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WARREN JULIUS SMITH
Warren Julius Smith, 84, passed peacefully into the arms of his Lord on March 13, 2003, in Billings, MT, after a full and happy life. He was surrounded by family.
Dad was born to Joseph and Mildred MacDougal Smith on July 4, 1918, during a homesteader’s picnic 12 miles south of Barber, MT. He attended Farrington Grade School one mile down the creek from the homestead and graduated from Shawmut High School. He worked for the Bair Ranch at Martinsdale, harvested apples in the Bitterroot Valley, and worked in a logging operation at the Painted Rocks South of Darby before attending Modern Business College in Missoula.
Dad enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard boot camp at Port Townsend, WA, followed by nine weeks of diesel mechanic training at Long Island, NY. In the fall of 1943 he was transferred to the Coos Bay area to serve on a patrol boat until November 1945. It was there he met the love of his life, Jane Schlachter, who also served in the Coast Guard.
After the Coast Guard Dad returned to Bozeman and attended MSU; Jane returned to her home in Detroit. They corresponded with love letters for a year and were married on June 21, 1947. Dad earned his masters degree at the U of M in 1954. His teaching career led him to Browning, St. Ignatius, Joliet, and Plains. He retired in June of 1980. He then put his heart and soul into civic service as Mayor of Plains. He was an active member of the Lions Club, St. James Parish and the Cursillo movement. Family was very important to Dad. His wife, children, and grandchildren were his life. Cherished family memories include Sunday walks in Joliet, camping, asparagus hunting, the Oregon Coast, rattlesnake adventures, hunting and fishing with the boys, gardening, fish fries, family gatherings, picking huckleberries, picnicking, pinochle, bridge, carpentry, sharing books, fried oysters and peppered milk toast.
He wrote the following in a letter to the family after his 40th wedding anniversary. “Our years together are filled with many happy times. They couldn’t be counted. The 12 times a brand new baby was born and brought home to join the family, the baptisms, confirmations, the graduations, the weddings, the birth of grandchildren, the recovery from illnesses, the way you love each other. Yes, we have spent time on our knees in prayer with tears on our cheeks. The important thing is that we shared these times together.”
His love of children, both his own and his students, was a common thread throughout his life. Dad was a country boy at heart. From his childhood days on the homestead, to the summers spent at the Buck Ranch after Mom died, he kept his interest in agriculture and the land.
We will miss his common sense, sound advice, birthday letters and unconditional love.
Warren was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife, Jane, brother, Lyndon, and sister, Margaret.
He is survived by his children, Margaret (Joe) Halko of Choteau, Robert (Pam) Smith of Helena, Janice (Roger) Hassenpflug of Medford, OR, Mark (Penny) Smith of Billings, Patricia (John) Buck of Drummond, Mary (Richard) Petersen of Salem, OR, Michael (Susie) Smith of Columbus, OH, Paul (Cindy) Smith of Billings, Jean (Casey) Clinch of Seattle, WA, Laura (Clancy) King of Whitefish, Catherine (Jonathan) Roen of Bozeman and Rebecca (Jeff) Crider of Corvallis, OR. He is also survived by 25 grandchildren, sister-in-law Helen Smith and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral Mass was held Monday at St. Bernard’s Parish. Following cremation, interment will be in Resurrection Cemetery, Ryegate.
Memorials may be made to the Joliet Community Center Fund, c/o Marilyn Kennedy, Joliet, MT 59041.
FRED BECKERT
An interment of ashes for Fred Beckert, 95, of Billings will be held at the Rockvale Cemetery on Friday, April 11, 2003 at 3:30 p.m.
SHARON KAY WEBB
BELFRY – Our precious daughter, sister, mother, aunt and friend, Sharon Kay Webb, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, March 30, 2003. Her bravery and courage during her battle with cancer was inspirational to us all. It will be used as our lighthouse to help us find our way through this very difficult time.
Sharon Kay Webb was born on August 23, 1956 in Billings, a daughter of Elmer and Marian Jones Webb. She was known for her wonderful smile and the way she could light up a room with her presence. Sharon enjoyed spending time with her friends, and she delighted in cooking lasagna and jambalaya for her nieces. Sharon spent much of her day visiting with her mother.
She was a member of the District 4 Fiddlers Association, and she enjoyed singing at the fiddler jams. But the greatest joy and love of her life was her son, Boyd Joseph (B.J.) Sharon and B.J. enjoyed visiting Aunt Kitty in Helena.
Survivors include her son, Boyd Joseph of Belfry; her Mom and Dad (Marian and Elmer Webb) of Belfry; her brothers, Dale Webb of Belfry, Steve (Virginia) Webb of Billings, John (Rose Marie) Webb of Dumfries, Virginia, and Ed (Diana) Webb of Belfry; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. She was preceded in death by her Grandpa and Grandma Webb (John and Fanny), and her Grandpa and Grandma Jones (Boyd and Nila).
“Aunt Sharon, watch over our family and know you will be missed and will always be in our lives and our hearts. May God be with you. We all love you!”
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 5 in the Belfry School Gym. Burial will follow in the Belfry Cemetery. Visitation will be at Smith-Olcott Funeral Chapel in Red Lodge on Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 -9 p.m., and for one hour prior to services at the gym.
The benefits that were planned for Sharon will be held as scheduled; April 6 in Belfry and on May 3 in Bridger. Friends also may donate directly to the Sharon Webb Memorial, c/o the Bank of Bridger, Bridger, MT 59014.
ANNE C. HILDERMAN
RED LODGE – Anne C. Hilderman, 83, of Edgar, passed away early Friday morning, April 4, 2003 in Beartooth Hospital Long Term Care Unit, surrounded by her loving family.
A daughter of O.B. and Karen Hetland, Anne was born on October 7, 1919 on her grandfather’s homestead on Elbow Creek. She attended grade school at Cooke City and at the Elbow School. Her 10th birthday was spent on a trip to Norway with her parents.
After graduating from Fromberg High School in 1938, Anne completed her nurse’s training at the Deaconess Nursing School in Billings. On December 1, 1939 she married Otto J. Hilderman in Laurel. They celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary last year.
Anne was at home on the back of a horse, and could also drive a team. As a young woman she helped her dad drive cattle. She enjoyed skiing and fishing. Knitting and quilting were two of her favorite hobbies.
From 1958 to 1979 Anne was the administrator at Mountain Home Nursing Home in Red Lodge. She was a 4-H leader, a former member of the Federated Women’s Club and past board trustee of the Red Lodge Community Church. Anne retired in 1979 and made Edgar her permanent home.
Survivors include her husband, Otto J. Hilderman of Edgar; her six children, Karen (Roger) Reser of Spokane, WA and their children Kari, Jason and Russell; Ted (Carol) Hilderman of Spokane; Mary Anne (Gerry) Lang of Spokane and their children Greg, Kathleen and Tami; Lanny (Sally) Hilderman of Red Lodge and their daughters Emily and Wendy; Cheryl (Rick) Loeffler of Fairfield, WA and their children Joe and Carmen; and Jim (Trish) Hilderman of Red Lodge and their daughter Natalie; granddaughter Robin Day of Red Lodge; and 8 great-grandchildren, Brynn, Bree, Elizabeth, Alexandra, Mercedes, Johnny, Royal and Brianna.
Anne was preceded in death by one daughter, Kathleen Day; one brother, John Hetland; one granddaughter, Katie Hilderman; and one grandson, Paul J. Reser.
Funeral services were held at 1:00 p.m. Monday, April 7 in Red Lodge Community Church. Interment was in the Rockvale Cemetery. Smith-Olcott Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be given to the Beartooth Hospital Long Term Care Unit, the Edgar Volunteer Fire Department, or to the charity of one’s choice.
TIFFANY DAWN CASTAGNE
Tiffany Dawn Castagne was called home on April 3, 2003. Tiffany was born on June 2, 1975 and enjoyed life for 27 years in the Red Lodge area. Tiffany graduated from Red Lodge High School in 1994.
Those who knew and loved Tiffany will remember her intense love for animals and her abundant kindness.
Tiffany is survived by her parents, Joe and Betty Castagne, two sisters, Andrea (Aaron) Stieg, and Laura (Jerry) Malcomson, and family. Survivors also include two loving dogs, Jake and Bailey.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 12, 2003 at 2 p.m. at the Red Lodge Civic Center. There will be a potluck reception following the service. In lieu of flowers, please bring a dish or dessert for the reception. Interment will be private. Memorials may be sent to First Interstate Bank, Red Lodge, and are intended for Beartooth Nature Center.
Arrangements were made by Cremation or Funeral Gallery of Billings.
JOHN A. SHAW, MD
RED LODGE – John Andrew Shaw was born on October 6, 1910 in Centreville, Mississippi to Charles McDermott Shaw and Mattie Lou Hearring Shaw. At age three the family moved to Lewisville, Arkansas. He attended public schools in Lewisville until the family moved back to Mississippi in 1927 where he worked for the local Ford dealership before attending Southwestern College (now Rhodes College) in Memphis, Tenn. After undergraduate studies there he entered the College of Medicine of the University of Tennessee in Memphis where he received his MD degree in 1933.
In 1933 he married Kathryn May and they went to New York City for internship and post-graduate training in urology at New York Post-graduate Hospital (Columbia University). After completing his post-graduate training, Dr. Shaw entered private practice in New York City where he remained until coming to the Billings Clinic as a urologist in 1940.
He was called to active duty in the medical corps of the United States Naval Reserve in the summer of 1941, and was on duty as Officer of the Day at the US Naval Hospital in San Diego on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He served at the Naval hospitals at Pearl Harbor, Aiea Heights, Long Beach, and was the urologist on the USS Haven serving the Pacific Fleet. After the bombing of Nagasaki, his hospital ship was sent there to evacuate allied prisoners of war before the American army of occupation came in. He was released from active duty with the rank of Commander in 1946.
He returned to the Billings Clinic where he practiced his specialty of urology until his retirement in 1976. Dr. Shaw held the certification of the American Board of Urology, was a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the American Urological Association and of the local and state medical societies. He was past president of the Yellowstone Valley Medical Society, and a member of Hilands Golf Club. He especially enjoyed camping and pack trips to the Beartooth Mountains with his family and friends. He co-owned a small airplane that he flew wherever and whenever possible before retiring, and he and his family shared many flying adventures. In his later life he wintered in Mesa, Ariz.
More than anything he loved to laugh and be with friends, many whose lives he profoundly affected. Every bit the hospitable southern gentleman, the qualities he exemplified were empathy, honesty, humility, generosity, loyalty and a great sense of humor. You could talk and he would listen, and yet the talent for which he was greatly loved was telling a story. He knew history well, and it was one of his greatest interests.
He wrote an autobiography, The Twentieth Century As It Happened To Me, along with a few articles of prose.
Dr. Shaw died early Tuesday morning, April 1, 2003 in Red Lodge, Mont. He is survived by the companion of his last years, Vesta Lockrum of Sidney and her family; his daughter, Joan of Art of Red Lodge; a grandson, Thomas Mueller and wife Mindy, and great-granddaughter, Lillie Madison Mueller (3 months), all of Kingston, Wash.
Cremation has taken place, and no public services are planned. Smith-Olcott Funeral Chapel of Red Lodge is assisting with arrangements. Memorials are suggested to Dr. Shaw’s favorite charity, the Yellowstone Boys & Girls Ranch of Billings.
KATHERINE WEGNER
POWELL, WY - Katherine (Katharina) Fink Wegner, 88, of Powell, Wyoming, formerly of Belfry, was called home by her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Monday morning, April 28, 2003 at the Powell Valley Care Center. For the past several days Katherine was surrounded by her family, friends, Pastor Larry Veland and the Powell Valley Care Center staff. She passed away only five days after the death of her beloved husband, Solomon.
Katherine was born east of Powell on March 19, 1915 to her Volga German immigrant parents, Carl and Amelia Fink. She was baptized into the Christian faith by Pastor Gersmeroth on May 2, 1915. Katherine was confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church at Lovell on March 29, 1931 by Pastor Ludwig, reaffirming her baptismal vows.
After living on various farms in the Powell/Lovell areas, Katherine’s parents settled on their own farm east of Lovell. She began school at the Sunlight School, and later attended St. John’s Lutheran parochial school until the eighth grade. She began high school at Kane and graduated from Lovell High School in May of 1935. Following graduation, Katherine worked as a sales clerk, nanny, and on area dude ranches.
On July 2, 1943 Katherine was married to Solomon Wegner while he was on furlough from the United States Marine Corps. They were married in Trinity Lutheran Church in Billings by Rev. Paul M. Freiburger. Following the wedding, Katherine went back to Lovell, and Solomon went off to war. Katherine, always the frugal one, took their savings and purchased their first home in Lovell. Solomon returned to Lovell after his discharge, and they began their 60 year journey together.
In 1948 Sol and Katie moved to their farm north of Belfry with their two young sons. They sold their farm in 1970 and moved into Belfry. Katherine continued to cook for the Belfry Schools until her retirement.
Katherine loved her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and her family. She loved to cook, sew and took great pride in her yard and flower gardens.
Survivors include two sons, Dennis (Barbara) Wegner of Powell, and Stanley (Regina) Wegner of Park City; grandsons Lee Wegner and family of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Peter Wegner and family of Tigeras, N.M.; granddaughters, Beth Wegner of San Francisco Calif., Adrienne Wegner of Billings, and Allison Wegner and family of Park City; two sisters, Sophie Winterholler of Lovell and Elizabeth Fiechtner of Powell; two brothers, Fred Fink of Chicago and Albert Fink of Lovell; 5 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Katherine was preceded in death by her husband, Solomon; her parents; a sister, Amelia Clem; and brothers, William, Alex, Carl and infant Alfred Fink.
Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 3 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Belfry, her church home for 50 years. Interment was in the Belfry Cemetery, with Smith-Olcott Funeral Chapel of Red Lodge in charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be given to Lutheran Hour Ministries, 660 Mason Ridge Center, St. Louis, MO 63141 or to the charity of one’s choice.
“Our hubsche Mutter.”
CHRYSTOBEL VIOLET AASEN
Chrystobel Violet Kellenbarger Aasen, 86, of Bozeman, Mont. died peacefully on Friday, May 2, 2003.
Chris was born October 13, 1916, in Merna, Nebraska to Walter Phillip and Ruby Cannon Kellenbarger. She graduated from Merna High School in 1934. She moved to Montana in the late 1930’s where she met and married Theodore Woodrow Olson in 1940. She lived on the Olson Ranch near Roberts, Mont. In 1960 she moved to Red Lodge where she met and married Tom Aasen in 1964. She and Tom lived in Red Lodge and Bozeman, Montana.
Chris was preceded in death by her grandparents, parents, her brother, Rex, her former husband, Ted Olson, and her second husband, Tom Aasen.
Chris is survived by her three children and their families: Theodore Richard “Dick” Olson, his wife Janet, and their children Christopher of Billings, Mont. and Kari and Michael Patrick of Tacoma, Wash.; Marilou Marie Olson Mitchell, her husband Andy, and their children Kelley and Samuel of Sugar Land, Texas; Halden “Hal” Thomas Aasen, his wife Louise Moore, and their children Brian and Kirsten of Helena, Mont. In her passing Chris leaves behind a network of family, friends, and neighbors who are enriched through their years of knowing Chrystobel.
Our “Memories of Chrystobel” include:) devoted wife, loving mother and grandmother, faithful friend, lifelong member of the Methodist Church, musician, piano teacher, seamstress/tailor, gardener, bird watcher, crocheter, traveler around Montana, USA/overseas, card player, great sense of humor and fun, and member of Bozeman Women’s Club, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Colonial Dames, American Legion Auxiliary, Sons of Norway, Gallatin County Historical Society, Bozeman Senior Social Center, and Bozeman United Methodist Church and Church Circle.
Memorial Service will be on Monday, May 12 at 2:00 p.m. at Dahl Funeral Chapel, 300 Highland Blvd., Bozeman. Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens.
For those desiring, the family suggests Memorial Contributions to the organization of one’s choice.
