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Father Joseph Patrick Sullivan
Fr. Joseph Patrick Sullivan of Helena passed away May 20, 2002, after a four year battle with Alzheimer's disease and related complications.
He was born to Jerry and Nora McGrath Sullivan on March 14, 1932 in Butte. Joe Pat attended Butte Catholic Schools, graduating from Butte Central in 1950. He attended the College of Great Falls for two years and transferred to Carroll College his junior year. He graduated from Carroll in 1954. Father continued his education at St. Bernard's seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, and was ordained a priest in the Immaculate Conception Church in Butte on May 31, 1958.
Father Joe served the Western Montana Diocese for 40 years in several capacities. He retired for health reasons in March 1999. Father served on the faculty of Carroll College from 1958 to 1972 teaching theology. During that time, he received his MA in theology from Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
In July 1972, he was assigned as co-pastor of St. Rose of Lima parish in Dillon, serving until February 1974, when he was assigned as associate pastor of St. Ann's Parish in Butte. In July 1977, he became the first pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Butte. He was assigned to the St. Helena Cathedral pastoral team in April 1983 and shortly thereafter as co-pastor of St. Richard's Parish in Columbia Falls.
In June 1984, Fr. Joe Pat began a new phase of his pastoral ministry as Priest Chaplain of St. Patrick's Hospital in Missoula. His final parish assignment was again in St. Richard's Parish in Columbia Falls serving from September 1994 until he was granted senior status in March 1999.
While serving on the faculty of Carroll, Father also served as priest director of Legendary Lodge on Salmon Lake during the summer months.
An accomplished student and athlete, Father Joe Pat played on football and basketball teams at Butte Central High School, including the 1950 state champion basketball team. He also excelled in both football and basketball at Carroll College earning all-conference honors in both and played on Montana Collegiate Conference Championship teams for the "Fighting Saints." He is a member of the Butte Athletic Hall of Fame and the Carroll College Athletic Hall of Fame.
As a priest, Father Joe Pat had a unique ability to bring people to the church. He was truly a priest that could reach out to all in an unthreatening and loving manner. His wonderful sense of humor was a delight to all who knew him. He was a friend to everyone, and remembered details, relationships and events until Alzheimer's robbed him of this unique ability.
He is survived by his sister, Geraldine (Gerry) Robinson of Helena; brother and sister-in-law Jack and Pat Sullivan of Butte; and brother and sister-in-law Jerry and Jean Sullivan of Billings. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews and grandnieces and nephews. He is also survived by his friend, companion and caregiver Billie Jean Hill of Helena.
He was preceded in death by his parents, several uncles and aunts, cousin Emmett Murphy, niece Cathy Sullivan Servantius, grandnephew John Schmitt and brother-in-law James Robinson.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Memorial Day, May 27 at Retz Funeral Home in Helena and again from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Butte. Vigil service is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. on May 27 at St. Ann's. Mass of Christian Burial will also be at St. Ann's at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 28.
His cremated remains will be interred with his parents at a later date.
Memorials in Fr. Joe Pat's name are suggested to the Sullivan Scholarship Fund at Carroll College or to Butte Central High School.
Dan H. Kelley
Charlotte, N.C. — Dan H. Kelley, 75, of Charlotte, N.C., died at his home on May 21, 2002. from lung cancer.
Born in Lewistown on Dec. 17, 1926, he was the husband of Virginia B. Kelley, the son of the late Mrs. Mary J. Kelley of Hazelton, Pa., and the grandson of the late Amanda and Otto Jawort of Helena.
He served in the U.S. Navy Pacific fleet from 1944 to 1949, where he was awarded the American Theater Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Medal, WWII Victory Medal, China Service Medal, Navy Occupation Medal and Philippine Liberation Medal. He served on the USS Dixie, USS Thomas F. Nickel, USS Prinz Eugen, and USS Topeka. He participated in the Atomic Bomb Test at Bikini Island in the Marshall Islands in 1946.
Dan graduated from Helena High School in 1944, attended Carroll College, and graduated from Montana State University, Bozeman, in 1953 with a BS in civil engineering. During his career as an estimator and project manager in the heavy construction industry, he traveled extensively around the world to countries including Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Cambodia and Vietnam. He has lived in Illinois, California, Washington, Texas, Pennsylvania, Missouri and Oregon, and in Korea, China and the Philippines. He retired from J.A. Jones Construction Company in Charlotte in 1992. He was an avid sports fan and personal computer enthusiast.
In addition to his wife, Virginia B. Kelley, he is survived by two sons, David D. Kelley and wife Marcia, of Irmo, S.C., and Bruce J. Kelley of Columbus; two daughters, Sheila Miller and husband Virgil of Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, and Mona Kathleen Kelley of Tijeras, N.M.; and two grandchildren, Jenifer L. Kelley of Austin, Texas, and Jeffrey D. Kelley of Bakersfield, Calif.
A memorial service will be held at a later time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice at Charlotte Inc., 1420 E. Seventh St., Charlotte, NC 28204. McEwen Funeral and Cremation Service, Pineville Chapel, is in care of the arrangements.
Jeanette Rose Keller
Custer — Jeanette Rose Keller passed away on May 15, 2002, at her home in Custer with family at her side. She fought a hard, courageous battle with cancer.
Jeanette was born to Phillip and Regina Kuntz on Dec. 19, 1937. She was raised on the family farm south of Custer and graduated from Custer High School. On Oct. 28, 1954, she and Bill Keller were united in marriage. Together they had seven children.
Mom enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and playing solitaire. Most of all she was known for her excellent cooking. Her dedication to her children and grandchildren was immeasurable. She was always putting everyone else's needs before her own.
Jeanette was instrumental in getting the Junction City Memorial Park Board started. She started as a member of the board in the beginning and remained active until present.
Jeanette is survived by her husband, Bill, and their children and grandchildren; Steve Keller of Helena and his children Wes, Josh and Shandi; Tam (Greg) Miller of Billings and their children Summer, Kimberly, and Erica; Dani (Shayne) Meskimen of Billings and their children Jared and Haylie; Jeff (Corinna) Keller of Custer and their children Ashley, Taylor, and McKensie; Rona (Cory) Hansen of Custer and their daughter Pier; and Shawn (Eddy) Strecker of Big Horn and their children Joel and Jordan. She is also survived by her mother, Regina, and brothers, Phillip Kuntz of Selah, Wash., Dan (Judy) Kuntz of Laurel, and Tom (Linda) Kuntz of Williston, N.D. Jeanette was preceded in death by her father Phillip Kuntz and her son Daryl.
A special thanks is extended to the entire staff of the Oncology Center of the Northern Rockies, VNS, and Big Sky Hospice for their sincere and loving care that they provided for Mom.
Services were held on Monday, May 20, at the Custer School gymnasium with interment in the Custer Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made to the Custer Community School Support Foundation (CCSSF) or to the charity of one's choice. Smith Funeral Chapel was in care of the arrangements.
Douglas Lee Oliver
Douglas Lee Oliver, 69, passed away at his Whitefish home on June 5, 2003.
He was born May 30, 1934, in Baltimore, Md., to Henry and Marie (Valdivia) Oliver.
He received his education in Temple City, Calif., graduating from high school there. He went on to join the U. S. Marine Corps., from 1952 to 1955, serving his country in Korea. He met and married Sharron Rickman on March 21, 1959, in Sierra Madre, Calif., and to this union two daughters, Lynne and Donna, were born. They later divorced. He attended Long Beach State University for a couple years and then worked for the long Beach Fire Department. He met Gerlinde Witty in Aspen, Colo., and the couple was married in Austria on May 20, 1978. To that union, a daughter, Danielle, was born. Shortly after their marriage they moved to Whitefish, where he worked as a ski instructor on Big Mountain and as a fire inspector for Glacier National Park. He was currently employed as the safety officer with the Park Service. He loved the outdoors, hiking, skiing, and mountain climbing, but his greatest love was his family. He was a very devoted and loving husband, father, brother and uncle. His family was literally his life.
He is survived by his wife, Gerlinde Oliver of Whitefish; three daughters, Danielle Oliver of Whitefish; Lynne Wallace and husband Jeff, and Donna Rotundo and husband Mark, all of California; five grandchildren, Heather and Holly Wallace, and Ryan, Andrew and Allison Rotundo; one sister, Ginger Jasco and husband, Gary, and mother-in-law Rosemarie Witty.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Marie Oliver.
Funeral services were held June 9 at the Christ Lutheran Church in Whitefish with Pastor Robert Ross officiating. Burial was at the Whitefish City Cemetery. Military honors were presented by the United Veterans of the Flathead.
The family suggests memorials to the Ray of Hope, 2680 U. S. Highway 2 East, Kalispell, Mont. 59901.
Arrangements were under the direction of Johnson Mortuary.
Jarold R. Wood
Jarold Robert Wood, age 61, of Helena died Monday, May 20, 2002, at Big Sky Care Center. Jarold was born to Browning and Katie Wood July 7, 1940, in Los Angeles.
He grew up and attended school in southern California. He entered the U.S. Navy in August 1957 and was honorably discharged in July 1961. While in the Navy, he worked as an electrician and worked on everything from generating plants to electrical lights. He was also involved in nuclear test surveys.
Jarold earned a degree in electronics. Jarold owned and operated A-1 Communications for 20 years in Helena. He also worked as an instructor at Votech for three years. He married Candace S. Semenze in February of this year.
He enjoyed fly-fishing, camping, and working with wood and seashells.
Survivors include his wife Candace of Helena; a daughter Sheryl of Torrance, Calif.; a son, Jay Wood of Indiana; a sister, Kay Tricoli of Pahrump, Nev.; one brother, James Bond of Wildwood, Fla.; and three grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at the funeral home Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Funeral services will be held Friday, May 24, at 11 a.m. at Helena Funeral Chapel. Graveside services will follow at the Montana State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Harrison. Funeral arrangements were completed by Helena Funeral Chapel.
Hulda A. Van Winkle
Hulda Annabelle Van Winkle, lovingly called "Annie" by her late husband Frank, died Monday evening, May 20, 2002, at St. Peter's Hospital after a brief illness. She was born to Andrew and Annie Hillman in Cusson, Minn., on Aug. 16, 1923.
Raised with nine brothers and sisters by her mother, a large family was her natural surrounding. Her naturally high energy and enthusiasm only increased as the number of children grew around her. On Feb. 27, 1943, she married Wilho Edwin Arfman in Floodwood, Minn. After his tragic death on July 16, 1954, she moved to Helena, where she met and married Frank Winslow Van Winkle on Aug. 12, 1955.
She learned to sew at a young age and enjoyed sewing for her husband and family. Her entire life was lovingly devoted to homemaking and caring for her family. Hulda was fiercely independent, always encouraging her children to learn and do for themselves. She wanted all of the children to succeed in school and have at least a modest understanding of music. All of her children studied the piano.
Her favorite times were those spent with her family, camping in Montana, bowling and dancing with her husband. She loved music and going to concerts. She loved cooking and baking and caring for her Persian cats.
Hulda was preceded in death by eight of her brothers and sisters and her husband of 46 years, Frank. She is survived by four sons Michael Arfman of Riverside, Calif., Larry Arfman of San Diego, Calif., Brad Arfman of Tualatin, Ore., and Stewart Arfman of Indianapolis, Ind.; and two daughters Julie Van Winkle of Helena, and Carole Brown of Plains. Twelve grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren also survive her.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 24, 2002 at Retz Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Helena Humane Society.
Chester W. “Chet” Featherly
Chester W. “Chet” Featherly, 87, of Helena, passed away early Thursday morning at St. Peter’s Hospital following a brief illness.
Chet was born in Wisdom, Mont., on Sep. 25, 1915, the son of Josephine and Fred Featherly. In 1927 the family moved from Dillon to Helena, where he attended local schools. Chet was a welding foreman at Caird’s Engineering Works for 40 years, retiring in 1979.
He married the love of his life, Charlotte Pollack, of Craig, Mont., on July 3, 1940, and they shared their lives together for 62 years. Chet was a quiet, soft-spoken man who enjoyed hunting, fly-fishing and in his retirement took up the game of golf. He loved to travel in his motor home – especially to California to visit his devoted family.
Chet enjoyed being a part of several local organizations. For 50 years he was a member of Morning Star Lodge No. 5, A.F. & A.M., the Helena Scottish Rite Bodies and the Algeria Shrine. He was active in the Algeria Shrine patrol and wrecking crew, and was a past director of the Royal Order of Jesters Court No. 5. He was also a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church.
He is survived by his loving wife, Charlotte; a daughter, Betty; son-in-law, Bruce Griffing; grandson, Bradley, and wife, Michelle; granddaughter, Nicole, and husband, Peter Van Zele; and great-granddaughter, Elise Van Zele, all of Livermore, Calif.; brother-in-law and wife, Don and Meredith Pollack of Polson, Mont. Several nieces, nephews and cousins will miss him.
Cremation has taken place with Chapel services Monday, Oct. 14, 2002, at 2 p.m. from Hagler-Anderson Chapel with Pastor Douglas R. Vold of St. John’s Lutheran Church officiating. Officers and members of Morning Star Lodge No. 5 A. F. & A.M will conduct Masonic services. Interment of cremains will take place at a later date.
Family prefers memorials to the Spokane Shriner’s Hospital for Children, 911 West 5th Ave., Spokane, Wash., 99201 or to St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1000 Helena Ave., Helena, MT 59601.
