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Dorothy M. Gilmore
Dorothy M. Gilmore died Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2005. She died with enormous grace and dignity at her daughter's home in Helena, surrounded by family.
Mrs. Gilmore was born in Marmarth, N.D., to Art and Ester Ashley. She graduated from high school in Marmarth and married Russell L. Gilmore on Dec. 14, 1942, while attending college in Gulf Port, Miss.
Her life consisted first and foremost, of being a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother. She was always there to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. She spent the majority of her life at the family ranch south of Marmarth.
Upon the death of her husband in 1980, she moved to Miles City where she resided until August of 2004. She then moved to Helena to live with her daughter.
Mrs. Gilmore loved playing cards, playing the piano, reading and game shows. She was a very good seamstress and made the costumes for the plays performed at the Mystic Theater in Marmarth. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Miles City.
Her survivors include one sister, Jackie (Bernie) Rakes of Miles City; and one brother, Frank Ashley of San Diego, Calif.; three daughters, Sherry (Erv) Bohlman of Miles City, Melody (Frank) Ritchie of Helena, and Pamela (Ken) Hutton of Gillette, Wyo.; Ralph Gallo (who was like a son) of Townsend; and daughter-in-law Jayne Gilmore of Joliet.
Survivors also include her grandchildren, Randy (Deanne) Kruger, Tanya (Mike) South, Shawn (Jade) Gilmore and Chris (Lavonne) Gilmore, all of Miles City, Melissa (Brett) Clute of Livingston, Eric (Leanne) Gilmore of Billings, Kenna (Jake) Gores, and Levi (Brian) Sieler, both of Gillette, Wyo., and Michael (Teresa) Freier of Helena; one step-grandson, Dennis Bohlman of Miles City; three step-granddaughters, Shar Ritchie of Portland, Ore., Jacquline Ritchie of Beaverton, Ore., and Lesa (Michael) Craig of Antioch, Calif.; 26 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
In addition to her husband, Russell, she was preceded in death by her parents, Art and Ester Ashley; two sons, Gary and Dennis; and one grandchild, Aaron Freier.
The Vigil Service will be held Thursday, Jan. 27, 2005, at 7 p.m. at Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. A Funeral Service will be held Friday Jan. 28, 2005, at 10 a.m. at Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Graveside burial will take place at Riverside Cemetery in Marmarth at 3 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to the American Lung Association.
Joan Sweeney
Services for Joan Sweeney, a 1954 honors graduate of Custer County High School, were held Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2005, at The American Martyr's Catholic Church in Manhattan Beach, Calif.
She died peacefully at her home in Manhattan Beach on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2005, with her loving sister Kathy at her bedside. She had suffered from Lou Gehrig's disease for three years.
Born in Miles City to Howard and Jean Sweeney on Dec. 22, 1936, she was two months premature and weighed just two pounds. Her miraculous survival is credited to a new and young obstetrician in town, Dr. Elna Howard, and to a direct blood transfusion from her father, Howard Sweeney. The bond between father and daughter from that time on was extremely strong and continued for a lifetime.
She graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in journalism. Following graduation she worked for "Harper's Bazaar" and "McCall's" magazines in New York City. Later she joined the staff for John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign. Following his election, she remained on at the White House for a short time and then went to Los Angeles to work for United Press International (UPI). She was working for UPI at the time of President Kennedy's assassination and contributed to the preparation of UPI's book, "Four Days, the Historical Record of the Death of President Kennedy."
She then worked as a producer for CBS television news in Los Angeles, feeding the West Coast news Walter Cronkite for his evening news broadcast. Following her career with CBS, she went to work for the "Los Angeles Times" in 1971 as a writer and editor.
In 1984, she left the "Times" to become a full-time novelist, writing 17 romance novels. Her love of books probably came from the many hours her father spent reading to her when she was a child. While attending her high school class reunion in 1994, she brought copies of her then latest book to share with her classmates.
During her long-time journalism career, she had many exciting assignments, such as being the first woman to cover an Olympics, 1968 in Mexico City; being a member of the press who boarded the Boeing 747 on its maiden fight; and interviewing celebrities such as Princess Margaret and Lord Snowden.
She and Richard O'Reilly were married in 1981. They later divorced. She remained very close to her step-children, Randy and Katie O'Reilly.
Her survivors include her sister, Kathy Heron, husband, Julian, and their children, Kevin and Kathleen, all of Great Falls, Va.; two step-children, Randy and Katie O'Reilly; her aunts, Mary Crone and Deloris Sweeney, both of Miles City, and Donna Sweeney of Billings; her uncle and aunt, Jim and Lois Lund of White Bear Lake, Minn.; her uncle and aunt, Don and Dora Lund of Colorado; and many cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Jean Sweeney.
Joan left a lasting legacy to the entire Sweeney family. She was and will always be a role-model to all of her cousins.
Sarah Abbott
Sarah Abbott, 91, of Miles City died Monday, Jan. 24, 2005, at the Fallon County Medical Complex in Baker.
She was born as Sarah Scherer on April 30, 1913, in McIntosh County, North Dakota. Her father was Jacob Scherer of German ancestry who lived in Russia. He migrated to America where he met Mrs. Abbott's mother, Eva Troutman. Together they had nine children, Rudolph, Leah, Pauline, Rachel, Anis, Ruben, Calvin, Ishmael and Sarah. Mrs. Abbott spent her childhood in Pollock, S. D.
She and David Wallace were married and to this union three children were born, Mildred "Millie," Frankie "Frank" and Walter "Wally."
She later married Art Peaslee. After his death she married Jim Abbott. They lived Miles City for several years and then moved to Broadus. After Mr. Abbott's death she moved back to Miles City for 21 years. She spent six months at the Friendship Villa in Miles City and then moved to Quality Personal Care in Baker to be closer to her daughter.
Mrs. Abbott loved her family and friends. She spent many hours working on her quilts and woven rugs.
Survivors include her daughter, Millie Molstad, and her husband, Dick, of Baker; her sons, Frank Wallace of Dubois, Wyo., and Walter Wallace, and his wife, Lois, of Ennis; her grandchildren, Linda Molstad Johnson of Bozeman, David Molstad of Salem, Ore., Peggy Wallace House of Denver, Colo., Joy Wallace Higgins, Sarah Wallace Marsyla and Tammy Wallace of Longview, Wash., and Carol Abbott Hirsch of Miles City; her great-grandchildren, Christopher and Chad Johnson, Caleb, Rachel and Aaron Molstad, Jessica, Jennifer, Jackie, Michael, Brandi, Breana and Brittany Higgins, Nicole and Kistapher Marsyla.
In addition to her husbands, she was preceded in death by her parents and all of her brothers and sisters.
Funeral services will be Saturday, Jan. 29, 2005, at 3 p.m. in the Seventh Day Adventist Church, 212 N. Stacy Ave. Interment will follow in the Custer County Cemetery. Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Should friends desire, memorials may be made to Quality Personal Care, 101 South 2nd St., Baker, MT 59313.
Dennis Schuchard
Dennis Schuchard died Monday, Jan. 24, 2005, at Deaconess Hospital in Billings with his family by his side after losing his battle with Leukemia.
He was born in Napoleon, N.D., on Sept. 26, 1942, to Lewis Alvin and Nellie Schuchard. In 1944, his father died during World War II. In the early 1950s, Mr. Schuchard's mother moved the family to Montana to live with her brother in Two Dot.
Mr. Schuchard attended school in Harlowton, graduating in 1960. He worked on area ranches out of high school, and served in the National Guard.
He met Shirley during this time, marrying the love of his life on June 19, 1965. During their marriage Mr. Schuchard held several jobs. He worked for the Forest Service, State Grain Lab, Haymaker Ranch, Milwaukee Railroad, Two Dot School Bus Route and Martinsdale School Bus Route for Harlowton High School. Later he materialized what he loved, working with his hands making saddles and other leatherwork, a hobby he started in high school. Throughout Mr. Schuchard's career he also did outside ranch work, attended numerous brandings and owned his own business of making hay panels and cutting corral poles for area ranches.
Mr. Schuchard loved horses, a passion derived shortly after high school when he and his brother, Norman, started breaking horses. Mr. Schuchard was a member of the Montana Rodeo Association and Northern Rodeo Association for many years, where he rode saddle bronc horses, calf roped and team roped.
In his later years, Mr. Schuchard began his love for team roping, spending extra time helping his sons learn to rope. He finally was able to build his own arena where he held roping practices and some jackpot ropings for his friends and family. The greatest and proudest moment of his arena was when the benefit roping was held on his behalf this past August.
Mr. Schuchard competed in many team ropings with Shane, Rhonda, Lance and Amber throughout Montana. A special highlight in his life was being able to make the Trophy Saddles for the team roping year-end winners for the Northern Rodeo Association, one being won by Travis Tryan, which he used while roping at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Mr. Schuchard also was an avid hunter, a passion he instilled in his two sons.
He was a hard working and honest person, gaining respect from residents in the community and surrounding areas. He was a great family person. Mr. Schuchard loved to spend time with his wife. They were only apart during the time he spent in Basic Training for the National Guard. He loved his family and his greatest highlights before and after he was sick were his grandchildren, whom he loved very much.
Mr. Schuchard leaves behind many friends and family. His survivors include his wife, Shirley; daughter, Natalie Ely, her husband, Matt, and their children, Sierra, Megan, Samantha and Carson; son, Shane, his wife, Rhonda, and their children, Shelby, Sydney and Chase; and son, Lance, and his girlfriend, Amber Ferrin, of Harlowton, formerly of Miles City; two brothers, Duane and his wife, Shirley, and Norman, and his wife, Sal; a sister, Lucille Cameron; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Ralph, and Arnold and Bonnie Lou who died as infants.
Funeral services will be held at Perkins Funeral Home in Harlowton on Friday, Jan. 28, 2005, at 2 p.m.
