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Charlene Manley, 56
ENNIS — Charlene Janina Manley of Nacogdoches, Texas, died Wednesday.
She was born Jan. 13, 1947, in Whitehall to Janet Jamula Passage of Nacogdoches and the late Charles Lynn Manley.
Her father served in the Marine Corps, so her family lived in many cities in the U.S. before settling in Corpus Christi, Texas. She received her bachelor's degree in nursing from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wis., where she married her first husband, Dr. Robert Lehmann, with whom she has four children. She also received master's degrees in business administration and nursing. Charlene was a professor at Stephen F. Austin School of Nursing and was involved in medical research.
Survivors include her mother, Janet of Nacogdoches; children, Charles Albert and wife Natalia Waworuntu Lehmann, Round Rock, Texas, Lara Janina Lehmann and husband Doug Pritchett Jr., Houston, and Emily Alisa Lehmann, Houston, Angelique Faye Lehmann, New Orleans; her husband, Jodie Stone of Nacogdoches; brother, Craig Manley of Daphne, Ala.; and sister, Christie Johnson of Georgetown, Texas.
The funeral is 11 a.m. Saturday in Trinity Episcopal Church in Jeffers. Interment: family plot in Madison Valley Cemetery in Ennis. Memorials: Christ Episcopal School, Nacogdoches, Texas.
K&L Mortuaries of Ennis is in charge of arrangements.
Franklin Estes, 75
ANACONDA — Franklin "Lindy" Estes, Anaconda, died Thursday after an extended illness.
He was born Dec. 17, 1927, in McAllister to Joseph and Lena (Bastin) Estes. He was the youngest of five boys. He spent his young years in the Madison Valley, where he attended local schools and graduated from Ennis High School in 1946.
He received an athletic scholarship to Western Montana College in Dillon. While at Western, he was active in all major athletics. He earned his bachelor's degree in elementary education and did graduate work at Western. In the summer of 1962-1963, he attended the University of Colorado on a grant issued by the National Science Foundation.
Lindy taught school in Norris and Cardwell. He worked for the Montana Highway Department during the summer months and did carpentry work around Ennis.
On June 26, 1955, he married Honie Rae Romey in Virginia City. They were blessed with three wonderful children.
In 1956, they moved to Anaconda, where he started teaching in the Anaconda school system. Frank loved athletics and served as an assistant coach in track and basketball. He taught in Anaconda for 28 years, retiring in 1984
Frank enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping and woodworking. He loved to play golf and was a member of the Anaconda Country Club. He liked playing cards, especially Pan Ginny, telling jokes and relating some of his "whoppers." He had this as a defense against his equally boisterous friends. No harm was ever intended because Frank had a very loving and kind heart. He had an obsession about honesty and often said, "The nice thing about telling the truth is that you never have to remember what you said."
He enjoyed visiting with people and respecting them as equals. He often made the comment that he wasn't any better than anybody else, but he was just as good.
Frank was a member of the Anaconda Carpenters Union for 25 years and a long-time member of the Anaconda Elk's Lodge. He belonged to St. Mark's Episcopal Church.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Forrest "Duke" and Malvin "Mal" Estes; nephew, Wayne Estes; and sister-in-law, Helen Estes.
He is survived by his wonderful and caring wife at the family home; daughters, Leni Crebo of Missoula, Patti Theilen (Mike) of Littleton, Colo.; son, Jim (Dawn) Estes of Bullhead City, Ariz.; brothers, Joe Estes of Anaconda and Harold "Mick" (Audelle) Estes of Bozeman; grandchildren, Jason Crebo and Elizabeth and Andrew Estes; sisters-in-law, Betty Morck of Butte, Donna Schulz of Sheridan; brother-in-law, Bud Romey of East Helena; and several nieces, nephews and many special friends he cherished.
Lindy had a revelation and wanted to share it with everyone: "I am like an old painter of Sienna after standing for a long time in silent meditation before his canvas with hands crossed meekly on his breast and head bent reverently low, turned away saying, ‘May God forgive me that I did not do it better!' Many people as they come to the close of their life and look back at what they have done with the opportunities and privileges and at what they are leaving as their finished work to be their memorial, can only pray with like sadness. ‘May God forgive me that I did not do better!'
"I regret that I did not spend more time with my family, being with them and encouraging them to their aspirations. Like many fathers, my main purpose in life was to provide the material things for my family — give them a good home and all the amenities that go with it. To say the lack of time did not allow this is a poor excuse. You must take the time before it is too late. Love your family. Do it now."
Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at St. Mark's Episcopal Church. Interment will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery.
Memorials: American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Anaconda Pintler Hospice or Camp Mak-A-Dream.
Longfellow Finnegan Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
George Richardson, 90
George W. Richardson died Monday at his home.
He was born on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 1912, in Miles City to William B. and Clara Walters Richardson, who ranched near Powderville. He was very impressed as a teen when he helped his dad take a shipment of cattle, that included some of his own cows, from Miles City to the stockyards in Chicago. They rode in the caboose of the train, feeding and watering the livestock whenever the train stopped.
His early education was received at Powderville and various other country schools where his mother was the teacher at the time. He received his high school education in Miles City where he learned to "batch" while living on his own in a rented house. He attended Eastern Montana Normal School, now Montana State University-Billings. Then he taught in a one-room school in eastern Montana for two years, each weekend returning to the family ranch by horseback. His spare time during these school weeks was spent practicing the saxophone and eating lots of cornmeal mush. He attended the University of Oklahoma School of Law for two years, where he played saxophone in the college band. He returned to Montana and completed his education at the University of Montana School of Law, because he wanted to live and practice law in Montana.
He served two and one-half years in the Navy during World War II. George was very active in the local American Legion Post, serving as commander. He also served as secretary and as newsletter editor for many years. He was a proud member of the Forty and Eight, an American Legion honorary society for exceptional service, where he was the secretary and the editor of the Forty and Eight newsletter for many more years.
He practiced law in Butte for some 50 years. He was the U.S. magistrate in southwestern Montana for about 20 years, serving until retirement at age 70. He helped local residents buy homes as the loan closer for hundreds of Veterans' Administration loans. He was Butte city attorney for four years. He was a licensed abstractor. He was appointed to a term on the Montana School of Mines Board. He helped organize and construct the Legion Oasis housing complex and he served on its board of directors as secretary for many years.
George loved his family, his profession, his community and the outdoors. Every weekend was spent with his family at one of their three successive summer home cabins (all of which he built), or fishing, hunting, hiking, prospecting, camping, sledding, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, picnicking, horseback riding or going on Sunday drives.
His children and grandchildren will fondly remember his pancakes every Saturday morning. Of course, the pancakes were green for St. Patrick's Day, red, white and blue for the Fourth of July, and had surprises on April Fools' Day. George won first place with his blueberry pancake recipe in a cooking contest sponsored by The Montana Standard in 1963.
He belonged to St. Patrick's and Immaculate Conception parishes, frequently serving as an usher more than 50 years.
During his many years in Butte he was very involved in the community, frequently serving as a president, a secretary, a treasurer, a committee chairman, an editor, on the board of directors, etc. in many organizations. In addition to his veterans activities, he was involved in: Silver Bow Bar Association, Montana Bar Association, American Bar Association, Silver Bow County Republican Party, Butte Lions Club, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, Knights of Columbus, Butte Mineral and Gem Club, Montana Association of Mineral and Gem Clubs, Montana Institute of the Arts, Early Bird Investment Club, Butte Arts Council (Arts Chateau), Butte Emergency Food Bank, Southwest Montana Mining Association, and the Silver Bow Chapter of the Montana Mining Association.
On Sept. 3, 1940, he married Clarice Marie Berger in Norman, Okla., when they were both students at Oklahoma University; she survives. He is also survived by his only sibling Claude B. Richardson of Vancouver, Wash., his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He and Clarice have 10 children, many grand and great-grand children, all of whom survive:
1. Jan Nordwick (Ronald), of Butte, their four children: Suzzann Nordwick (Todd Steiger) of Butte and their two children Marie and Heidi; Pollann Bruner (Lee) of Butte and their three children Robert, Michael and John; Nancie Nordwick (Bill Fernandez) of Helena and their two children Eric and Alexander; and Thor Nordwick (Jennifer) of Billings and their daughter Katherine.
2. Bill Richardson of Oxnard, Calif., his two children: Traci Matlock (Bill) of Kremling, Colo., and their three children Natasha, Jennifer and Duncan; and Shawn Richardson (Kerry) of Camarillo, Calif.
3. Chuck Richardson (Judy) of Edmonton, Alberta, their two children: Shelly (Jamie) Sheridan of Edmonton, and her son Chris; and Marcie Richardson of Vancouver, British Columbia.
4. Betty Richardson (Vern Klevgard) of Sheperd, her two children: Beth Carmain (Torr) of Woodstock, Va., and their three children, Maddie, Amanda, and Tavian; and Marla Wick of Buffalo, N.Y.
5. Tom Richardson (Maureen) of Butte, their three children: Kathryn, Todd and Michelle.
6. Dick Richardson (Christi) of Great Falls, his two children: Angie Hill (Dan) of Missoula, and their son Tannor and his daughter Joree; and Dan Richardson of Missoula; and their son Benjamin.
7. Clarice (aka Samie) Brough (Dave) of Ridgecrest, Calif., their two children: Jasmine and Justin.
8. Dave Richardson of Shreveport, La., his two children: Jerry and Rose.
9. George Richardson (Holly) of Memphis, Tenn., and their son, Tyler.
10. Joe Richardson of Billings.
Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday in St. Patrick's Church. Cremation has taken place and the ashes will be scattered in a mountain meadow, as he requested, at a later date.
Memorials: Highlands Hospice through the Silver Bow Chapter of Easter Seals, Senior Companion Program through St. James Healthcare, or a charity of the donor's choice.
Dr. George Donich, 89
ANACONDA — Dr. George "Bud" Donich died Saturday in Spokane.
He was born April 18, 1914, in the Deer Lodge Valley and was the seventh of George Donich and Amelia Bosanitz's nine children. After cattle drives, milking cows, and going to high school, Bud attended Mount St. Charles College (Carroll College) on a football scholarship, studying premed. He graduated from Creighton Medical School in 1939; two years later he married Lea Ann Mills from Tacoma, Wash.
After graduating, he served as a flight surgeon in the air corps during four years of World War II. During that time Capt. Donich and another surgeon invented a cardboard splint that replaced the heavy wood splints the military had used.
After the war, the Donichs moved to Anaconda, where Bud opened a medical practice with Drs.Terry Callan, George Trobough, and Byron Greany. In Anaconda he raised five children, ran a medical practice that included house calls, volunteered at his church, in Knights of Columbus, and other charity events.
He still managed to find some time for his additional passions, golf, cabinetmaking, and dancing. His children still use his desks, headboards and bookcases today, all made on his beloved Shopsmith. He also put his carpentry skills to work during the 1950s helping to build St. Joseph's school and church. His children and nephews still fondly remember Bud teaching them to golf. Many weekends a group of friends would gather for long evenings of round dancing or ballroom dancing. Bud will be remembered for his love of big band music and dancing and for his classy style.
In 1972 Doctor moved his family to Seattle, while he took a residency in anesthesiology at the University of Washington. As the oldest student by far, he became friends with the faculty, he being nearer their age than to his fellow students. In 1972 he moved back to his beloved Montana and practiced with an anesthesiology group in Billings, until 1977. There he remained active in his hobbies, adding visits to his family and friends throughout Washington, Montana, Arizona and California. After a year working at Galen State Hospital, he retired to Seattle in 1981, where his wife Lea died two years later.
In 1986 he married Thelma Newton, living in Moses Lake, Wash., until her death in 1995. From 1996 until his death he lived with his son and daughter-in-law in Spokane.
Bud will be sorely missed by his son, Mike Donich and Tigri Donich and their children Chris and Katie; daughter, Stephanie Donich and Tim Croll and their son Jake; daughter, Becky Donich and Steve Weber; and grandchild, Tiffany Martindale and Jerah Martindale and Mattie and Talmadge, their children. He is survived by his sister, Dorothy Launderville, and many nieces and nephews from the Trobough, Donich, Launderville and DeLaHunt families, many of whom traveled to Spokane to say goodbye to Bud during his last month of life.
Friends may call to pay their respects in the Longfellow Finnegan Funeral Home beginning at 4 p.m. Friday. Parish vigil service will be held at 7 p.m. in the funeral home. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in St. Peter's Church.
John Stromberg, 84
ANACONDA — John W. Stromberg died as quietly as he lived Tuesday morning after a brief illness at Community Hospital of Anaconda.
John was born in Anaconda on Oct. 11, 1919, to Swedish immigrant parents, John and Hilma (Swanson) Stromberg. He attended local grade schools and graduated from Anaconda High in 1938. In August 1942, John married Agnes Donahue and their marriage was blessed with five children.
John was employed as a machinist at the Washoe Smelter in Anaconda for more than 40 years. His employment was interrupted by a what he described as a three-year world cruise. John served in the Navy in Japan and Okinawa during World War II. Before his retirement in 1980, John was promoted to smelter maintenance foreman.
Some of John's fondest memories were of his football years as an All-State running back for the Anaconda Copperheads, and later playing for the Anaconda Anodes semi-professional team. He was proud to have been one of the first athletes inducted into the Copperhead Hall of Fame.
Known for his kindness and infinite patience, John spent many hours tying flies, fishing, and woodworking. His children recall hours spent with their father just following their noses in the Mill Creek valley, exploring and listening to their father's version of the history of the region. John and Agnes also loved to spend time in the company of their close friends and relatives, playing cards, bowling, or just visiting.
In his youth, John often caddied at the Anaconda Country Club, which became his home away from home in his retirement years. A fanatic golfer, one of his proudest moments was the day his golf buddy, Gene Walsh, witnessed his first hole-in-one.
His wife, Agnes, parents, brothers Arthur and Alfred, and sister Esther preceded John in death.
He is survived by his children, Peggy and Frank Moreni, Kay and Carl Eccleston, Terrie and Tom Alge, Laurie and Robert Miller, and John and Verona Stromberg; sister, Ann Gates of Anaconda; brother, Walt Stromberg of Helena; brother-in-law, John Donahue of Anaconda. He was Papa John to 11 grandchildren, Frank (Leah), Mike (Heidi), Michele (Kent), and Mark Moreni; Eric and Kelcey Eccleston; Erin and Kellen Alger; Sara, Tara, and Kaitlyn Stromberg, and Conor Miller; and three great-grandchildren, Nick and Melissa Moreni and Jess Dailey. He will be sadly missed.
"Dad, we'll see you when the work is all done this fall."
Visitation will begin at 4 p.m. Wednesday in Longfellow Finnegan Funeral Home, where parish vigil service will be held at 7 p.m. Liturgy of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in Holy Family Church. Memorials: Anaconda Catholic Community Luncheon Committee.
James Minnehan, 56
ANACONDA — James Michael Minnehan of Anaconda died Sunday at his home.
The only son of Emmett and Kathryn Minnehan was born May 18, 1947. He attended local schools and joined the Army when he was 17.
James served two tours of duty in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star, among other awards, for meritorious achievement in ground operations against hostile forces in the Republic of Vietnam. The citation distinguished him for his bravery and dedication to his country. He met his wife Mai Lien there. They were married in Anaconda and had two children Michael and Hannah.
James was a military man from head to toe and was very proud of it, retiring after 25 years of service in 1989. Upon his discharge he couldn't wait to get back to his roots and start his civilian life. He purchased a ranch and stocked it with animals, like Noah's Ark, because he had a special fondness for animals.
He spent the last 12 years with Melba Frank, whom he cherished. He enjoyed fishing, woodworking, building projects on his property, riding his horses and taking care of his mother. He often helped out his friends and neighbors, whether it was cutting trees for wood or plowing snow off their driveways or the long dirt rock roads.
James was preceded in death by his father and little sister Linda, who died at the age of 7 and broke his heart at the tender age of 9.
He is survived by his sisters, Lola Haubrich of Anaconda and Rose Ann Palakovich of Whitehall; brother-in-law, Tom Palakovich of Whitehall; mother, Kathryn Dewing of Anaconda; son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Susan Minnehan of Seattle; daughter and son-in-law, Hannah Minnehan and Phil Corbin of Tacoma, Wash.; daughter, Lacey Smith of Drummond; grandson, Mack Minnehan; and granddaughter, Katie Minnehan of Seattle.
Friends may call to pay their respects in the Longfellow Finnegan Funeral Home beginning at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Longfellow Finnegan Funeral Home. Burial will be in the Veterans Lot in New Hill Cemetery with military honors.
