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Elizabeth P. Mitchell
Elizabeth "Betsey" Anne (Patch) Mitchell, 82, of Bozeman died peacefully at her home on Dec. 13, 2001. Betsey was born in Philadelphia, Pa. on June 4, 1919. She was the daughter of Richard H. Patch and Elizabeth W. (Remsen) Patch.
She grew up in Jenkintown, Pa., where she attended public schools through her junior year in high school. She spent her senior year in high school at Walnut Hill School in Massachusetts, where she graduated in 1937. She graduated in 1941 from Skidmore College with a bachelor's degree in chemistry.
During the 1940s Betsey worked for Sharpe & Dohme and Johnson & Johnson as a research assistant related to the development of antibiotics. During World War II, she served as a volunteer driver for the Red Cross in Philadelphia, Pa.
Betsey married James Mitchell, III on Oct. 15, 1949. She lived in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Missouri and Virginia, where she was involved in many church and community activities.
She moved to Bozeman in 1997. Betsey was active in St. James Episcopal Church as a member of the Altar Guild and chair of the United Thank Offering. She worked as an RSVP volunteer repairing library books at Longfellow Elementary School. Betsey was also active in Chapter AG of PEO. She kept particularly busy attending the activities of her four grandchildren who live in Bozeman, including music and sporting events. Betsey frequently traveled to visit her grandchildren in Red Hook, N.Y.
Betsey was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.
She is survived by her sister, Priscilla P. Weber, and her husband, G. Hunt Weber, of Ambler, Pa.; a daughter, Susan M. Russell, and her husband, Richard C. Russell, of Red Hook, N.Y.; a son, James P. Mitchell, and his wife, Marie S. Mitchell, of Bozeman; four granddaughters, Kathryn, Julia and Rebekah Russell, of Red Hook, N.Y., and Alexandra Mitchell, of Bozeman; four grandsons, Andrew, Timothy and Peter Mitchell, of Bozeman, and Richard Russell, of Red Hook, N.Y.
A memorial service for Betsey was held at St. James Episcopal Church in Bozeman on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2001. She was interred in the columbarium at St. James Church alongside her husband.
Betsey requested that memorials in her name be made to Bozeman Deaconess Hospice, 915 Highland Blvd., Bozeman, MT 59715; St. James Episcopal Church, 5 W. Olive St., Bozeman, MT 59715; or PEO - Chapter AG, c/o Lois Adams, 2904 Colter, Bozeman, MT 59715.
Mal Thomas Shakra
Mal Thomas Shakra, 60, of West Edward Street, Carlsbad, N.M., died Thursday, Dec. 13, 2001, at his home.
Milad Thomas Shakra (Milad means Christmas time) was born Dec. 28, 1940, in Danbury, Conn., to John Shakra of Dier El Kamar, Lebanon, and Evelyn Nassif of Lawrence, Mass.
Mal graduated from Danbury High School in 1958. He was president of his senior class and took his responsibility as a role model very seriously. He attended the University of Bridgeport, Conn. He was baptized into Christ at the age of 35, and within two weeks he was in the Sunset School of Preaching in Lubbock, Texas. At that point he said he didn't know Genesis from maps. He graduated from the three-year ministry program in 1978. He received his B.A. in psychology at Lubbock Christian College in 1979.
He married Sheila Dyk on Dec. 28, 1978. He worked one year as an assistant minister and youth minister in Livingston. He preached four years in Big Timber, six years in Eunice, N.M., and 11 years in Carlsbad, N.M., for the Sunset Church of Christ. He worked with the Lakeview Christian Hospice team as a grief counselor in the past year. He had the gift of love. His enthusiasm for the Lord and life taught people how to love. To know him was to hug him.
Survivors include his wife, Sheila of Carlsbad, N.M.; his son, Josh, of Las Cruces, N.M.; his daughter Lensi, of Las Cruces; his brother, Joseph and wife Annie and their four children, John, Joe, Jeff and Theresa, all of Port St. Lucie, Fla.; his mother-in-law Betty Dyk of Manhattan; brother-in-law Gil Dyk of Manhattan; nephews Bruce, Bryan, Landall and Jason Leep of Bozeman; and nephews Layne, Darin and Bret Hoekema of Bozeman. He is also survived by numerous cousins in Connecticut and Florida.
Funeral services were held Monday, Dec. 17 at Sunset Church of Christ. Honorary pallbearers will be John Joseph Shakra, John Joseph Shakra, Jr., Joseph John Shakra and Jeffrey Milad Shakra.
Interment will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, in Churchill Cemetery in Manhattan, with brother-in-law Eldon Leep officiating.
Memorials can be made to Lakeview Christian Hospice, 1300 N. Canal St., Carlsbad, N.M., or Mountain View Christian Camp, 1308 W. Blodgett St., Carlsbad, N.M., 88220.
Miriam Shunk
Miriam Shunk of Bozeman died Dec. 15, 2001, at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. Daughter of James and Miriam Price, Miriam was born May 1, 1922, in Rickreal, Ore. Miriam married William Shunk on Aug. 12, 1972, at Soldiers Chapel in Big Sky.
Bill and Miriam spent the early years of their marriage on the Spanish Creek Ranch. Upon Bill's retirement, they moved to Four Corners and later to Bozeman.
She enjoyed needlework, oil painting and gardening.
Miriam is survived by her husband, Bill Shunk; daughters, Judy Wilson of Rocky River, Ohio, and Cynthia Burgener of Beaverton, Ore.; sons, Kelly Burgener of Raston, Wyo., and Lynn Burgener of Bridgeport, Wash.; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Graveside services were held Tuesday, Dec. 18, at Meadowview Cemetery in Manhattan.
Gail Seifert
Gail Seifert, 56, of Hulett, Wyo., and Belgrade, died Friday, Dec. 14, 2001, as a result of injuries received in a car accident.
Arrangements are pending.
John L. McGuire
John Lee McGuire, 38, died Dec. 15, 2001, in a Great Falls hospital. Arrangements are pending.
June K. McDonnell
June K. McDonnell, 84, of Belgrade died Monday, Feb. 19, 2001.
She was born June 1, 1916, in Butte, the daughter of Timothy and Lora (Hudtloff) Keefe. She was raised in the Butte area and she graduated from Butte High School in 1934.
She attended the Montana School of Mines in Butte. In her earlier years Montana Power Company employed her as an executive secretary. That is where she met her husband, Vernon McDonnell.
Following Vernon's retirement from MPC, the couple moved to Belgrade. They were the first to raise Ponies of America on their ranch northeast of Belgrade. Her husband Vernon preceded her in death in 1990.
Survivors include her stepdaughter, Lois Moon of Kalispell; her sister-in-law, Vivian Keefe of Butte; a nephew, Timothy M. Keefe of Georgia; a niece, Lynn Keefe Guay of Helena; a cousin, Helen Watkins of Denver, Colo.; and some very dear friends.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, February 22 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (formerly known as First Lutheran), 102 N. Weaver, Belgrade. Interment will follow in Sunset Hills Cemetery.
Memorials in her name may be made to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 102 N. Weaver, Belgrade, MT 59714.
Donald E. "Buzz" Ray
Donald E. "Buzz" Ray, 78, of Livingston died at his home Friday morning, February 16, 2001.
Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. Thursday, February 22 at Franzen-Davis Funeral Home, 118 No. 3rd St, in Livingston. The Rev. Harlan Durgan of Livingston Congregational Church will officiate. Graveside committal and burial will follow in Mountain View Cemetery.
Don was born September 23, 1922 in Belgrade, the son of Donald B. and Anna M. (Hoffman) Ray. He spent his early life and attended school in Belgrade, graduating from Belgrade High School in 1941.
He was then employed for a time in the construction of the Belgrade airport before going to work for the Northern Pacific Railroad. On January 17, 1942 he married Millie A. Admire in Ballantine, Mont.
The couple lived for a brief time in Laurel before moving to Livingston. In 1944 Don entered the United States Marine Corps and served in the South Pacific during WW II. Following his discharge in 1946 he returned and continued his employment with the railroad, which later became Burlington Northern Railroad. On Dec. 7, 1982 he retired from the railroad as a locomotive engineer.
Don was a member of Livingston Elks Lodge, the Livingston Golf and Country Club and the American Legion. He was an avid water skier and snow skier and enjoyed playing cards and golf.
Survivors include his wife, Millie Ray of Livingston; a son and his wife, Randy and Linda Ray of Whitefish, two daughters and their husbands, Marlene and Taylor Lewis of Springfield, Missouri and Dee and Jim Burns of Litchfield Park, Ariz.; two brothers and their wives, Kim and Dona Ray of Fruitland, Idaho and Robert "Hans" and Pat Ray of Belgrade, two sisters Fon Campbell and her husband, Ernie of Billings, Mont. and Shirley Deeter of Ogen, Utah; seven grandchildren, one great-grandchild; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Don was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Donald Wayne Ray in 1968; a brother, Jack Ray and a sister, Elizabeth Ray.
Memorials may be directed to Gateway Hospice, 504 South 13th Street, Livingston, MT 59047.
