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Myrtle Ford
LIVINGSTON – Myrtle Ford, 93, died Tuesday, April 18, 2000, at the Livingston Health & Rehab Center. Cremation has taken place at Franzen-Davis Crematory. No services are planned.
Ruth E. Lee
Ruth E. Lee, age 93, of Billings died Wednesday, April 19, 2000, at Eagle Cliff Manor in Billings.
She was born Jan. 26, 1907, at Cow Hand, Colo., the daughter of John and Lena (Marugg) Akerley. She was raised and graduated from high school in Greybull, Wyo. Ruth moved to California and worked in the defense plants during WWII.
She married
Charley R. Lee on Sept. 10, 1949, in Las Vegas, Nev., and they lived in Huntington Park, Calif. After Mr. Lee’s death in 1988, she moved to Billings to live with her sister. She had lived at Aspen View the past three years.
Ruth had attended the First Christian Church.
Survivors include a nephew, John A. Brewer of Billings, and three nieces, Dolores Buwalda of Anchorage, Alaska, Sallie Stremmel of Lake Jackson, Texas, and Yvonne Cox of Chester, Calif. She was preceded in death by two sisters, Dorothy Maes of Chester and Esther Brewer of Billings.
Graveside services will be 11:30 a.m. Monday, April 24, at Terrace Gardens cemetery. The casket is closed. Smith’s Downtown Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be made to First Christian Church Memorial Fund or charity of choice.
Jean J. Northam
Jean J. Northam passed away on Tuesday, April 18, 2000, at St. John’s Lutheran Nursing Home in Billings. She was born in Michigan City, Ind., on June 25, 1916, the first child of Alfred and Virginia Johnson.
Jean went to school in Michigan City and lived on the farm that her parents worked for many years. In the late 1930s, she met Harry B. Northam, whom she married
on July 1, 1940, in Libertyville, Ill. The lived a wonderful life together in Michigan City; Pulliman, Ill.; Washington, D.C.; and finally the greater part of their marriage in Chicago. Jean and Harry had one child, Callen K. Northam of Billings. Harry died on June 2, 1968, after a long struggle with cancer.
Jean loved to work in the garden and work with her plants both in Chicago and in Michigan City. After Harry’s death, she worked for a large greenhouse and flower shop in Chicago, a job that she really enjoyed. One of Jean’s passions was watching the Chicago Cubs play baseball with Harry and her son. The Cubs have lost a passionate fan.
Jean moved to Indiana in the ’70s to help take care of her mother prior to her mother’s death. She then began a new career with Farm Bureau Insurance as an office manger, working there until retirement at age 70. She later went to work for another insurance agency until she reached 80. Jean loved being around people and working. In addition, she was a passionate reader of novels. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers, Robert and Rodger Johnson.
She is survived by her son and his family, Cal and Judy Northam and grandchildren, Craig Northam of Littleton, Colo., Lori Northam of Billings, and Jacque Northam of Boise, Idaho; her sister and her family, Nancy Mertell and her husband Barney of Temecula, Calif.; her brother and his family, Theodore and Delores Johnson of Gulfport, Miss.; and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Rodger (Jeanette) Johnson of Ypsilanti, Mich.
Mom will be missed by her family and the many friends at St. John’s Lutheran Retirement Home, Saint Vincent Hospital, and the Schlegelmilch families of Michigan City, Ind.
Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held in Billings at Michelotti, Sawyers & Nordquist on Friday, April 21, 2000, at 3 p.m. Graveside services will be at Pine Lake cemetery, LaPorte, Ind., on Thursday, April 27, 2000, at 10 a.m., where Jean will be put to rest next to her husband of 28 years. The world has lost a wonderful person who made a difference. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Saint Vincent Foundation or St. John’s Lutheran Retirement Inc. Foundation.
Clint Radke
SIDNEY – Clint Radke, 78, died Tuesday, April 18, 2000, at the Deaconess Medical Center in Billings.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, April 24, at the St. Matthew’s Catholic Church. Interment will be in the Sidney cemetery. Fulkerson Funeral Home of Sidney is in charge.
Jana Lynn Ruland
LITTLETON, Colo. – Jana Lynn (Watters) Ruland, 47, died Thursday, April 13, 2000.
Services were held on Monday, April 17 at Drinkwine Family Mortuary in Littleton. Interment was in Crown Hill cemetery, Powell, Wyo.
Gloria June Grimm
Gloria June Grimm, 69, of Billings, died Saturday, April 16, 2000, at Valley Health Care Center of natural causes.
At her request no services are planned. Cremation by Cremation Society of Montana.
Ada T. Snedden
SHERIDAN, Wyo. – Ada Tromble Snedden, 86, died Sunday, April 16, 2000, at her daughter and son-in-law’s home after a long battle with cancer.
Cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19, at the First Presbyterian Church. Ferries Funeral Home is in charge.
Ruth Fish Howard
Ruth Howard was born in Lithium, Mo., on Feb. 5, 1905, when the 20th Century was still young. Teddy Roosevelt was President. Orville and Wilbur Wright had successfully flown their experimental aircraft only 14 months before. First production of the model T was still three years away. Ruth grew up to became a teacher and headed west to instruct young students in algebra. She chose Worden to settle down. She was bright and not only good in math, but she loved music. Ruth’s students remember her directing an operetta at the high school. She didn’t just tell the students how to perform their parts. If a young actress had trouble getting her part right in rehearsal, Ruth would get up on stage and show them what she wanted. She loved to sing and to play the piano.
What enormous changes she saw during her lifetime. She was twelve when America joined the “war to end all wars.” She saw our country fight in the Second World War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and even the Gulf War. She lived through the Great Depression including the terrible stock market crash of 1929.
Ruth met her husband, Clifford, at a dance in Worden. They married
in 1930. Talk about optimism. Cliff was a handsome young farmer, but this was in the teeth of the depression: economic times the likes of which many of us have never seen. She supported Cliff when he returned to college in Kankakee, Ill., and continued to teach there after he graduated and began teaching himself. Cliff and Ruth returned to Worden and bought a farm in the 1940s. Ruth taught at both Worden and at Shepherd schools. Both Ruth and her husband were very involved in their community. Ruth enjoyed participating in Eastern Star.
She loved to garden and was good at needlepoint. Her house was immaculate. She took care to set a formal table even for simple meals for her and her husband. Their marriage lasted 65 years, ending at Cliff’s death in 1995.
Ruth’s life included an unshakable love of her husband and the commitment to excellence in the instruction of her young students. She is survived by two of her sisters, Billie Diekema of Niles, Mich., and Jacqueline Terwilliger of East Lansing, Mich., and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorials may be sent in her name to the St. Johns Lutheran Home, whose staff provided such compassionate care of Ruth during the last years of her life.
Lillian Majka Jacobson
Lillian Majka Jacobson, 78, died April 17, 2000, of congestive heart failure. She was born Dec. 10, 1921, in Chicago, to Francis and Frances Majka who were Polish immigrants to America, the sixth of eight children. She attended schools in Chicago. While working there, she met and married
her husband, Eugene Bruno April 12, 1947. In December 1948, they moved to Billings where her husband joined her father in the plumbing and heating business.
Lillian loved children, music, movies, books, theater and socializing. The quality she valued most in herself and others was a sense of humor; those who knew her well will remember her for that. She was honest, strong, generous, and devoted to her family and friends.
Lillian was preceded in death by her husband in 1983, two sisters, and two brothers. She is survived by her daughter, Linda Mae of Billings; a brother, Andrew Majka of Chicago; two sisters, Florence Olesiak and Mary Holland of Chicago; and 12 nieces and nephews.
Cremation has taken place. Memorial will be held in Chicago at a later date. Memorials may be sent to the charities of one’s choice. Arrangements were made by Cremation or Funeral Gallery.
Goodbye, beloved Mother, I will always love you.
Sophia Yates
SHERIDAN, Wyo. – Sophia Sara Sarkowitz Yates, 91, passed away Monday, April 17, 2000, at Westview Healthcare Center.
Visitation will be held from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, at Kane Funeral Home. Funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 20, at Holy Name Church with Father Ron Stolcis officiating. Interment will follow in the Sheridan Municipal cemetery.
Albert W. Vinke
SHERIDAN, Wyo. – Albert W. Vinke, 78, died Tuesday, April 18, 2000, at Westview Health Care Center in Sheridan.
Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 20, at Ferries Funeral Home, with the Elks Lodge No. 520 officers officiating. Viewing will be Thursday until the time of service. Ferries Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Harriet C. Walsh
Harriet C. Walsh (Grammy), 103, passed away April 17, 2000, at Billings. She was born Jan. 28, 1897, in Cresco, Iowa, to Jay and Albertina Van Slyke. After graduating from Cresco High School in 1915, she taught in country schools for five years.
She married
Lawrence J. Walsh on June 10, 1920. Harriet and Lawrence remained in Cresco following their marriage and raised four children. When Lawrence died in 1962, Harrier moved to Billings to live with her daughter, Kay Stenerson and her family.
Harriet was one of the very few surviving daughters whose father fought in the Civil War. Her father served with the 157th New York Infantry.
She is survived by her son, Lawrence J. Walsh and his wife, Mary Ellen of San Diego, Calif., nine grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren and three great-great- grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Jack, and her daughters, Patricia King, Gloria Clark and Kay Stenerson.
There will be a Mass at the Assumption Church in Cresco with burial at Calvary cemetery at a later date. Dahl Funeral Chapel in Billings is in charge of arrangements.
Lula Mae Cunningham
Lula Mae Cunningham, born Aug. 24, 1921, slipped away peacefully in her sleep April 18, 2000, from a short bout with cancer.
Lula was born in Kimball, Neb., the third of eight children to James and Velma Estes.
Lula at twelve years of age, moved with the family to the Rockvale area. On Oct. 22, 1937, she married
Lloyd Maxwell. They had three children, Charles Leroy, Beverly June and Bonnie Kay. Lloyd passed away April 16, 1957.
She married
Peter Cunningham on Nov. 8, 1958, and they had one son, Michael John. They lived and bought their home in Huntley, farming in Shepherd until Peter went to work for the Grain Terminal Association in Huntley.
Lula worked for Yellowstone Valley Electric from 1974 until 1985.
She is preceded in death by her infant son, Charles Leroy and husband Lloyd; two sisters, Lela and Glenda; and a brother, Jack.
She is survived by her husband, Pete of Huntley; children, Beverly of Princeton, Idaho, Bonnie of the family home in Huntley, Michael and Karen Stock of Billings; three sisters, Merle, Betty and Lucille, all of Laurel; and a brother, Jim of Wyoming; four grandchildren, Lloyd Hugelen of Tooele, Utah, Renee Beck of Beaver, Wash., Justin Hugelen of Dillon, and Yvonne Hugelen of Palouse Wash.; seven great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter, Alexia Ann.
Lula had many friends who rallied around her in her last days. She loved her family, friends and home. She enjoyed many different crafts, making quilts, doilies and many other projects.
Her family came together to be with her in her final days.
We love you, Mom, and we will miss you Greatly. The family would like to thank all her many friends for their support through her illness. Special thanks to Marie Mahana who helped nurse Lula till the end. Also a thanks to Big Sky Hospice who helped Lula pass on with dignity. Any donations should be made to Barkemyer Park in memory of Lula Cunningham, c/o Steve Erb, Huntley, MT. Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, April 21, at St. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Ballantine. Interment will be at the Huntley cemetery. Smith Downtown Chapel in charge of arrangements.
Milo W. Leithead
WORLAND, Wyo. – Milo W. Leithead, 89, died at his home Tuesday, April 18, 2000.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 20, at the Worland Wyoming Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Visitation for family and friends will be from 10-11 a.m. at the church. Graveside services will be in the Lovell cemetery at 3 p.m.
Richard A. Flegler
BUCKEYE, ARIZ. – Richard A. Flegler, 53, of Buckeye, passed away Wednesday, April 12, 2000, at the family home. He was born Dec. 23, 1946, in Hardin, Mont., to his parents, Jake and Violet Flegler. He attended grade school at St. Xavier Public School, high school at Hardin High and Billings Senior High, and college at Eastern Montana College.
Rich served in the Army from 1967 to 1969 and was stationed in Korea at the time of his discharge. He worked as a land surveyor in Billings until his move to Phoenix in 1986. He worked for Salt River Project Electric Co. since 1987 as a survey technician. As befitted him, he continued to work 10-hour days right up to his last chemotherapy treatments.
He enjoyed any type of woodworking and, together with his wife, Karen, had embarked on numerous remodeling projects in the family home. He was noted for his fine eye for detail, extreme intelligence, and sharp wit. Anyone that knew Rich knew he was a truly “CLASS ACT” and will not be surprised to learn that he remained so right up to the end of his struggle with cancer. He truly enjoyed watching sports on TV and spending time with his grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 30 years, Karen J. Flegler; daughters, Laura Flegler of Carson City, Nev., April (Troy) Wilson and Misty Flegler of Phoenix; and grandchildren, Ashley, Dallas, and Autumn Wilson and Leslie and Justin Flegler. He is also survived by his parents of Huntley, Mont.; a brother, John D. (Jill) Flegler of DeSoto, Kan.; and four sisters, Janice D. (Gary) Koch and Sharon A. (Steve) Ketterling of Billings; Mary K. (Jarold) Petersen of Austin, Texas, and Lois L. McConnell of Metairie, La. Rich is also survived by his special mother-in-law, Wilma Jean Zeiler of Billings and his in-laws who loved him like their own, Jim (Sheila) Zeiler, Sherryl (Ron) Kramer, Dianna (Loyd) Garlock all of Billings, and Cynthia (Bud) Carl of Shepherd, Mont. In addition to all of these people, he is survived by nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, and special friends too numerous to mention. He was preceded in death by his father-in-law, Fred Zeiler.
We all loved him dearly and words cannot begin to express how much he will be missed. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, April 25, at 3 p.m., at Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ, 409 S. 36th Street, Billings. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the charity of your choice.
Rich, you were the first to leave us, but we know we will all be together in eternity. The Lord must have needed help in keeping things fine-tuned and under control. Keep the computer booted up for us in Heaven. See ya later!
