Search Archived Marriage Records
KATL's Nicholas dies suddenly
KATL Sports Director Darby Nicholas, 35, was found dead in his home Wednesday morning, causing shock among his many listeners and friends.
“He had an exceptional outlook on life, ” KATL Manager Don Richard said. “He loved children and pets, just the opposite of W.C. Fields.”
“And he was always quick-witted and talented in music. He could sit down and write parodies within a couple hours, most of the time. He loved poking fun at people, ” Richard said.
Richard said Nicholas made jokes about his health, but when he failed to show up to work Wednesday, Richard believed he simply overslept and went to check on him.
He appeared to have died of natural causes, though no official word has been released.
“I have to pinch myself. It’s like a nightmare, ” Richard said. “He had lots and lots and lots of sports friends.”
The station has received a lot of phone calls and flowers, and Richard said the staff appreciates that and people’s concern.
Nicholas grew up in Billings, graduated from Billings West High School and attended the former May School of Broadcasting in Billings.
He came to work at KATL in November 1998. He coined the phrase “The Corral” for the Custer County District High School gym and finished every sportscast with “My money’s on the home team.”
Richard said Nicholas “always loved the kids in sports and rooted for them. He sometimes criticized them but always rooted for them to do their best.”
Besides sports casting, Nicholas also did many radio and promotional ads. Terry Virag and Nicholas had been doing the birthday show for the last two years and “become a mainstay for a lot of people.”
“He was good for a laugh or two to get your day started. We’re going to miss him a bunch and he’s going to be hard to replace, ” Richard said as he struggled with his emotions.
Richard said he knows he is survived by his wife Barbara, a mother and a brother, Derek.
Darby Nicholas
Darby Nicholas, age 35, of Miles City, whose infamous voice and style has been broadcasting sporting events across Montana, died at his home in Miles City on April 4, 2006 from a heart condition he carried since birth.
Mr. Nicholas was born June 2, 1970 in Billings. His proud parents were Kenneth and Rosemary (Kirkness) Nicholas. He was a loving child whose only concern was that there was enough bologna and Kool-aid in the refrigerator. His antics and creation of words, known as “Darbyisms, ” are remembered to this day. Hiis brother and best friend, Derek, was born in 1973. Darby was found many times in his brother’s crib comforting him or even feeding him cold bottles.
The family lived in San Diego in the early 1970s before moving back to Billings. In 1976, he moved to Tri-Cities, Wash., and in 1986 the family moved back to Billings. He graduated from Billings West High School in 1988. His first career aspirations were to be a minister and Christian broadcasting DJ. However, after the death of his Dad, he changed his mind and chose to be a sports broadcaster. He moved to Washington after graduation, then attended the University of Missoula, where he enjoyed drama classes. He chose to live in a teepee and tent in Arlee before moving to Red Lodge. Love moved him to New Jersey, where he could only stand to stay one year.
Mr. Nicholas then landed back in Billings, where he attended the May School of Broadcasting. Upon the death of his grandmother, he chose to move to Miles City in the fall of 1998, where he joined KATL as a radio sports announcer.
His passion was in announcing sporting events for the local teams. He was famous in his own right as a sports broadcaster. He coined the phrase “The Corral” for the Custer County District High School gym and finished every sportscast with “My money’s on the home team.” He was never too shy to give his opinion, which endeared him to some and irritated the heck out of the others. He always loved the kids in sports and rooted for them to do their best.
Mr. Nicholas had an exceptional outlook on life. He was always quick witted and talented in music. He could sit down and write parodies within a couple hours, most of the time. He loved poking fun at people.
He is survived by his wife Barbie (Todoroff) Nicholas; mother Rosemary L. Nicholas; brother Derek L. Nicholas; nephew Riley Nicholas; nieces Karly Nicholas, and Tracy Todoroff; uncles David Kirkness, Jimmie Kirkness, and Darrell Kautz; aunts Kim Kirkness, Debbie Smith, Donna Pennigton; and many cousins and second cousins. Then there are those families that are not of blood but of choice: Dan and Sharon O’Donnell, Chris and Jana O’Donnell and Nicholas O’Donnell.
He was preceded in death by his father, Kenneth L. Nichols; maternal grandparents Duane and Marian Kirkness; paternal grandparents Roy S. Nicholas and Doreen M. Kautz; and great-grandparents both maternal and paternal.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, April 9, 2006 from 4-7 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 10, 2006 at 10 a.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Interment will follow in the Custer County cemetery. Funeral services will be held in Billings on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 at 2 p.m. at the family home; 515 16th Street West in Billings.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making memorials in Darby’s name to a scholarship to be announced at a later date, c/o Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home, 1717 Main Street, Miles City, MT 59301 or to the charity of one’s choice.
Charles "Chuck" Tribby
Charles H. “Chuck” Tribby died on April 5, 2006 at the Sturgis Community Health Care Center. Visitation will be noon until 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis.
Rosary services will be held on Sunday, April 9 at 7:00 p.m. at Saint Francis of Assisi Church.
Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Monday at the Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Sturgis with Father Arnold Kari officiating.
Internment will be at the Black Hills National cemetery, with military honors provided by the Sturgis Veteran’s Honor Guard.
Charles Tribby was born April 8, 1931 at Deadwood, the son of Dale and Marie (Fruth) Tribby. He was a life-long resident of Sturgis, never having any desire to live elsewhere. He attended St. Martin’s Academy in Sturgis through the eighth grade and graduated from Sturgis High School in 1948. After attending the University of South Dakota, he returned to Sturgis to work at his father’s car dealership. On November 11, 1951 he married
Kathryn Tienken in Sturgis, and to this union seven children were born. During the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany. Following his discharge in December 1953, he returned to Sturgis. In 1966 he joined New York Life Insurance Company and has represented them as an agent and as a registered representative.
Chuck was an active volunteer with the American Cancer Society for many years, serving in various capacities on the Meade County Board, the South Dakota Division, and on the National Board as South Dakota’s lay member. He had served on the board of the Sturgis Community Hospital for over ten years during the time the new hospital was built. He volunteered for the Kiwanis Care and Share Food Drive and in the Food Pantry. He was a member of the RSVP board and the Senior Citizens Center. Chuck was particularly proud to be a member of the Sturgis Veteran’s Honor Guard for many years.
Charles enjoyed playing cards with his friends, spending countless hours in the garden, fly fishing in Spearfish Canyon and the Madison River, hunting and hiking Deadman Mountain, and spending time with his grandchildren and family.
Survivors include his wife, Kay, their six children and spouses; Cindy and Larry Begley of Rapid City, Terry and Dr. Tom Hermann of Sturgis, Dale and Ann Tribby of Miles City, daughter-in-law, Tona Tribby of Rapid City, Dan and Lynn Tribby of Sturgis, Don and Sandy Tribby of Springfield, Missouri, Mary and Ed Stewart of Evergreen, Colorado, 14 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren, a sister, Maxine Parks of Santa Rosa, California and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters and a son, Doug.
Memorials are to the Sturgis Veteran’s Honor Guard, Sturgis Community Health Care Foundation or the Yellowstone Park Foundation.
Clara Sprackilin Derenburger Monger
Clara Ellen Sprackilin Derenburger Monger, age 87, of Miles City, MT passed away on April 2, 2006 at the Holy Rosary Healthcare Extended Care in Miles City.
She was born on March 28, 1919 in Jordan, the youngest of seven children born to Reed and Julia Ann (Siler) Sprackilin. She was the first registered baby born in Garfield County.
Mrs. Monger was raised in Jordan and attended schools there. On December 23, 1934, Clara married
Martin Derenburger in Jordan. They ranched in the Jordan area until 1950, when they moved to Miles City. In 1963, Clara and Martin bought the Cohagen Bar which they owned and operated for nine years. Martin passed away in 1972 and shortly after, Clara sold the bar to her daughter and moved back to Miles City. In 1977, she and Stan Monger were married
. They loved to travel and did so around the Montana and Wyoming area. Stan passed away in 1990 and Clara returned to Miles City where she has lived ever since at the TLC, Eagles Manor and the Holy Rosary Healthcare Extended Care.
Clara enjoyed woodworking, building covered wagons. She loved to read, and had a green thumb in the garden. Clara enjoyed feeding her fa.m.ily from the produce she gathered from the garden.
Clara is survived by two sons; Gene (Mary) Derenburger of Miles City, and Dan (Bonnie Lou) Derenburger of Miles City, two daughters; Marie Bastian of Miles City, and Marna Goddard of Billings, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, six brothers; Amos, Oliver, Harley, Clifford, Roy and Forest and two sons-in-law; Elwyn Bastian and Ken Goddard.
Visitation will be held on Friday, April 7, 2006 with a Vigil Service at 5:30 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, April 8, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Miles City. Rite of Committal will follow at the Calvary cemetery in Miles City.
If desired, memorials may be made to the charity of ones choice.
Clifford Nolley
Clifford Stanley Nolley, aged 87, of Miles City, Montana, went to be with his Lord on Sunday, April 2, 2006.
Mr. Nolley was born on June 27, 1918 in Christiansburg, Virginia, the son of Hammett and Allie (Sutphin) Nolley. He attended grade school in Virginia before his family left the family farm and moved west in 1930. After periods spent living in South Dakota, Montana, and Idaho, he settled in Miles City, where he met Beulah Parks. They were married
on Dec. 14, 1940. The young couple moved to Vancouver, Washington during the war where he became a welder-leadman in the Kaiser shipyard; Beulah also welded there, and both even worked on occasion on the same ship. Near the end of the war, he served a brief time in the Navy.
After the war, he was employed briefly at the Chevrolet garage in Miles City, before returning to welding. He worked for Anderson Iron Works for a time before establishing Nolley’s Welding Service, which he maintained for many years.
Mr. Nolley was a devoted husband, father, and church member. He served his church in widely varying capacities over the years and remained an active Gideon to the end of his life. In retirement, he also volunteered in various capacities, including service at Friendship Villa and for the Veteran’s Administration. He loved to hunt and especially to fish. In his later years, nothing pleased him more than to spend time with his grandchildren.
He is survived by his children: Ken and his wife Jan of Salem, Ore., Charles and his wife Saba of Chicago, Ill., Carolyn and her husband Richard Newell of Billings, Rita and her husband Timothy Andersen of Missoula, and Don and his wife Jill of Minneapolis, Minn.; by his grandchildren; Matthew and Michael Nolley, Omid, Majid, and Jahan Nolley, Julia (Newell) Iverson and Joanna (Newell) Eddy, Amy and Ken Andersen, and Alex Nolley; and by a large number of special nieces and nephews, including: Loretta Peters of Seattle, Wash., Lorraine Ilardi of Anchorage, Alaska, and Wilma Leidholt of Miles City. He was preceded in death by his wife Beulah, his parents, a son Clifford (known as Butch), his brother Ed Nolley, and his sisters Beulah Martin, Nellie Jackson, and Rachel Bickle.
Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the Grace Bible Church, the Miles City Gideons, Box 1336, Miles City, MT 59301, or the charity of one’s choice.
Visitation will be held on Monday, April 2, 2006 with family receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, April 4, 2006 at 2 p.m. at Grace Bible Church in Miles City. Interment will follow in the family lot in the Custer County cemetery in Miles City.
Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the charity of ones choice.
William Newhouse Sr.
Surrounded by his family and after a long illness, William E. Newhouse Sr., 85, died Sunday, March 26, 2006, in Tulsa, Okla.
Mr. Newhouse, a former Miles City resident, was a decorated World War II Army Pilot in the European Theater.
Born in Malta on Jan. 27, 1921, he owned and operated Newhouse Grain Company in Shelby, Newhouse Cattle Company in Cut Bank and later United Beverage and Anco Beverage in Miles City.
His survivors include his five children, Lottie (Patrick) Sweeney of Billings, Stephanie Davis of Madison, Wis., Karen (Len) Kaus of O’Fallon, Ill., Bill Jr. (Linda) Newhouse and Lisa Dunning of Tulsa, Okla.; 13 grandchildren; and three great-granddaughters.
Mr. Newhouse was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Lorann Wells Newhouse.
At his request, a memorial service will not be held, but his ashes will be spread with those of his wife in his beloved Montana.
Suggested charitable donations in Mr. Newhouse’s memory would be welcomed to either the Covenant House of Missouri, a provider of supportive services to homeless children, at 11 S. Newstead Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108, www.covenanthousemo.org or The Fisher House Foundation, a foundation providing assistance to the military and their families during times of hardship, at 1401 Rockville Pike, Ste. 600, Rockville, MD 20852, www.fisherhouse.org.
Moore’s Southlawn Chapel in Tulsa at 1-918-663-2233 is in charge of arrangements.
Estella Renz
Estella Belle Renz, 78, of Minatare, Neb., former Terry resident, died peacefully with her family by her side on Tuesday, March 28, 2006, at Regional West Medical Center, Scottsbluff, Ariz.
She was born Dec. 4, 1927, at Terry to Arthur and Anna Lupanicci Moe. She grew up and attended schools at Terry.
In September 1946, she and Herb Renz were married
at Scobey. During their marriage they lived in many states including Montana, Arizona, Washington, Oregon and North Dakota because of his work.
Mr. Renz preceded Mrs. Renz in death in 1984 and she moved to Minatare in 1991.
Her survivors include her daughters, Debby (Tennus) Gaub and Callie (Daniel) Weinreis, all of Minatare; her sisters, Suzanne (David) Myszak of Lafayette, Colo., and Rita (Leroy) Buxbaum of Glendive; six grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, three sisters and one brother.
A funeral service was held Thursday afternoon, March 30, 2006, at Dugan-Kramer Funeral Chapel at Scottsbluff, Neb. Interment will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 1, 2006, in the Prairie County cemetery at Terry.
Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home of Terry is in charge of the local arrangements.
Kenith Emeline
Kenith Lee Emeline, 27, of Miles City died Saturday, March 25, 2006, at the Holy Rosary Healthcare in Miles City.
He was born on July 19, 1978, in Miles City to Zonda Jean Gumels-Loya and Daniel Lee Emeline. He spent most of his childhood moving around with the family chasing hail storms in Arkansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
Mr. Emeline went to Job Corps in Clearfield, Utah, for 2-1/2 years. While he was at the job corps he completed his GED and became a machinist.
He loved spending time at the river, camping and reading stories about mythical creatures. Mr. Emeline enjoy playing Play Station with his nephew, Alex. He was a happy person and could always be found wearing a smile. Mr. Emeline always enjoyed the time he spent with his family and friends.
His survivors include his brother, Shannon of Miles City; his sister, Elizabeth of Powder River County; his father, Dan Emeline of South Broadus; his grandmother, Thelma Mae Schaffer of Unice, Nev.; his nephew, Alex; his nieces, Natilee and Zoe; and many aunts and uncles.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Zonda in 2001.
A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, April 1, 2006, at 1 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Miles City.
If desired, memorials may be made to the family to help cover traveling expenses, care of Emeline family, P.O. Box 164, Broadus, MT 59317.
Bernice "Bernie" Bowman
Bernice “Bernie” L. Bowman, 83, of Miles City died at her home on Sunday, March 26, 2006.
She was born on Feb. 24, 1923, in Sioux Falls, S.D. She grew up in Pipestone, Minn. After high school, she moved to Minneapolis where she graduated with a cosmetology degree in 1941.
On Feb. 24, 1943, she and her high school sweetheart, Lloyd, were married
. The family moved to Miles City in 1951, where she worked along side her husband to build his chiropractic practice, raise their three children, and build a life rich with family and deep friendships.
Her survivors include her three children, Karen Heward and best friend Bill Rose of Reno, Nev., Jim Bowman and wife Kathy of Billings and Kristi Stein and husband Ken of Miles City; her grandchildren, Karen’s children, Brian Heward and wife Cheryl and Sarah Bauer and husband Jason, Jim’s children, Jennifer Finn and husband Bryce and Kari Troncuso and husband Ciro and Kristi’s children, Kendra, Garrett, and Jamie Stein and fiancé Darren; and two great-grandchildren, Morgan and Austin.
Survivors also include two sisters, Mickie Hallahan and Betty Jean Bruce.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Lloyd, and sister Carolyn.
Memorial services will be Friday, March 31, 2006, at 3 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Miles City.
Memorials may be made in Mrs. Bowman’s name to the First United Methodist Church, 24 N. 11th St., Miles City, MT 59301.
