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Mark Denny
BUSBY – Mark Denny, 85, of Busby, died at his home Wednesday, May 10, 2000, of natural causes.
He was born April 6, 1915, in Blair, Mont., the son of Marcus A. and Lena Iron Ring Denny. He was raised in Poplar and graduated from the Poplar High School.
Mark worked at various farms and ranches in the Poplar area and he worked for the CCC.
He married
Juanita Ellen Spang on Oct. 22, 1938, in Poplar and the couple later moved to Lame Deer in 1939. Mark later went on to Bremerton, Wash., during WWII, working in the shipping yard as a pipe fitter. They returned to Busby where he worked at the school electric power house and operated his ranch near Busby until 1968. He also worked as a school bus driver in Lame Deer.
After retiring, he and his wife lived in Hardin for a short time before returning to their Busby home where he owned and operated a mechanic repair shop and gas station and driving school bus. Juanita passed away June 25, 1993.
Survivors include four sons, Marcus (Heidi) of Busby, Edward S. (Clarice) of Crow Agency, Virgil W. of Townsend and Leslie (Jan) of Billings; one sister, Mary Pickens of Yakama, Wash.; one brother, Amos Denny of Los Angeles, Calif.; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Services will be held 11 a.m. Saturday in the White River Mennonite Church, Busby, Mont. Cremation will follow the services. Bullis Mortuary of Hardin has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Jesse L. Drinkwalter
Jesse passed away in his home on May 9, 2000, after a long and brave battle with cancer. Jesse will always be remembered for his bright outlook and sense of humor. He never met a stranger. He could visit and tell stories with the best of them.
Jesse was born to Ross and Mary (Harrison) Drinkwalter in Ainsworth Neb., on Sept. 25, 1931. He graduated from Crawford High School where he was active in FFA and football. Jesse broke horses and was an excellent roper. He rode bareback broncos in many rodeos throughout Nebraska.
Jesse and Donna Mae Thebault were united in marriage on Dec. 27, 1950. A courtship that started over a stolen lunch lasted 49 years.
Jesse served in the army from 1952 to 1954 and was stationed in Korea. He was in the Signal Corps and helped install the communication lines to Freedom Village.
Jesse and Donna moved with their daughters to the Black Hills of South Dakota in 1964 where he ran a cattle and sheep ranch. The family moved to a Montana farm in 1970. Later, Jesse began trucking (hay, road oil and cattle).
Jesse is survived by his wife, Donna; two daughters, Lori (Louie) McCartney of Laurel, Mont., and Vicki (Mike) Peterson of Billings; one sister, Jean Drinkwalter of Crawford, Neb.; and two brothers, Pat (Marge) Drinkwalter of Crawford, and Willard (Leta) Drinkwalter of Billings; four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Robert and Ray, one niece, Judy and one nephew, Royce.
His viewing will be on Friday, May 12, at Smith West Chapel, 304 34th St. W. His funeral will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 13, at Smith West Chapel. Memorials may be made to Big Sky Hospice, 123 S. 27th St., Billings, MT 59101.
Nancy L. Benzel Hoff
TOWNSEND – Nancy L. Benzel Hoff passed away May 4, 2000, in Townsend at the age of 43.
She was born in Hardin on April 30, 1957, a daughter of Harold and Jane Benzel. She graduated from Hardin High School in 1975.
Nancy Married Wayne Hoff in September of 1976. They had two sons, Denton and Shane, and later divorced.
Nancy enjoyed being with her sons and supporting them in their sports activities. She was a loving mother, grandmother and friend. She will be greatly missed.
Nancy was preceded in death by her father, Harold; son, Denton; and companion, Bill Amsk.
Survivors include her son, Shane of Anchorage, Alaska; her mother, Jane Benzel of Dayton, Wyo.; her brother, Greg (Linda) Benzel of Dayton, ; and two nephews, Miles and Nathan; a granddaughter, Jordon Hoff of Townsend.
Graveside services will be held 2 p.m. Friday, May 12, in the Hardin Fairview cemetery. Bullis Mortuary of Hardin has been entrusted with the local arrangements.
Betty C. West
RED LODGE – Betty C. West, 74, died in Billings on Saturday, June 17, 2000.
Cremation will take place and no services are planned at this time.
Ellen E. Prouty
Ellen E. Prouty, 83, of Billings, died Friday, June 16, 2000, at home of an extended illness. She was born in a blizzard Dec. 29, 1916, to Seeley and Rose Johnson Hammond on their homestead in Garfield County. She attended a one room elementary school, Timber Creek, and then High School in Brockway.
She worked at many occupations during her life and retired as manager of Telco Answering Service in Kalispell. Her husband, Howard, preceded her in death in 1988. Together they enjoyed square dancing and raising horses.
Survivors include her sister, Catherine “Katie” Sailaz, and many nieces and nephews.
Cremation has taken place. Graveside memorial services will be in August at White Pine cemetery, west of Thompson Falls. Arrangements were made by Cremation or Funeral Gallery.
James B. Snow II
HAYS – James B. Snow II, 94, died Friday, June 16, 2000, at the Northern Montana Care Center of Havre from natural causes.
A Wake/Rosary will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 18, at the St. Paul’s Mission Recreation Center. Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, June 19, at St. Paul’s Mission Church. Interment will follow in the St. Paul’s Mission cemetery. Adams Funeral Home of Malta is in charge.
Edna M. Kolden
WOLF POINT – Edna M. Kolden, 78, died Friday, June 16, 2000, at Faith Lutheran Home.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 21, at the First Lutheran Church. Viewing will be from 9-5 p.m. Tuesday, June 20, at the Clayton Memorial Chapel. Interment will be in the Greenwood cemetery.
Matthew John Zook
MILES CITY – Matthew John Zook, 30, died Wednesday, June 14, 2000, in a one vehicle rollover.
Visitation will be Monday, June 19, in the chapel of Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 20, at Grace Bible Church. Full military graveside rites will follow in the family lot in the Custer County cemetery.
Arthur B. Nasby
Arthur B. Nasby, 89, of Billings passed away June 17, 2000 at ValleVista Manor where he has resided for the past eight years.
Art was born in Leroy, Minn., a son of Ole Knutson and Gana Vold Nasby. He moved at an early age with his parents who homesteaded on Cow Creek in McCone County where he received his education.
He married
Cleo Lloyd on Oct. 12, 1941, in Circle and soon settled in the Billings area. He worked for a number of trucking companies as a diesel mechanic, retiring in 1976. He enjoyed walking, singing, hunting and fishing and was a charter member of the Roughriders Four Wheel Club.
Survivors include son, James (Ann) Nasby of Billings; and daughter, Janet (Jim) Barr of Shepherd, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Cico in 1990; daughter, Judy Bosshardt in 1980 and six sisters and three brothers.
Funeral service will be 3 p.m. Tuesday at the First English Lutheran, 1243 N. 3lst St. Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Arrangements were by Cremation or Funeral Gallery.
Donald Charles Dahlstrom
BRIDGER – Donald Charles Dahlstrom, 78, of Bridger, died Friday afternoon, June 16, 2000, in Bridger following a three year battle with cancer.
Born on May 15, 1922, in Fromberg, he was the eldest son of Carl and Ada (Weatherman) Dahlstrom. He graduated from Fromberg High School in 1940 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in January of 1942, serving in the South Pacific.
After his discharge he was employed as a truck driver on the East Coast until returning to Montana in 1962. He was preceded in death by his wife, LuluBelle in 1994, after which he settled in Bridger. Donald was also preceded in death by one brother, Vern, and one sister, Laurine Anderson.
He was a member of the VFW’s Jim Bridger Post #1543 of Bridger.
Survivors Include two sons, Donald Jr. and Gary; and two daughters, Sharon and Leslie, all in Massachusetts; three brothers, Earl of Columbus, Jim of Toppenish, Wash., and Paul of Bridger; and six sisters, Mary Alice DeVrles of Roberts, Mildred Dawson of Laurel, Dona Ullman of Billings, Carlene Beley of Big Timber, Betty Wright of Red Lodge, and Edith Woodley of Monroe, Ala.
In accordance with Donald’s wishes, cremation has taken place and a private family memorial service will be held at a later date. Olcott Funeral Chapel of Red Lodge is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be given to the Beartooth Hospital and Health Center Hospice, Box 590, Red Lodge MT 59068.
George ‘Scuff’ Skaufle
EDOM, Texas – George “Scuff” Skaufle, age 76, of Edom and formerly of Billings, died Wednesday, June 14, 2000,
He was born May 14, 1924 in Billings, the son of Andrew and Eula (Cantrell) Skaufle. He was raised and attended schools in Billings.
Scuff enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corp and served in WWII and the Korean War. He returned to Billings and owned Broadway Bowl and managed Center Lanes bowling alley and Heights Bowling Alley. He then became a salesman for Bonneau Sun Glass Co. until his retirement.
Scuff married
Winnifred “Winnie” Reinhart on July 5, 1962, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She died in 1990. He married
Donna on March 26, 1993, in Canton, Texas, and they lived in Edom.
Scuff was an excellent woodcrafter.
Survivors include his wife, Donna of Edom; a son, Monte (Jill) Skaufle of Davenport, Iowa; a daughter, Robin Brown of Muskego, Wis; step-children, DiAnne (Bill) Miller of Pendleton, Ore., Nichols (Ron) Dedman of Buena Vista, Colo., Kathy (John) Klier of Billings, Helen (Mike) Littler of Worden, Mont., Patty (Curt) Kuchera of Billings and Mike Kuchera of Park City, Mont.; a sister, Juanita Gramley of Billings; 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and five brothers and sisters.
Funeral service will be 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 20, at Smith’s West Chapel, 304 34th St. West, Billings, with interment with military honors will be at Terrace Gardens cemetery. Visitation will start at 12 p.m. Sunday at the chapel.
Donald V. Jackson
Donald V. Jackson Sr., of Billings passed on to Eternal Peace with the Lord on June 12, following an automobile accident in Washington state.
He was born on March 18, 1927 in Fort Morgan, Colo., and served in World War II in the Pacific with the U.S. Navy. He married
Elsie Weber on Dec. 28, 1947. After ranching and operating business concerns in Colorado, his work brought him to Billings in 1968. He retired from Energy Laboratories in 1996.
Don is remembered by his friends and family as an active, fun-loving Christian man of principle, dignity, and compassion. He enjoyed relaxing at the family cabin on the East Rosebud and golfing with his friends. He was a member and elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Billings.
Don was preceded in death by father, Dwayne; mother, Anna Mary; brother, William; and sister, Mary Elsie Hayes. He is survived by his wife, Elsie; his son, Donald Jr. (Lynn) of Casper; daughter, Sandra (Donald) Woolston of Madison, Wis.; brother, Dwayne Jr. (Dorothy) of Fort Morgan; sister, Glaphy (Gene) Spear of Loomis, Wash.; and grandchildren, Corina and Cohn Woolston and Krystal Jackson as well as numerous nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the First Presbyterian Church or a favorite charity. Memorial services are pending.
Clara H. Becker
Clara H. Becker passed away Thursday, June 15, 2000, at Western Manor Care Center. She was born Sept. 25, 1933, in Shepherd and raised in Shepherd, a daughter of Peter and Eva Hinkle. She graduated from Billings Senior High School in 1951. She worked as a bank teller for Security Bank for a number of years. Prior to that she worked for First National Bank and in Laurel at the First Security Bank.
Clara enjoyed cooking, flowers, handicraft, sewing, crocheting and raising her garden and flowers and very much liked farming and all the work associated with it. She also taught Sunday School and belonged to the Ladies Aid Program at Pilgrim Congregational Church.
She is survived by five children: Holly (Richard) Waddell of Billings who cared for Clara throughout the years; Greg (Cindy) Becker of Casper, Wyo.; Brad (Connie) Becker of Billings; Bob Becker Jr. (Bev) of Butte and Shari (Bob) Hellen of Crosby, N.D.; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Also surviving are five sisters: Frieda Swoboda of Billings; Dorothy (Archie) Schroeker of Fallon, Mont.; Betty Henderson of Billings; Evelyn (Marlin) Powell of Billings and Helen (Jay) Shaw of Taylorsville, Utah.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Monday, June 19, at the Pilgrim Congregational Church; 409 S. 36th. Interment will follow at the Rockvale cemetery. Memorials may be made to MS Society, Montana Chapter; P.O. Box 2802, Great Falls, MT 59403 or to Big Sky Hospice, P.O Box 35033, Billings, MT 59107.
Jacob T. ‘Jake’ Loran
Jacob T. “Jake” Loran, 80, of Billings, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday evening, June 14, 2000, at St. Vincent Hospital. One of 10 children born to Nick and Katherine (Benz) Loran, Jake was born on a farm near Richardton, N.D., on May 18, 1920.
At the age of three, the family moved to Montana, settling in Missoula. As a youngster and into his teen years, Jake worked as a newsboy on the streets of Missoula selling newspapers and in a small way, joining other family members in support during the depression years. He graduated from St. Francis Parochial School and Missoula County High. Jake later attended many seminar and trade schools, including the Graduate & Treasury Dept., the FBI Crime School in Glenco, Ga., ICC Investigators Training School in Washington and the College of Advanced Traffic in Chicago.
Jake entered the service with the NP Railroad at Charlos Heights, Mont., on May 12, 1941, as an extra-gang timekeeper. He proceeded with NP through various positions in freight and traffic offices at Missoula, Helena, Billings, and Seattle with 11 years as assistant and transloading agent at Billings and five years as assistant agent at Seattle.
On Dec. 19, 1942, Jake married
Stella Pait in Bushwell, Fla., and they had three children. In 1942, he entered military service and served during World War II. He was awarded seven battle stars for action in campaigns in the Pacific from New Guinia, Biak, Pelilu, Leyte and the Manila areas, concluding at Ie Shima, Okinawa. He was also awarded the Presidential Unit Citation Badge for duty at the Leyte Invasion. Jake was honorably discharged as a master sergeant in November of 1945.
In 1973, Jake accepted an appointment with the Interstate Commerce Commision as a special agent in Portland, Ore. He was later promoted to senior special agent for Pacific Northwest. In 1981, he was transferred to Billings as officer in charge of the Montana ICC, from which he retired in 1986.
From an early age, Jake was an avid hunter and fisherman. In later years, he made many bird houses, which were donated to friends, neighbors, and ZooMontana. He was an original member of St. Pius X Church and a member of the Billings Elks Lodge. He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant sister, Agnes, and three brothers, Ludwig, Sebastion, and John.
Survivors include his wife, Stella of Billings; his daughters, Yvonne Kammerzell (Arlen) of Billings and Elaine Loran of Seattle; his son, David of Sumner, Wash.; his sisters, Ange McCoy, Eva DuBois, Irene Peterson, and Lorene Loran, all of Missoula, and Mary Ann Lynch of Gardena, Calif.; six grandchildren, Anique Albrecht (David) and Terra Scherr (Tony) of Billings, Arlen G. Kammerzell, Jammie Loran, Jacob Loran, and Jenelle Loran of Seattle; and one great-grandson, Anthony Jacob Scherr of Billings.
Visitation will begin 9 a.m. Monday at Michelotti, Sawyers & Nordquist. A Vigil Service will be held 7 p.m. Monday, June 19, and Funeral Mass celebrated 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 20, at St. Pius X Church. Rite of Committal with military honors will follow in the Calvary cemetery. Memorials may be directed to St. Pius X Church, 717 18th St. West, Billings, MT 59102 or the charity of one’ s choice.
