Obituaries

May 27, 2018

Gary Brook's ultimate desire was fulfilled on May 23, 2018, when he departed from this world to meet his Savior face to face. Throughout his long and valiant fight against respiratory illness, Gary displayed unwavering confidence in Jesus' love, goodness and power. He was grateful for each day the Lord allowed him to remain on earth to delight in...

May 26, 2018

Dean William Ballew was born on Oct. 3, 1954, in Gastonia, North Carolina, to William M. and Fern M. Ballew. He graduated from West High in 1973.

Dean loved people and wanted to know everyone was okay. He loved woodworking, painting and building things.

Dean passed away on May 23, 2018.

He is...

May 24, 2018

James Pius Schmalz's life came to an unexpected end Monday morning, May 21, 2018, at the age of 29.

James is survived by his wife, Isabella; son, William; parents, Cathy Lee (Bob) Repnak and George (Misuk) Schmalz; sister, Leslie (Eric) Fornshell; half-siblings, Jonah and Alivia Schmalz; grandparents, Pius and Amy Schmalz; nieces, Cecilia, Anabel and Adaline Fornshell;...

May 23, 2018

Evelyn Fern Buttman, known to family and friends as "Evie," passed away on May 19, 2018, at the age of 71 years.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Jack Buttman; daughter Cindy Buttman; and her father, Henry Klatt.

Evie was born and grew up in Killdeer, ND. She spent her youth on...

May 22, 2018

Ted Herman Hoag, 65, of Billings, passed away suddenly, on Monday, May 21, 2018, following a medical emergency doing what he loved, playing golf.

Ted was born on Aug. 18, 1952, to Douglas and Wanda (Geelhart) Hoag in Great Falls. His father worked for the railroad, so the family traveled extensively for his job and lived in...

May 22, 2018

R. Doris Moreno passed away May 18, 2018, surrounded by her family at the age of 96. Doris was born in Scobey, MT. After selling their farm, the Kemp family moved to Wolf Point, MT where she graduated from high school in 1939. Beginning her education at the U of M in Missoula, she later graduated from the NW...

May 20, 2018

Margaret Elynne Barnes Anderson, 83, was born on Aug. 5, 1934, in Laramie, Wyoming, the second child to George and Winifred Barnes. She passed away with her family around her, letting her know it was time to go join her parents and brother in heaven.

Her big brother George was one of her favorite people in the...

May 19, 2018

Lenore O. Lee, 100, passed away May 16, 2018, in Billings.

Lenore will best be remembered as being the life of the party and telling funny jokes! In her younger years, she was an avid golfer and spent almost every afternoon on the golf course. She loved playing cards, her electronic solitaire game, doing crossword puzzles and...

May 18, 2018

Darrel Paul Rosin, 66, peacefully ascended to the heavens on May 15, 2018, from his home in Broadview. He bravely battled cancer for close to eight months, during which he spent time visiting his family and friends, celebrating the Christmas season and making his heroic 1,400 mile trip to his desert home in Maricopa, Arizona. He lived out his...

May 17, 2018

Martha Holly Large, aged 77, departed our world on May 3, 2018. Martha was born on Oct. 9, 1941, in Cleveland, OH, and moved with her family to Billings in 1947 at age 5.

Martha was preceded in death by her father, Henry Large; mother, Lois Large; brother, Henry Large; daughter, Sally O'Keefe; and granddaughter, Alexandria O'Keefe....

May 16, 2018

Marietta Frank (Burdick) was born on March 20, 1931, in Lemmon, South Dakota, to John and Frieda Burdick, and passed away on May 7, 2018, at the age of 87. She grew up in Lemmon with her parents and five older brothers. One of her favorite memories from her childhood was driving across the country in a Model T...

May 16, 2018

Anthony ‘Tony' R. Moore

Anthony "Tony" R. Moore, kind and clever, age 70, departed this life on May 12, 2018, in Billings. He was born January 20, 1948, in Chelmsford, UK, to Sidney and Gwendoline Moore. He attended Art college and used his artistic talent as a stage designer/builder, woodworker, and graphic artist. His first...

May 15, 2018

Henrietta "Reca" Blumfield, 100, a longtime Havre resident, died May 8, 2018.

Henrietta was born on Nov. 20, 1917, in Stockett, Montana, to Demetrio and Erminia Albertini. She attended Centerville High School. She moved to Great Falls with her sister Ida and attended Business School in Great Falls and Spokane, Washington. She worked for General Mills, and...

May 11, 2018

MaryHelen Rowen moved to heaven on May 8, 2018, just one month shy of her 92nd birthday. She was born on June 6, 1926, in Miles City, Montana. Growing up in Miles City, she met Gerald "Jerry" Rowen and married in 1946.

After medical school in Oregon, they returned to Miles City to raise their family of...

May 11, 2018

Esther Loretta Hemming, 80, peacefully passed away on Wednesday, May 9, 2018.

Esther was born on Sept. 14, 1937, in Regan, North Dakota, to Edward and Lillian (Hochhalter) Schafer. She grew up in the Regan and Bismarck, North Dakota area, and graduated from Bismarck High School in 1956.

She married her loving husband, Harold Hemming,...

May 8, 2018

Darrell Ray Asay, 86, of Billings passed away peacefully on May 3, 2018 at Aspen Meadows Nursing Home.

Darrell along with his twin sister, Donna, were born to Carl and Anna Fries in Deaver, Wyoming on

August 17, 1931. Their mother died 11 hours after giving birth to the twins leaving 8 other siblings. Their...

May 7, 2018

John Kalmer Olson, Sr., 84, passed away peacefully in his sleep on May 7, 2018, at home in Billings.

John was born on a farm in Tyro Township, Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota, on July 24, 1933, to Arnold and Lenore Olson. John was baptized and confirmed at Clarkfield Lutheran Church. He attended elementary schools in Clarkfield, Blue...

May 4, 2018

Gene John Etchart passed to his Heavenly Home on May 3, 2018, with family at his side. Gene was born in Glasgow on Dec. 26, 1916, to John and Catherine Etchart, Basque immigrants from the French Pyrenees who came to Montana and settled on the grasslands north of the Missouri river in 1912. Gene, his older sister and three...

May 2, 2018

Surrounded by his children, Pastor Cecil Hawkins, 80, went home to be with the Lord and his loving wife on April 28, 2018.

Born in Crow Agency, Montana, in 1938, he was the son of Heron (Glenn) and Ella Hawkins. Cecil graduated from Billings Senior High and served six years in the U.S. Marine Corp. Cecil began...

Apr 26, 2018

Doris Kuykendall Peck Oblander born in Deadwood, SD, on Dec. 30, 1936, passed away on April 25, 2018, in Billings.

She was raised in the Black Hills of South Dakota, married and moved to Eastern Montana in 1956. She later moved to the Billings area in 1968. She worked in retail grocery stores the majority of her...