 years; a son Michael D. Trainer of Sacramento, Calif., and his children, Kristen and Alex; a daughter Michelle Jensen of Bakersfield, Calif., and her children, Lauren and Ryan; her mother, Dorothy O'Connor of Billings; brothers Donald R. Woodley of Madison, Ala., and Richard J. Woodley of Sacramento, Calif.; sisters Judith L. Alper of Oakland, Calif., and Linda L. Oftedal of Casper, Wyo., and numerous nieces and nephews.
Marcy was preceded in death by her father and a brother Philip.
She was a member of Edna Hedges Chapter of Eastern Star and the Fallbrook Quilt Guild and was always active in local civic activities wherever she was residing. She enjoyed gourmet cooking and sewing and could always find humor in the situations of life. She will be sorely missed by all who knew her over the years.
A memorial service was held at Fallbrook, Calif., on Monday, Dec.13. Internment will take place early next year at the Punchbowl National Memorial cemetery at Honolulu, Hawaii.
The family suggests memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, Fallbrook Hospital Hospice, the Fallbrook Quilt Guild or to a charity of choice.
Beulah Verhasselt
COLUMBUS - Beulah Verhasselt passed away on Thursday, Dec. 16, 1999, at Beartooth Manor in Columbus. Mrs. Verhasselt had lived for 96 years.
Beulah was born in Anderson, Mo. on Aug. 21, 1903, one of six children born to Thomas and Lula (Schmidt) Hamilton. The family moved to Billings where she attended school and graduated from Billings High School in 1924. She continued her education at Billings Normal School, graduating with a teaching certificate and teaching on the Huntley Project for three years, the last year being at the Bundy School.
On March 24, 1928, Beulah married
Donald A. Bundy and together they started their family at Nibbe. They later moved to Worden where she worked as an operator for the Project Telephone Company for 15 years before moving to Huntley and later on to Billings. Mr. Bundy passed away on March 26, 1965.
On Nov. 14, 1972, Beulah married
Fred Bent in Huntley. Mr. Bent passed away on March 18, 1974. Sixteen years later, at the age of 86, she married
Edward Verhasselt on Aug. 30, 1990, in Billings, spending the next four months together before his death on Jan. 14, 1991. Beulah loved gardening and was a longtime member of many of the Rebekah's Lodges in the area. She was a member of the Methodist Church in Huntley and the Lockwood Evangelical Church in Billings.
Survivors include two daughters, Ruth Weinfurter of Columbus and Geraldine Kimpton of Townsend; a son, Donald H. (Shirley) Bundy of Hobbs, N. M.; three stepchildren, Wallace Bent of Gardner, Lorna McKenney of Billings and William C. Roberts of Frannie, Wyo; nine grandchildren, Jackie (Jon) Klasna of Laurel, Donald J. (Vicky) Lechner of Frenchtown, Kelly (John) Swenson of Kalispell, Ronald (Laura) Lechner of Smoot, Wyo., Robert Kimpton of Billings, Brian (Jackie) Kimpton of Toston, John (Wendy) Kimpton of Springfield, Ore., Treva (Fred) Lind of Gardnervile, Nev. and Donna Stokes of Phoenix, Ariz.; 33 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.
Visitations will begin Friday afternoon at the Smith Downtown Chapel. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 18, at the Smith Downtown Chapel with interment to follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens.
Edith Verna Jacobson Wheatcroft
JORDAN - Edith Verna Jacobson Wheatcroft, age 74, of Jordan passed away Tuesday evening, Dec. 14, 1999, at a private residence in Jordan, Mont., from a heart attack.
Edith Wheatcroft was born in Scobey, Mont., on Oct. 24, 1925, the daughter of Carol L. Jacobson and Edna V. Appleby. She was one of five children raised on a farm near Madoc, Mont., where she attended elementary school. After graduating from Scobey High School, she studied home economics at the University of Montana starting in 1943 and graduating in 1949. Her first job was teaching at Garfield County High school the year of 1949-1950. While in Jordan, she met Robert Wheatcroft and they were married
on June 17, 1950 in Scobey. They returned to the family ranch on the Steve's Fork of Big Dry Creek. Edith was a devoted mother to their four sons, who were born between 1951 and 1956. She and Richard continued operating the ranch following Robert's death in 1978, and later moved to Jordan, where she remained until her death.
Edith enjoyed reading, playing cards, hunting for wild asparagus, and being involved in her community. She was a member of the VFW Auxiliary, judged entries at the county fair and was Secretary of the Cow Bells for many years. She was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church and was a member of the WELC Bible Study group.
Mrs. Wheatcroft is survived by her sons, George Robert of Port Neches, Texas, John Bradley of Miles City, Mont., Joseph Scott of Minneapolis, Minn., Richard Brian of Steve's Fork, Mont., and six grandchildren. A sister, Betty Gunderson lives in Flaxville, Mont. Her parents; two brothers, Harry Jacobson and Barney Jacobson and one sister, Cherry Thompson, preceded her in death.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, Dec. 18, 1999, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Funeral services will be held Monday, Dec. 20, 1999, at 11 a.m. at the VFW Hall in Jordan. Interment will follow at 2 p.m., in the family lot of the Steve's Fork cemetery. Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home of Jordan is in charge of the arrangements.
Memorials may be made to the Garfield County Health Center or the Ambulance Fund.
Josie Tippetts Winterholler
LOVELL, Wyo. - Josie Tippetts Winterholler, 73, died Thursday, Dec. 16, 1999, at her home east of Lovell after a long illness.
Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 19, at Haskell Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held Monday, Dec. 20, at 10 a.m. in the Lovell L.D.S. Stake Center. Interment will be in the Lovell cemetery. Haskell Funeral Home is in charge.
C. L. 'Bud' Zormeir
LEWISTOWN - C. L. "Bud" Zormeir, 75 of Lewistown, died Thursday evening at the Central Montana Skilled Nursing Center of natural causes.
He was born Jan. 19, 1924, in Superior, Wis., the son of John H. and Mayme (Foley) Zormeir. They homesteaded near Grass Range in 1931 and he began his schooling there. He later attended St. Leo's School in Lewistown and then St. Mary's School in Great Falls, graduating in 1941. He then worked for Custom Cutters for one year and then the State Department of Highways for one year. He attended Montana State College in Bozeman until entering the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943. After his discharge as a pilot in Dec., 1945, he attended Gonzaga University in Spokane, graduating with a degree in business. He then entered the Jesuit Novitiate in Sheridan, Ore. until 1952. He then moved to Billings and worked for Carter Oil Company. On May 30, 1953, he was united in marriage to Joan McKeever in Forsyth. They moved to Lewistown and he began working for the Production Credit Association as a loan officer. He retired from Farm Credit as president in 1986.
Bud was a devoted Catholic and family man. He served as a volunteer for the Central Montana Hospice, on the founding board of directors for the Yogo Inn Community Hotel, Chamber of Commerce, American Legion, Elks and Eagles Lodges, Knights of Columbus, Fourth Degree Knight, Fund Raiser for the Central Montana Medical Center and the Lewistown Art Center.
He is survived by his wife, Joan of Lewistown; three sons: Robert and his wife, Leslie and son, Dustin of Bellevue, Wash.; William and his wife, Bonnie and daughter, Vaughn of Snohomish, Wash.; and David and sons, James and Jonathan of Lewistown; three daughters: Mary Helm and husband, Matt and children, Will and Kelley Thornsberry, and Elizabeth and Thomas Helm; Ann Blazer and husband, Steve of Shelby; and Joan Hellegaard and husband, Kirby of Billings; one sister, Ruth Wauters and husband, Joe of McMinnville, Ore.; several nieces and nephews.
His parents, two sisters, preceded him in death: Elizabeth Schaff and Gladys Hillsman.
Funeral services for C. L. "Bud" Zormeir will be at 10 a.m. Monday in St. Leo's Catholic Church with interment to follow in Mount Calvary cemetery. The Cloyd Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Friends may make memorials to the Central Montana Hospice, Central Montana Foundation or the charity of their choice, and they may be left at the Cloyd Funeral Home.
Alice Otilda Anderson
BEACH, N.D. - Alice Otilda Anderson, 95, died on Monday, Dec. 13, 1999, in Wibaux, Mont.
A Memory Service will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, at the Chapel of the Silvernale-Silha Funeral Home in Beach. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 18, at the First Lutheran Church in Beach. Interment will be in the Lutheran cemetery. Silvernale-Silha Funeral Home of Beach is in charge.
George Brychta
"Because the darkness is past and the true light now shineth" John 2:8
George Brychta, 66, died at his home Thursday, Dec. 16, 1999. He was born in Roundup on Sept. 7, 1933, the youngest son of Anton and Hediok Brychta.
George is survived by his wife, Imelda; sisters, Mary Cuculich and Teresa Brychta of Reno, Nev.; sister-in-law, Jeanette Devine of Roundup; loving nieces and nephews; many good friends and his cow dog, Gypsy; kitties, Miss Liberty and Sir Edwin. Private services are to be held.
Memorials to Big Sky Hospice, 123 S. 27th St., Billings, MT 59107.
Irene Breitbach
CIRCLE - Irene Breitbach, 75, died at her home on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 1999.
Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 20, in the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. Rite of Committal will be held at a later date in the Riverview cemetery. Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home of Terry is in charge.
Ronald W. Calkin
CHINOOK - Ronald W. Calkin, 83, died Tuesday, Dec. 14, 1999, at the Sweet Memorial Nursing Home in Chinook, Mont., where he had been living the past two years.
His parents, Leonard Boyd Calkin and Phronia Lydia (Wycoff) Calkin came to Montana from Iowa in the early 1900s. They met in a boarding house in Billings and were married
in 1914. Ronald, their only son, was born in the house at 610 Cook Ave. in Billings.
Ronald attended the Broadwater Grade School, then Jefferson School, and graduated from Billings Senior High School in 1934 when it was located on Fourth Ave. North in the building that later became Lincoln Junior High School. He attended Billings Polytechnic Institute from which he graduated in 1935.
He worked for the Billings Safeway Store (Pay and Take It) on North 29th Street as a checkout cashier before going to work for the Montana Power Company as a meter reader in 1937. One of his first routes to read meters on was the Alkali Creek Road, behind the Logan Airport, on an old motorcycle with a side car. That ended one day when the cycle went out of control near the Billings Saddle Club and took out several hundred feet of barbed wire fence. From then on, Montana Power gave him a pickup truck to make his rounds, which included the South Bridge road going to the farms below the South Hills along the Yellowstone River, and out to the Duck Creek Bridge. He also had the Fromberg, Edgar, Joliet Route.
After attending more classes at Billings Polytechnic Institute to study bookkeeping, he was promoted to bookkeeper and later Credit manager at the Montana Power Co. Ron was the man to see when your light bill was two months behind and ready to be shut off. He always responded to a compelling story of difficulties and hardship, and seldom ever shut anyone's lights off if there was another solution. He retired in April, 1978, after 41 years with the Montana Power Company.
Ronald met Gertrude Maria Beeler during an outing with the Billings Camera Club and married
her Oct. 1, 1939. They opened and operated for several years Calkin Pictures, a photo studio at their home at 338 Wyoming Ave. They moved to the Billings Bench in 1954 where they lived at 1205 Bench Blvd. for 43 years.
Ronald Calkin was a Master Mason and active in Masonic affairs for much of his life. He was a Past Worshipful Master of Billings Lodge No. 113, A. F. and A.M., a member of the Scottish Rite Bodies, and awarded the degree of the Knights Commander of the Court of Honour (KCCH). He was twice worthy patron of Billings Friendship Chapter No. 124 Order of the Eastern Star in 1958-1959 and again in 1984-1985. He was also a member of the Al Bedoo Shrine Temple.
Ronald was preceded in death by his parents and his wife of almost sixty years. He is survived by his son, Dennis W. Calkin of Alexandria, Virginia; his daughter, Ann S. Davies of Chinook; and two granddaughters, Tiffany Kaye Froman and Heather Capris Calkin of Alexandria, VA.
Memorial services will be held in Billings at Smith Funeral Chapel West at 2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 20, 1999.
Memorials may be made to the Sweet Memorial Nursing Home in Chinook, MT; Billings Lodge #113; The Billings Scottish Rite Bodies; or the Billings Masonic Center Association.
Alice E. Charlton
ROUNDUP - Alice E. Charlton, age 88, passed away Thursday, Dec. 16, 1999, at Valley Health Care Center in Billings, Mont. She was born at Moore, Mont., Aug. 2, 1911, to Charles Newton Crouse and Mary Loretta Delaware. The family moved from Moore to the Flatwillow area and she received her early schooling at the Flatwillow school. She stayed with friends at Roundup while attending school until her family moved to Roundup. Alice graduated high school at Roundup and worked as a waitress at the Bungalow and Airport Inn cafes. At Roundup, she met and married
Thomas Charlton on Dec. 9, 1933. She continued working until their first child was born. Alice was a homemaker first and foremost and gave much of her time caring for her ailing father and aged mother. She was a life-long member of St. Benedict's Catholic Church and alter society at Roundup.
Her grandchildren were a joy to her and she always looked forward to their summer visits so she could show them off and give them love. Alice enjoyed flowers, gardening, working at the church and visiting with friends and relations. She had been struggling with Alzheimers disease of 10 years.
Survivors include her son, Robert Charlton Sr. and wife, Frances of Billings; a brother, Edward Crouse of Roundup; sister, Lucille of Ballantine; her grandchildren Byron Charlton, Robert Charlton, Kurt Charlton, Shelley Merrill; and nine great-grandchildren, two nephews and three nieces. She was preceded in death by her father and mother, her husband Thomas "Tommy" Charlton of 46 years, her son William M Charlton, brothers William Crouse, Floyd Crouse and Robert Crouse, and her sister Emily Zupan.
Visitation will be Monday Dec. 20, from 5-9 p.m. at the Wier Funeral Chapel. Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday Dec. 21, 1999, at the St. Benedict's Catholic Church with interment at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Billings. Donations can be made to the Alzheimer Association Greater Billings Chapter, 2900 12th Avenue North, Suite 4E, Billings, MT 59101 or charity of your choice. Wier Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Marlene Eleanor Degele
LAUREL - Marlene Eleanor Degele, age 62, of Laurel, died Dec. 16, 1999, at the Western Manor Nursing Home in Billings. She was born Dec. 5, 1937, in Park Grove, Mont., the daughter of Raymond and Helga Kallem.
She married
James A. Degele on Aug. 27, 1955. She was a homemaker, and she and dad raised five boys. She was a devoted member of St. Anthony Catholic Church in Laurel.
She loved doing puzzles, crafts and just being a wife, mother, and grandma. Her greatest joy was her boys and grandchildren.
Survivors include sons and daughters-in-laws, Dale and Linda Degele, Ralph Degele, Dennis and Lori Degele, Kelly and Dodie Degele, Danny and Mona Degele, a daughter Tanya and Kevin Hulst, 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Other surviving family members are Robert and Denise Kallem, Mabel Kallem, Gary and Pricilla Kallem, and Janice and Ron Popelka and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband James A. Degele, her parents Raymond and Helga Kallem, three granddaughters, Shantel Marie Degele, the twins Kelli Ann and Heidi Jo Degele, and a brother Russell Kallem.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21, at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Laurel. Vigil service will be held 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 20, at Smith Funeral Chapel in Laurel. Visitation will be 12 p.m. Monday at Smith Funeral Chapel-Laurel. Rite of Committal will be at St. Anthony cemetery. Memorials may be made to Big Sky Hospice P.O. Box 35033, Billings, MT 59107.
We lost a ray of sunshine today, but her brightness and glory will fill the void.
