Search Archived Marriage Records
Phillip E. Hamel
PLAINS - Phillip Edmund Hamel, 85, of Plains went to be with his eternal family on Oct. 25, 1999.
He was a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes through his Pend d'Oreille lineage from Genevieve "Jany" Sempson, born in 1821 at Ft. Nesqually, Wash.
Phillip was born May 8, 1913, in St. Ignatius, to Edmund and Louise Grenier Hamel. He graduated from St. Ignatius High School and was captain of the basketball team. In his early years, he enjoyed goose hunting.
He married Katherine Marie David of Ronan on April 2, 1934, in Missoula. They moved to Dixon in 1941 and managed the Dixon Cafe. Later, he bought the business block containing the Red & White Store, post office, mercantile, cafe and liquor store, a bar and two homes. They also ranched in Dixon.
They raised two sons, Wayne, who was director of the Job Corps near Ronan, and Jerry, who is a rancher at the home place in Dixon.
Phillip had various occupations, including baker for Rudy Stoll in St. Ignatius and at Kerr Dam; moving to Dixon, he managed his Dixon properties and bought the home ranch. He was tribal secretary for the CS&K Tribes in the late 1940s and early 1950s, as well as investment agent and insurance agent. Enlarging his ranch properties, he started the Hamel Campgrounds.
He married Carrie Scott in 1972 and moved to Plains. He did some building contracting and maintenance on their rentals.
He was preceded in death by his wife Marie, son Wayne, grandson Joseph, brother Robert and sister Helen Kennedy.
Survivors include son Jerry and Beverly Hamel of Dixon; daughter-in-law Cathy Hamel of Pablo; grandchildren Traci Vaile and husband Gus of Babb, Keelyn "KJ" Aranda and husband Ramon of Stillwater, Okla., Tammy Hamel of Pablo, Loretta "GiGi" Caye and husband Louis Jr. of Elmo, and Jim Hamel and wife Jami of Arlee; 11 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
Cremation has taken place and graveside memorial services will be held today (Thursday) at 4 p.m. at the Catholic cemetery in St. Ignatius. A dinner will follow at the Longhouse; all are welcome.
Coffelt-Bunch Funeral Service of Plains is in charge of arrangements.
AUDIE LEE JOHNSON
RONAN - Audie Lee Johnson, 82, died May 1 at St. Luke Extended Care Facility in Ronan.
He was born Dec. 30, 1916, in Madolie, Ga., to Dyress and Minnie Bell Johnson. He moved as a child to Pierce, Idaho, and attended school there.
He served in the Civilian Conservation Corps.
On Sept. 30, 1940, he married Lillie May Pickle in Arkansas. They farmed in Arkansas and Missouri until 1955, when they moved to Anaconda. He worked there in the smelter for the Anaconda Co. until he retired and moved to Ronan in 1989. He enjoyed gardening and his yard, and died faithful in the Lord.
He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers and his wife, Lillie, in January 1994.
Survivors include daughters Audine Craft and Betty Spencer, both of Ronan, Rosemary Miller of Anaconda and Derinda Kero of Missoula; son Don Johnson of Lacey, Wash.; sisters Lottie May Fox of Anaconda and Mary Lou Sloan of Portageville, Mo.; brothers James of Dallas, Texas, and Homer of Portageville; nine grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren, and four step-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Monday at the Church of Christ in Ronan, with the Rev. Jody Durham officiating. Burial was at Calvary Cemetery in Ronan.
Memorials can be made to the Church of Christ in Ronan, 59864.
Arrangements were by Shrider's Mortuary of Ronan.
PAUL HARRY BENTZ
POLSON - Paul Harry Betz, 84, died Feb. 7.
Paul was born to John and Josephine (Anderson) Betz on Feb. 20, 1915, in Glasgow. John and Josephine were both previously married. John had four children and Josephine had two. Paul was the only child by John and Josephine and was raised on the Betz ranch near Vandalia. Paul was raised in the strict traditions of that time.
Times were hard growing up in this era, but Paul had many fond memories of those years which he told to his children. Paul would tell of his daily horseback rides to school in Vandalia as well as his stops at friends' places along the way. Charles Jacobson was his closest friend during those years and later in life as well. Paul and Charles were inseparable as youngsters and would play on the farm and ride horses everywhere.
As a teenager, Paul was an excellent athlete. He attended two years of high school at Glasgow and was very proud to be called a Glasgow Scottie. In football, he was a halfback, and told the story of when Glasgow played Saco. Saco didn't have enough players for a team so the coach sent Paul over to help them out. Glasgow won the game by several touchdowns but Paul scored two touchdowns for Saco.
Paul was also quite fast as a sprinter and traveled to all the track meets that he could afford to attend. His boast was that he had never lost a foot race with anybody in his life. Later in life, when he was 40 years old, his two 20-year-old boys challenged him on that claim and a foot race ensued. It took Dad three times to beat them, but he did and held to the claim that he had never been beaten.
Paul knew Zola Mae Carter (Oct. 9, 1913 - Jan. 22, 1998) as a child. They attended the Richter Sunday School together as well as being acquainted at social gatherings, such as barn dances.
Zola graduated from high school in Hinsdale, and attended college in Havre. She received her teaching credentials and taught at the Huntley School for one year. It was well-known in the Kansas valley that the best-looking girls were the Carter girls, all seven of them!
Paul wasted no time in winning the heart of Zola and on Aug. 13, 1934, they were married. Their marriage was kept a secret the first year Zola taught school. In those days a young, newly married teacher could not get a teaching job. The school board held to the position that a young married woman was not worth the risk, so the school board policy was to hire only single women.
On Sept. 8, 1935, Russell Carter was born, and on March 29, 1937, Paul Arden was born. Times were hard and there was no work, so Paul and Zola made the decision to move to Idaho and join Zola's parents who had made the move about a year earlier. They raised potatoes and from the profits they had enough money to move back to Hinsdale the following year to buy a farm.
Two more children were added while on the farm in Hinsdale. Karla Marlene (Bjorge) was born on Sept. 15, 1944. and Kyle Charles was born on Feb. 20, 1951. During this time, Paul was a Mason and attained the ranking of Grand Mason at Kyle Lodge in Hinsdale. Zola was active in Eastern Star.
After Karla was born, Paul hurt his back and surgery was required at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Farming became too much after that so in 1954 the farm was sold and the Betzes moved to Culbertson. In 1961, they moved to Havre, and again in 1964 they moved to Chinook.
It was during this time that both of them found a mutual love for playing bridge. They started bridge clubs and promoted the game throughout eastern Montana. Both Paul and Zola eventually became Life Masters and could humbly boast about beating U.S. Olympic tournament bridge players. Paul and Zola are listed in the Bridge Who's Who for tournament competition wins. They continued to play until they both retired and moved from eastern Montana in 1980.
After retiring, Paul and Zola lived six months in Mesa, Ariz., and six months in Polson on Flathead Lake. Their last years were filled with family, friends and times of fishing, waterskiing, boating, shuffle board, huckleberry-picking and a myriad of acitivities that kept them young. Most enjoyable though, was seeing thir grandchildren grow up to be fine young men and women.
Paul was preceded in death by his loving wife Zola, five half-sisters and one half-brother.
Paul and Zola left behind four children, seven grandchildren (one deceased) and two great-grandchildren.
Pursuant to Paul and Zola's request, cremation has taken place and permanent interment will be at Lake View Cemetery in Polson. A combined memorial service will be held at Ronan's First Baptist Church, 207 Eisenhower Street SW, which they attended during the summer months. The service will begin at 2:30 p.m. on July 18. There will be a short time of refreshments following the service.
The family will then proceed to Lake View Cemetery for a private ceremony.
Oliver Glen Rowley
HELENA - Oliver Glen Rowley, 77, died Oct. 14, 1999, at Rocky Mountain Reservoir.
He was born Aug. 26, 1922, at Helper, Utah, the son of John Emerson Rowley and Amy Florella Davis. He enlisted in the Navy on May 27, 1941, was a Pearl Harbor survivor and served aboard a U.S. cruiser in the North Pacific during World War II. He was honorably discharged in June 1946.
He married Norma Jean Harris on Dec. 18, 1948, in Boulder. She preceded him in death in 1992. The family moved to Helena in 1950, where Oliver worked for Columbia Paint Company as a paintmaker for several years.
He enjoyed spending time with his family and his bird "Sweetie.²
His daughter, Vickie Baze, his parents, three brothers and a sister also preceded him in death.
He is survived by his daughters, Valerie Flansaas of Marysville and Anita Schmaus of Scobey; son and daughter-in-law Bill and Marjorie Rowley of Helena; sons-in-law Ken Baze of Butte and Ken Schmaus of Montana City; 10 grandchildren; brother and sister-in-law Leland and June Rowley of Utah; sister and brother-in-law Lorean and William Harris of Missoula; sisters Leona Spittler of Idaho and Dorothy Spang of Ronan; sisters-in-law Juanita Larson of Helena and Edna Rowley of Stevensville, and several nieces and nephews.
A military graveside service was held Oct. 16.
Oliver will be missed by all who knew him. A memorial service in celebration of his life was held at the Eagles Manor. Pastor Doug Vold presided.
Memorials are suggested to Westmont Hospice or to the Hospice of St. Peter's Hospital in Helena.
Retz Funeral Home of Helena was in charge of arrangements.
