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Charles Patten
Charles Patten, age 80, of Broadus, died on Thursday, December 29, 2011 at the Powder River Manor with his family by his side.
Mr. Patten was born September 25, 1931 in Broadus, Mont., the son of Benjamin and Georgiana (Headley) Patten. He grew up on the family homestead in Graham, Mont., along with five brothers and five sisters. He remained on the homestead while his brothers were in the military. Through hard work and perseverance, he was able to expand the homestead into a full-fledged ranch by purchasing the Nash and Kramlich homesteads as well as the Washington Ranch.
Charles and Marla Barnhart were married
in 1953. He married
Maxine Robinson in 1977.
He was a leader to bring new energy to Montana as he served on the Tongue River Electric Cooperative board for many years. He was a member of the local Rifle Club, lifetime member of East Fork Roping Club, and a charter member of Cochran Grazing Association.
He was one of the premier drovers for the cattle herd of the Montana Centennial Cattle Drive of 1989. This inspired him to become a founding father of the Powder River Wagon Trains & Cattle Drives. He helped organize Montana Ranch Tours, and participated in every drive that was held in Powder River County until he entered the Powder River Manor.
Mr. Patten is survived by his wife, Maxine, of Broadus; two brothers, Whitney and Irvine; two sons: Ward (Darcia) of Broadus and Clayton (Tana) of Broadus; three daughters: Lawana of Bozeman, Marla Bea (Jerry) of Broadus and Kendra (Dan) of Broadus; stepchildren: LeAnn (Steve) Rhodes of Broadus, John (Connie) Robinson of Broadus, Mike (Dixie) Stark of Darby, Sherlee (Richard) Santorno of Ronan and Dan (Cheryl) Stark of Thompson Falls; 15 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on Monday, January 2, 2012 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Chapel of Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Broadus. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 2 p.m. at the Powder River Congregational Church in Broadus. Burial will follow in the Valley View cemetery.
Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the Henry Malley Memorial Library or the charity of one’s choice. Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.
James Robert Masterson
James Robert Masterson, 89, of London, England, formerly of Miles City, died Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011.
Mr. Masterson was born on Nov. 7, 1922, in Miles City, the son of Edward and Minnie Rearan Masterson and the grandson of William “Bill” Rearan, a cattleman in the early 1880s in Custer County. He attended schools in Miles City and graduated from Custer County High School in 1940.
Mr. Masterson’s military service included two years of duty with the United States Army Corp’s 8th Air Force in England. Toward the end of the war, he married
an English woman, Doreen Brown.
After the war, he pursued further education at the University of Montana-Missoula, culminating in a master’s degree in history. Further graduate study in the field of philosophy took him to the University of Washington, Harvard University and Birkbeck College (University of London).
Mr. Masterson took up residence in England in 1954 and remained there through the rest of his life, except for brief stays in the United States. He was employed in the London school system, teaching a variety of subjects, including the sport of cricket. He caught and held the attention of his pupils through his western ways — rolling his own cigarettes during school breaks, cowboy-style, with Bull Durham and using a red bandana for a pocket handkerchief.
In his retirement years, he read widely in English literature, but concentrated mainly in the field of philosophy. He was an avid bicycle rider — conveying his groceries through the streets of London while competing for road space with vehicles of the four-wheel kind.
His survivors include his companion of many years, Maureen Young; a brother, Frank Masterson of 600 George St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401; a niece, Jane Masterson of New York City; and two nephews, Mark Masterson of Lynnwood, Wash., and Ronald Brown of London, England.
Mr. Masterson was preceded in death by his wife.
Don L. Pace
Don L. Pace, 56. of Helena died at his home, Thursday, December 22, 2011, of an apparent heart attack.
Don was born in Helena to Jim and Leah Pace on November 13, 1955. He moved to Miles City with his parents as a small child. Don attended Miles City schools and graduated from Custer County High School. He later moved back to Helena and has lived there many years.
Don married
Dawna Swindler of Helena in 1993. They have no children.
He is survived by his wife: Dawna; his mother: Leah Pace; two sisters: Connie (Loren) Delaware of Kansas City, Mo., and Sondra (Mike) Harasymczuk of Miles City. Also he is survived by many cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, Jim; his grandparents, Loren and Martha Sisson of Miles City and Rosella Sayler of Fromberg, Mt.
Cremation has taken place and a memorial service in Helena is planned for later this spring.
If you wish, memorials may be made to a charity of your choice or to the Eastern Montana Industries of Miles City.
Harold Lee Basiak Sr.
Harold Lee Basiak Sr., 69, of Miles City died Monday, Dec. 26, 2011, at the St. Vincent Hospital in Billings.
Mr. Basiak was born on April 2, 1942, in East Fairview, N.D., to Chester and Anne Miller C. Basiak. He attended school in Fairview and worked various jobs in the area before he moved to Helena.
In Helena he worked at American Chemical where he met and worked alongside Charley Pride, the country musician.
Later Mr. Basiak moved to Glendive and married
Frances Glasser and to this union two children were born — a son, Scott and a daughter, Sheila.
The Mr. Basiak married
Julita and they had a son, Harold Leonard “Lenny.” Mr. Basiak was married
a third time to Lisa.
His survivors include a brother, Curtis (Johanna) of Sidney; a special cousin, Ruth Maes from Fairview; and a lot of cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, James.
Services will be Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, at 11 a.m. at Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Burial will take place at a later date at the Fairview cemetery in Fairview.
Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home of Miles City is in charge of the arrangements.
Alfred P. Torgerson
Alfred P. Torgerson, 61, of Billings, died Monday, Dec. 26, 2011, at the Billings Clinic.
Mr. Torgerson was born on Oct. 31, 1950, in Ft. Meade, Md., the son of Norman and Margot Kemmer Torgerson. Alfred grew up in the Sidney area and graduated from Sidney High School.
After school, he enlisted in the United States Navy, where he served during the Viet Nam incident. Afterwards he moved to Manhattan, MT. Later, he moved back to Sidney where he was a carpet installer.
He and Doris Frank were married
. To this union one daughter was born. In 1975 he married
Patricia Susan Engle and they had three children.
Later on in life, Mr. Torgerson worked for Halliburton and Western Oil Field services. After he moved on from the oil field he became an insurance agent at Western Farmer Stockman. He then returned to construction until the time of his death.
Mr. Torgerson was a very accomplished wood maker.
He is survived by his father: Norman Torgerson of Arizona; his sons: Brandon Torgerson of Glendive and Michael Torgerson of Glendive; his daughters: Leslie Torgerson and Jeannie Torgerson, both of Billings; his brother: Norman Torgerson of Apache Junction, Ariz.; a sister, Paulette Craun of Coolidge, Ariz.; and five grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Margot Torgerson.
A prayer service will be Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, at 6 p.m. in the Chapel of Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Funeral services will be Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, at 1 p.m. in the chapel of Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home in Miles City.
David Frank Witt
David Frank “Dave” Witt, 60, of Sand Springs died Thursday morning, Dec. 22, 2011, after a seven-month battle with cancer, at the family ranch.
He was born in Jordan on June 22, 1951, one of eight children born to Frank and Maxine Witt of Sand Springs. He attended grade school at Benzien and high school in Jordan. During high school, he lived in the county dorm under the watchful eye of Mrs. Helen Dunning.
After high school, he and Karen Clark were married
on Dec. 27, 1969. Mr. Witt also served in the National Guard as he started ranching full time on the family place northwest of Sand Springs. He raised Registered Hereford, Registered Angus and even sheep for a few years during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
While working and raising children, Mr. Witt also served on several local school boards as well as two different terms on the county high school board. He also served one term as president of the Montana Hereford Association.
His survivors include his wife of almost 42 years, Karen Clark Witt; his three sons, Cody (Christina), Kelly (Marnie) and Troy (Margo); two sisters, Judy Coldwell and Nina Foster (Bruce); three brothers, Jerry (Elaine), John and Mike Witt; brothers-in-law, Dale (Karla) Clark and Alan (Lori) Clark; sister-in-law, Donna (Homer) WIlliams; father-in-law, Alvin (Patsy) Clark; three grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Maxine Witt; his brother-in-law, Cole Coldwell; his mother-in-law, Darlene Clark; and his youngest son, PFC Owen Witt, who died in Iraq in 2004.
Visitation will be Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, from 1 to 6 p.m. in Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home in Jordan. Funeral services will be Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, at 10 a.m. in the Jordan Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall with burial to follow in the Steve’s Fork cemetery with military honors.
Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home of Jordan is entrusted with the arrangements.
Andy Seymour Muri
Andy Seymour Muri, beloved father, grandfather, uncle and brother, died Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, from surgery complications.
Mr. Muri was born Aug. 29, 1921, in his grandmother’s home in Cartersville, the fourth of nine children of Rasmus and Nellie (Johnson) Muri.
Early life on the ranch across the river from Rosebud developed Mr. Muri’s lifelong values of honesty, patience, sharing, competitiveness, and unconditional love. After graduation from high school in Miles City in 1939 and a short stint at Custer County Junior College, he and his brother, Bob, followed older brother, Jim in joining the Army Air Corps. Mr. Muri quickly achieved Captain as a B-24 pilot. He served more than 400 flight hours in the South Pacific and as an instructor.
After discharge, he and his new bride, Lorraine Lockie, decided to make a go of the home place with Bob and his family in Rosebud. He loved the 15-year opportunity to raise his young family and live the ranch life, but found it necessary to branch out into business. He bought the Palace Bar and Lanes in Laurel in 1962 and later went into real estate at United Farm Agency.
Mr. Muri founded C-Mor Real Estate in Laurel and Red Lodge, specializing in farms and ranches. He held his license for 40 years.
The best sale Mr. Muri ever made involved the cozy Stillwater cabin where he could be found fly-fishing almost every weekend each summer. Many family members and friends were treated to on-the-spot casting or river reading lessons. He could fix nearly anything and you could count on a repair lasting. He loved participating in and watching sporting events, especially if his children, grandchildren or any in his large extended family were involved.
Mr. Muri’s family and friends will miss his reliability, subtle humor, Norwegian stubbornness, and unconditional, unwavering support for his family.
In addition to health issues, Mr. Muri suffered greatly from the death of his beloved Lorraine in 1998 and is most certainly at peace now.
He is survived by older brothers, Bill (Virginia), Jim and Bob Muri, (Jean); younger siblings, Marie Ansoms, Carl (Joyce), Al “Buck” (Danetta) and Pete Muri (Anita); daughters, Jeannie Cantrell (Mike) and Sheri Krug; grandchildren, Erica Dawson (Chris), Matt Cantrell (Kristin), and Kimberly, Nicole and Russell Krug; great-grandchildren, Isabel Lorraine Dawson, Branden and Katherine Cantrell; and many nieces and nephews.
His younger sister, Ann Leischner, preceded him in death.
The staff at St. Vincent’s sixth floor and ICU, and the staff at Billings Health and Rehabilitation Community gave supportive and compassionate care to Mr. Muri.
Smith Funeral Home in Laurel is in charge of the services, which will be Wednesday, Dec 28, 2011, at 1 p.m. at the Laurel United Methodist Church.
Donations in Mr. Muri’s name may be made to the Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society or the charity of one’s choice.
KayDel Christopherson
KayDel Christopherson, 74, of Miles City died Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, in Miles City.
KayDel Wiedeman Christopherson was born in Miles City on April 11, 1937. She struggled with a number of serious health problems for many years, but by God’s grace and her love and devotion to her family, she was able to remain “on planet earth” just a little longer, for which her family is and shall remain forever grateful.
Mrs. Christopherson was the daughter of Ragnhild “Ruth” Lee Wiedeman and Alwyn Joseph Wiedeman. She attended school in Miles City, including Miles City Junior College, where she graduated with a bachelor of science degree in nursing. She first worked at Holy Rosary Hospital and then at the Veterans Affairs Hospital, where she worked for more than 20 years, first in surgical care and then in cardiac care ICU, which she and her dear friend Rebecca Kane were instrumental in establishing.
While working full time at the VA, she also pursued her master’s degree at the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D. As a service to her community, she frequently taught classes on recognizing the symptoms of heart attacks and provided training to Miles City Fire and Rescue EMTs, including the training necessary for certification to offer Advanced Life Support care to the community.
A voracious reader and lover of words and knowledge, she never stopped studying and learning. Her family expects to find “sticky notes” and bits of paper covered with words and their definitions, facts, Bible verses, thoughts, and observations stuck within the pages of books and magazines for many years to come.
A talented musician, Mrs. Christopherson always spoke fondly of playing the snare drum with the band at Custer County High School and playing the organ at dance jobs with her father on the drums. She was extremely creative, a gifted wordsmith, and an exceptional cook. If she was going to attempt to do something, she was determined to do it well. And so she did.
Her love, kindness and generosity extended beyond her human counterparts. With the exception of spiders, she adored all animals. She enjoyed standing at the kitchen windows watching birds and squirrels that frequented the multiple bird feeders that were set up on the deck. She especially loved dogs — from Boxers to Westies and every breed in between, she found the kissy parts and made sure they were properly admired and kissed whenever a dog was in her presence. If she ever learned of a dog in need, she made sure that dog received the care it required.
She married
her best friend, Lester, on Dec. 22, 1958. Faithful and loving partners, Mr. and Mrs. Christopherson worked side-by-side to build a successful life with one another. Their mutual respect and undying devotion to one another is the reason that they would have celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary had she lived just one more day.
She was kind and generous with her time, her wisdom, and her good and valuable advice. Her capacity to love was limitless, and as a consequence, she was loved without limitation. The nurse was always in, and you can be sure that whenever family or friends found themselves sitting in Mrs. Christopherson’s kitchen, they would not leave without having first learned something about themselves. She had a wonderful ability to gently cut through the nonsense, get to the heart of what was troubling a person, and help them to move through to the other side.
Her survivors include her husband, Lester; sons, Brent L. Christopherson (Kim) of Missoula and Kalispell and Blane D. Christopherson (Janet) of Casper, Wyo.; and grandchildren, Kaytie Lee (22), Leslee Eileen (16), and Mathew Gordon (13), all of Casper.
She is also survived by her sister, Jana Jo Towery (Bob) of Monument, Colo.; brothers, Douglas A. Wiedeman (Beth) of Miles City and Hayward L. (Ward) Wiedeman (Sherri) of Miles City; and a multitude of cousins, nieces, nephews and dear friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Miles City Fire and Rescue Firefighters’ Defibrillator Fund or to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).
Visitation will be Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011, with family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m. at Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Funeral services will be Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011, at 1 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Miles City. Interment will follow in the Custer County cemetery.
Frank Martinez
Frank Martinez, 71, of Fallon, died on Dec. 18, 2011, at the Glendive Medical Center.
Mr. Martinez was born on Aug. 12, 1940, to parents Jose Martinez and Esther Elizabeth Broman. He was born and raised in Seattle, Wash. After listening to his kids talk about wanting to move to Montana, he hit the road and found himself in Terry. He fell in love with the area and the community and settled in Fallon. He made many special friends out here.
He is survived by a son, George Martinez (Lisa); daughters, Tina Brown (Matt) and Rosita Wears (John); his sister, Rosita Cox (Bob); grandchildren, Jessie, Brian, Zack (Bri), Madina, Melinda, Tyler, Gabriel, Stephanie, Melanie, Ashley and Kimberlee; great-grandchildren, Emily, Madisyn and Jaidyn; nieces, Denise and Karen; and nephew, Glen.
Mr. Martinez was preceded in death by his wife, Donna Martinez.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Irv Haidle
On Sept. 28, Irv, his wife Marilyn, and family friend Abe Scheaffer, were heading to an appointment in Broken Bow, Nebraska. Due to low morning sun glare on the windshield and lack of familiarity with the road, Irv missed a stop sign at an intersection and collided with a flatbed pickup.
While Marilyn and Abe are both recovering nicely from their injuries, the Lord chose to heal Irv completely by taking him home to be with Him on Sept 30. Although we greatly miss him, the family rejoices that he is enjoying the blessed hope and promise of salvation, given to all those who place their faith in the finished work of Christ alone.
Irv’s siblings, children, and grandchildren were able to make it to the hospital before he died. Family meant so much to him, and it was only fitting that the family be with him at the time of his death. Although he had many accomplishments, His faith in Jesus Christ was the most important thing to him, which he lived out in every aspect of his life, impacting the lives of many. God’s peace and comfort has filled his family based on God’s promises, Irv’s example, and experiencing the outpouring of love from people all around the world.
While his death was unexpected, he lived his life in such a way that he has left behind a legacy of faith and honesty that will continue to impact his family, friends, and ag business for many years to come.
He is survived by Marilyn, his wife of 49 years, daughter Kim (Scott) Anderson of Billings MT, sons Kevin (Deanne) of Holyoke CO, Daryl (Candi) of Billings, and Dean (Shanna) of Callaway NE, grandchildren Kelvin (Teryn), Britney (Sammy) Higgs, Taylor, Kasey Anderson, Logan Anderson, Tate, Trey, Whitney, Kade, Kelsey, Brett, Nadeema, Uotong, and Nyachay, and great-grandson Asher Higgs. He is also survived by one brother, Lynn (Bonnie), Jeff (Renata), Connor and Tessa, Jerry (Niki), Carson; one sister, Valda (Lyle) Jones, Lisa (Jason), Jenna Johnston, and Lori Jones.
The memorial service will be held on December 30th at 11:00 am at the Faith Evangelical Church in Billings, Montana, located at 3145 Sweetwater Drive. There will be a luncheon following, with an informal time of sharing memories. Any questions please call Kim at 406-696-8300.
Memorials are suggested to Fallon Evangelical Church (prairelight.org), Trail’s End Ranch Christian Camp (ter.org), or to your choosing.
Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home of Miles City, Montana is in charge of arrangements.
