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Elaine Kerr
Elaine H. Kerr, age 91, of Terry, Mont., died on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 at the Prairie County Nursing Home in Terry.
Mrs. Kerr was born on February 26, 1915 in Minneapolis, Minn., the daughter of Louis and Hannah (Grytdahl) Issel. She was raised and attended schools in Minneapolis with the Andrew Sisters, and always remembered being chased home by Maxine. Following her schooling, she worked various jobs from babysitting to waitressing and was also a housekeeper.
She married
Rex Kerr on September 8, 1934 in Cresco, Iowa. They then moved to Robbinsdale, Minn., where Rex worked at the Chevy garage. They later moved to Finlayson, Minn., where they farmed for 23 years. They also lived in Sandstone, Minn., where Elaine worked at the nursing home from 1962 to 1968. They then moved to Terry, Mont., in November of 1975.
Mr. Kerr died on July 27, 1997 and Mrs. Kerr has remained in Terry ever since.
She enjoyed canning, baking, and gardening. She was a wonderful homemaker and especially loved being a wife and mother. She was a member of the Robbinsdale Bible Church, the Evangelical Free Church in Sandstone, Minn., and the Wesleyan Church in Terry.
Mrs. Kerr is survived by her son, Richard Kerr of Minneapolis, Minn.; her daughter, Patricia Ward of Seattle, Wash.; nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Rex, two brothers: Charles and Louis; and three sisters: Elsie, Evelyn and Viola.
Visitation will be held on Friday, June 16, 2006 from 1-6 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Terry. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 17, 2006 at 3 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Terry. Interment will follow in the family lot of the Prairie County cemetery.
Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the Prairie Community Nursing Home.
Jim Balk
Age 74 of Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin
Formerly of Plentywood, Mt. and Miles City, Mt.
Jim passed away May 24, 2006 in (PDC) Prairie Du Chien Memorial Hospital surrounded by family and friends after a long bout with cancer.
He met the love of his life Lois, also of PDC, and they married
August 10, 1953 in Augusta, Georgia and had four children in PDC.
Jim was a Veteran of the Korean War and served from 1951 thru 1953. Shortly after, he started working at the Prairie Maid Bakery in PDC to find his life-long career of baking. He was very successful at it and purchased his first bakery in Plentywood, Mt. in 1966. He moved his family and all their belongings west in a station wagon to start his life.
After building the business up he sold and went on to start and establish bakeries in the following Montana communities: Laurel, Chinook, and Miles City before moving to Cando, N.D., where he finished his baking career there and retired, moving back to PDC.
Jim loved to bake and cook so much he continued making cookies and treats at home after retiring. He was always providing treats to others as well as filling your freezer whenever he came to visit with cookies, potato pancakes and dumplings. He also loved playing cards and was always ready to deal them out anytime there were any takers. He kept his skills sharpened by playing cards on his computer. The Riverboat Casino also provided him with many hours of pleasure, playing his favorite five-cent Double Bucks slot machine when he needed time out.
He is survived by Lois, his wife of 52 years, two sons (Jim Balk, Jr. and his wife Cheryl of Langdon, N.D.) and (Glenn Balk and his wife Rosemary of Miles City, Mt.); two daughters (Debbie and her husband Dennis Heupel of Bismark, N.D.) and (Renee and her husband Rodney Glover of Laurel, Mt.); nine grandchildren; two great-grand children; three brothers, Joe Jr., Francis, Arnie; and one sister Mary.
Cremation has taken place and a private family service will be held in Miles City, Mt. at a later date.
Condolences may be sent to Lois L. Balk, 1124 South 17th Street, Apt. 47, Prairie Du Chien, Wi. 53821.
The family wishes to thank everyone who supported and provided excellent care and companionship to .Jim during the years of his life.
Margaret Lucile Williams
Margaret Lucile Williams, 87, of Billings died on Friday, June 9, 2006 at the St. Johns Nursing Home.
Mrs. Williams was born on February 19, 1919 in Columbus, Mont., the daughter of Carl and Bernice (Hilderbrand) Hartcourt. She graduated from Columbus High School. She married
Orrie Williams on Feb 21, 1939. They moved to Roundup with the Sawyer Store and then to Miles City where they started their family. She lived there until September of 2003, when she moved to Billings.
While in Miles City, Mrs. Williams was active in the Red Cross, First Lutheran Church and was an avid golfer for many years. She enjoyed sewing, knitting and playing bridge.
She is preceded in death by her husband Orrie, two sisters, and a brother. She is survived by her two sons: Roger (Ellen) Williams, granddaughter Kari, and great-granddaughter Grace, all of Billings; and Alan (Nancy) Williams, step-grandson Jamie and step-granddaughter Carlin, all of Bozeman; and two sisters, Bernice Frank of Dillon and Carlyne White of Aurora, Colo.
The family would like to thank Dr. Michels, Paster Joan, Mary Jo, Carna, and all the staff at St. Johns Nursing Home for all of their wonderful care.
Visitation will start at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 13, 2006, with the family receiving friends from 5-7 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 at 1 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Miles City. Interment will follow in the family lot at the Custer County cemetery.
Memorials may be given to St. Johns Lutheran Ministries, 3940 Rimrock Road, Billings Montana 59102 or charities of one’s choice.
Leonard George Walker
Leonard George Walker, 96, of Lewistown, former Miles City and Kinsey resident, died Sunday, June 11, 2006, in Lewistown.
He was born April 2, 1910, to George and Maude Bennett Walker at Salt Creek near Newcastle, Wyo. He went to school in the mining town of Cambria, Wyo. The family lived on a ranch and enjoyed riding horseback. His father died when Mr. Walker was 12. Mr. Walker lived with neighbors and worked farm jobs to support his brothers and sisters. When he was old enough to drive, he drove a gas truck for nine years at Newcastle.
On May 28, 1936, he and Frances Wocicki were married
. They moved to Ekalaka, where they ran a gas station for three years. In 1941 they moved near Miles City to Kinsey, where they farmed for 53 years and couldn’t have been happier. That is where they raised their son, George, and daughter, Kay.
They moved to Miles City in 1995 and had lived in Lewistown to be near their daughter, Kay Mathison, and her husband, Marvin, for the past two years.
Mr. Walker loved horses, but lightning struck his last one. He never met a stranger and offered sayings such as “Don’t take any wooden nickels” and that he was “Blind in one eye and couldn’t see out of the other.” He loved to visit with everyone..
His survivors include his wife, Frances; daughter, Kay, and son-in-law, Marvin Mathison of Lewistown; son, George Walker, and daughter-in-law, Fayle of Albany, Ore; sisters, Alice McCoy of Newcastle, Orice Chipman of Soquell, Calif., Frances O’Billovich of Butte and LaVeda Allen of Sunnyvale, Calif.; brother, Howard Walker of Yuma, Ariz.; grandsons, Michael Mathison of Portland, Ore., Andy Mathison of Lewistown, Brian Walker of Post Falls, Idaho; and granddaughter, Shelley Bell of Janesville, Wis.; six great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Nellie McCoy; and brother, Alvin Walker.
Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 14, 2006, in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Fr. Gilbert Hemauer, OFM Cap, at celebrant. Interment will follow in Custer County cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made in Mr. Walker’s name to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Services are under the direction of the Creel Funeral Home of Lewistown and Bullis-Graves Memorial Chapel of Miles City.
John Henry Kohones
John Henry Kohones, age 78, of Miles City died on Friday, June 9, 2006 at his home south of Miles City at the family ranch.
Mr. Kohones was born on June 24, 1927 in Miles City, Mont., the son of Kapiton and Minnie (Bellouse) Kohones. He attended Denny country school, near the family ranch and also attended Custer County District High School. Following high school he enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He returned to the family ranch, where he ranched until the time of his death.
Mr. Kohones had a special love for his animals and farming. He especially loved working with the cattle and traveling into Miles City on sale day.
He is survived by his brothers: Orvell Kohones of the family ranch, and George Kohones of Miles City; one sister, Rose (Evert) Hoffman of Seattle, Wash.; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother Joe Kohones, sister Christine (Elmer) Gilbertson, and one nephew Delmer.
Visitation will be held on Monday, June 12, 2006 at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 at 2 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Interment will be held at the Custer County cemetery.
Should friends desire, memorials may be made to charity of one's choice.
Helen Lorraine Tweit
Helen Lorraine Tweit, 92, of Miles City died Sunday June 11, 2006 at the Holy Rosary Extended Care Center.
She was born Oct.13, 1913 at Sydna County, Lisbon, N.D., a daughter of Olaves and Amanda Peterson Larson. She graduated from Lisbon high school on May 31, 1931. Following her graduation, she worked for the Government Seed Loan office in Grand Forks, N.D. She later attended cosmetology school in Lisbon, but ill health prevented her from completing her training.
She married
George Crites on Sept. 28, 1934, and 10 years later he died, leaving her in charge of the family’s coal and oil service plant. In September of 1945, she married
James Crites and he died in 1949, again leaving her in charge of the family business.
In 1951, she married
Markus Hanson and she moved with her daughters to a farm near Wimbledon, N.D. The couple farmed for 10 years, before Markus was killed in a farming accident. She sold the farm and returned to Lisbon. While in Lisbon, she was active in the VFW Auxiliary as District Treasurer and Auxiliary Treasurer with a combined service of seven years. She continued her service as Eastern North Dakota’s VFW Chairwoman. She was a 61-year member of the VFW Auxiliary. She proudly held the office as Cowbelle President for Eastern North Dakota and participated in the Lutheran Ladies Aide in Lisbon and Eidfjod, N.D.
She married
Einar Tweit in 1973 in Miles City. The couple moved to Devils Lake, N.D. for three years, before returning to Miles City, where Mr. Tweit operated an excavating business until his retirement in 1986.
Her parents, husbands, twin girls, two great-grandsons, Alex Turnquist and Bub Hedge; five sisters and six brothers preceded her in death. Survivors include her daughters, the children of George Crites: Georgianna (Gerald) Haugen of Cody, Wyo., Kay (Wally) Hedge and Gladys (Allan) Turnquist of Miles City; her grandchildren Jim, Lawrence, Lee and Michael Haugen, Joelyne (Michael) Rogers, Lisa (Tim) Ranes, John, Randy and Pat (Dalona) Grissom, Tressa Thomas, Garry, Mark and Jay (Laura) Turnquist, Patty Hauss, Kenny, Kelly and Alan Hedge, Becky (Mike) Teftt, Ernie (Sandy) and Ronnie Tweit; and eight great-great grandchildren.
Cremation has taken place in the Bullis-Graves Eastern Montana Crematory. Memorial Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 13 in the First Lutheran Church. Private inurnment will follow at a later date. Bullis-Graves Memorial Chapel of Miles City has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Evelyn Nadine Wheeler Wells
Evelyn Nadine Wheeler Wells died Saturday, July 8, 2006, in Dayton, Wash., due to complications of Huntington’s disease.
Mrs. Wells was born on Sept. 10, 1927, in Oronoque, Kan. She was the daughter of Helen Pfeifer Wheeler and James Earl Wheeler. The family had previously lived in Jordan. They returned to farm in Jordan in 1934. Mrs. Wells moved between farm and town while attending school in Jordan. She worked as a cook at the dorm in Jordan and at the service station.
She quit high school to work full time. One of her jobs was at the Birdseye frozen food factory in Walla Walla, Wash.
A fun-loving person, she enjoyed working hard and socializing with her friends.
She moved to Miles City where she initially worked at J.C. Penney.
In Miles City she met Wes Wells (Arvil Wesley Wells) and they were married
on Oct. 15, 1948. To this union five children were born, Arlene Lavoane born in 1949; Eileen Marie “Teeny” born in 1951; Diana Lynn born in 1953; Glapha Ione born in 1957 and Wesley Earl, (1960-1986).
Mr. and Mrs. Wells lived on Lee Rhea’s ranch on the Tongue River Stage Road from 1949 until about 1955. They had neither electricity nor running water. The family car was left on one side of the Tongue River and they used a pulley swing to ferry across the river to their house.
Around 1955, Mr. and Mrs. Wells and their first three children moved to Miles City so the children could go to school in the city and daughter Arlene was old enough to start school.
Mrs. Wells started work as a telephone operator for Mountain Bell, first as part-time, then full-time. She enjoyed her work as a telephone operator and made many friends there. She worked at Mountain Bell for more than 20 years, while doing all the chores associated with raising five children and keeping a clean organized household.
One of Mrs. Wells’ favorite things was to buy and wrap presents, whether for Christmas, Easter, birthdays, Halloween or any occasion she could think of. When her children started leaving home, she would mail them care packages stuffed full of things.
Mr. and Mrs. Wells divorced in 1977 and Mountain Bell closed their Miles City office in 1978. She moved to Billings and continued to work for Mountain Bell for a short time. In 1979, she took early retirement and remained in Billings where she was well looked after by her niece, Helen McDonald, and family. In 1995, she moved to Grand Forks, N.D., to live by her daughter Diana and son-in-law James. In 1997, the Grand Forks area had a major flood, so she moved to a nursing home in Washington to be by her daughter Teeny.
Mrs. Wells was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease in 1986.
Her survivors include her brother, Earl Wheeler and his wife AnnMarie of Williston, N.D.; her sister-in-law, Beverly Wheeler of Bolivar, Mo.; four daughters, Arlene Crowfoot of Miles City, “Teeny” (Eileen) McMunn of Dayton, Wash., Diana Wells (James Carlson) of Grand Forks, N.D., and Glapha (Bob) Cox of Idaho Falls, Idaho; eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren, Sharlene Whitcher Wallace (Brian) and children Sidney Baldonado and Paige Rose Wallace of Miles City, Sheri Whitcher Cain (Ryan) and children Steven Kirkland, Laci Kirkland and Dylan Cain of Miles City, Scott Myers of Portland, Ore., Brian Myers of Cheney, Wash., Richard Cox of Boise, Idaho, and Rachel, Diana and Daniel Cox of Idaho Falls, Idaho.
She is preceded in death by her son, Wesley Earl Wells (1986); her sister, Sylvia Wheeler Gisi; her brothers, Steven and Russell Wheeler; and a sister-in-law, Sharon Wheeler.
Funeral services will be Friday, July 14, 2006, at 10:30 a.m. at Michelotti-Sawyers Funeral Home in Billings.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, 505 Eighth Ave., Suite 902, New York, NY 10018.
Paul Keniv
Paul Keniv, 76, of Miles City died Friday, July 7, 2006, at the Holy Rosary Healthcare in Miles City.
Mr. Keniv was born Dec. 4, 1929, in Dawson, N.D., the eldest son of George and Jennie Kiosse Keniv. He was raised and educated in Steele, N.D., along with his brothers, William and George.
He loved to hunt, trap and listen to country music. Mr. Keniv moved to Miles City in 1949. He worked for the Farmers Union Co-Op and later for Ray Flex Seismograph before taking a position as a mechanic for the Montana State Highway Department. He retired in 1987 with more than 30 years of service.
In May 1955, he and Ruby Green were married
.
Mr. Keniv was a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles No. 885 for 22 years. He loved puzzle books, walks, dancing and caring for orphaned cats. He was always there with a helping hand for family and friends, always making sure their vehicles were running properly. He enjoyed watching “Jeopardy, ” “Wheel of Fortune” and the “Lawrence Welk Show.”
His survivors include his wife Ruby of 51 years; his three children and their families, Carol (Walter) Nelson, their children Justin and Jennifer; Sheila (Ed) Rickett, and daughter Michelle (fiancé Rick Williamson) and their sons Aden and Blake; and son Gary. Mr. Keniv was looking forward to the birth of two more great-grandchildren in September.
Survivors also include his brother George; and Mr. Keniv’s “adopted family, ” Mike and Connie Bertagnolli and children.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and his brother, William.
Funeral services will be Wednesday, July 12, 2006, at 10 a.m. at Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Interment will follow in the Custer County cemetery in Miles City.
Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the charity of one’s choice.
Art Anderson
Art Odell Anderson passed away May 18, 2006. He was 88 years old.
He was born on Jan. 2, 1918, in Cohagen, Mont. Art retired a major from the Air Force, after 22 years of service as a communications officer. During World War Ii, he saw action in the Pacific Theatre, including Guadalcanal and the Philippines. After the war, he continued his service with the Strategic Air Command and was instrumental in establishing the communications infrastructure at Offutt AFB, Omaha, Neb.
After military retirement, he attended western States Chiropractic College and received his doctor of chiropractic degree. He practiced briefly in Boise. he retired from chiropractic practice and started employment with Pinkerton’s Security Service and served as director of the uniformed guard division.
Art was married
to Marjorie Masters with whom he had four sons, Keort, Jay, Alan and Miles. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marjorie; subsequent wife, Eleanor Rozwood; and son, Keort. He is survived by brother, Carmen of Billings, Mont.; sons, Jay of Portland, Alan of Massachusetts and Miles of Florida; and five grandchildren.
Art will be interred at Portland Memorial Mausoleum. Art Anderson will be remembered by his sons, family and friends for his outstanding military service, the pursuit of education and the values he exemplified. He was a warm, loving father and will be deeply missed.
