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PABLO ELVIRA JR.
Pablo Elvira Jr. passed away Saturday, Feb. 5, 2000, at his beloved home overlooking the beautiful Gallatin Valley. Pablo was born Sept. 24, 1937, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the oldest of three children.
The son of a prominent dance orchestra leader, Pablo began his musical career playing jazz trumpet with his father's group. He later formed his own orchestra and performed with well-known celebrities at the El San Juan Hotel. The turning point in his singing career was his introduction to Pablo Casals. After a successful audition for Casals, Pablo was chosen to tour with Casals' Oratorio for world peace, which he subsequently recorded, with Casals conducting.
In 1966, he participated in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions in New York and was selected by the dean of the Indiana University School of Music to join their voice faculty. He remained there for eight years and performed leading baritone roles in the opera school's productions. After a year spent performing in Europe, he returned briefly to Indiana before moving to New York and debuting with the New York City Opera. In 1978, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut and became one of its leading baritones.
He met his wife, Signe Landoe, in 1967 at the School of Music in Indiana. They were married
in 1975 in New York City and moved to Bozeman where they built their home in 1976. In the spring of 1981, Pablo and Signe's son, Pablo Miguel, was born.
Pablo joined his good friend, Anthony Stivanello, and Montana State University's voice faculty member, Verity Bostick, to form Bozeman's Intermountain Opera Association in the spring of 1979. He served as artistic director and performed leading baritone roles for many years.
Although Pablo sang all over the world, his heart was always here in the Gallatin Valley with the people he so dearly loved.
Pablo was preceded in death by his parents, Pablo and Florencia Elvira.
He is survived by his wife, Signe; son, Pablo; two brothers; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorials in Pablo's name may be made to the Bozeman Salvation Army, 203 N. Church Ave., Bozeman 59715; to the Humane Society of Gallatin Valley, 2125 N. Rouse Ave., Bozeman 59715; or to a charity of your choice.
ROBERT T. RASMUSSON
Longtime Bozeman resident, Robert F. Rasmusson passed away Feb. 5, 2000 in Palm Springs, Calif.
Robert was born in Dazey, N. D. in 1907. He received his Bachelor's degree from North Dakota Agricultural College in Fargo N.D. and went on to teach Vocational Agriculture, Science and Mathematics in North Dakota and Montana. He worked with the North Dakota Resettlement Administration before serving in the U. S. Navy as an Aviation Radio Technician.
Robert married
M. Lucile Boe in 1941.
He served in the Montana Extension Service before and after World War II. He became a District Extension Supervisor in 1955, and earned his Masters degree in Agricultural Education in 1958 from Montana State College.
Robert retired from the Extension Service in 1972. He and Lucile continued to enjoy Bozeman and later Palm Springs, Calif.
Robert belonged to a number of professional fraternities and organizations. He enjoyed 50 years in the Kiwanis Club and attended Hope Lutheran Church in Bozeman.
Survivors include three daughters: Rita MacKubbin, of Lakeport Calif., Nancy
Waite-Obrien, of Palm Springs Calif., and Janet Stevenson, of Bear Canyon, Alberta; sister, Henrietta Dotting, of Valley City N.D.; brother, Paul Rasmusson, of Bismark, N.D.; and eight grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, two sisters and one brother.
JOSEPH R. JOHNSON
Joseph Richard "Joe" Johnson, 87, of Gallatin Gateway, passed away at his home on Oct. 16, 2000.
Joe was born May 28, 1913, in Boden, N.D., to Jacob and Ragnhild (Erickson) Johnson. He was raised on the family farm, leaving North Dakota in 1937 to live in Missoula.
Joe lived in Missoula until the beginning of World War II, serving in the Army from 1942 until 1945. After the war, he moved to Bozeman where he worked for Northern Automobile as a wrecker driver, front end and radiator man. In 1960 he bought Gallatin Radiator Service, which he owned and operated until his retirement in 1983.
Joe loved to hunt, fish and camp. He was the type of father that spent much time with his family, as they were his greatest joy. He loved being surrounded by them.
Joe is survived by his sons, Richard Johnson of Gallatin Gateway, William (Donna) Batters of San Diego, Calif., and James (Patty) Batters of Spokane, Wash.; a daughter, Beverly (Kyle) Clevenger of Garland, Texas; sisters, Hannah (Ed) Bomersine of Wenatchee, Wash., Inga Shephard of Renton, Wash., and Isabelle Fike of Chaseley, N.D.; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Joe was preceded in death by his parents, four sisters, and his beloved wife, Lola "Tiny" Johnson.
Cremation has taken place at Dahl Crematory. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, at Dahl Funeral Chapel. Interment of the urn will follow in Sunset Hills cemetery.
Memorials in his name may be made to the charity of the donor's choice.
William Joseph "Sully" Sullivan
William Joseph "Sully" Sullivan passed away Oct. 19, 2000, after a long illness. He was born Oct. 15, 1909, in Butte to William J. and Flossie Ramsey Sullivan.
Sully began his lifelong interest in radio and electronics as a teenager. He became a ham radio operator in 1923 -- one of the youngest ham operators in America -- and received the call sign 7FC.
In 1929, Sully married
Loretta Willard, and the couple moved to Bozeman in 1932. In the '30s and '40s Sully ran various radio/electronics stores in Bozeman, and in 1949 he created AMC Sullivan Foto, a camera shop at 107 E. Main St.
Sully was briefly involved in the gaming industry in Nevada and dabbled in the political arena while in Bozeman. He ran for U.S. House in 1952. He was a past Ruler of the BPOE.
Sully started AMC Manufacturing, a business that still operates in Bozeman.
In 1953, he married
Peg Parmenter of Arizona.
Sully invented several items during his life, most notably the "Crazy Duck, " "TIX" solder, the "Grasshopper" bait box, a magnet door/window alarm, and several machines used in his manufacturing plants.
He is survived by a son, Ted Sullivan and wife, Sandy of Mesa, Ariz.; a daughter, Sharon Armold of Bozeman; daughter-in-law, Jean (Bill) Sullivan; ex-wife, Peg and stepson, Jim; nine grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.
Sully was preceded in death by his father in 1921; brother, Virgil in 1923; his mother, in 1963; brother, Ken in 1981; sister, Dolly Steckler in 1990; and his son, William D. "Bill" in 1999.
"Pappo" will be missed by one and all.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
JAMES MERICA
James Terrance "Terry" Merica, 61, died Saturday, Oct. 7, 2000, after a long battle against leukemia.
At his request, there will be no public service. His ashes will be interned in the Ennis cemetery.
Family and friends are invited to a memorial celebration reception at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22, at the El Western in Ennis.
SYLVIA S. MERRICK
Sylvia Skarda Merrick of Billings passed away on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2000. She was born on July 16, 1912, in Ramona, Kan., to Vincel W. and Josephine Skarda. The family then moved to the Denton area, where Sylvia went to school. She graduated from Fergus County High School.
In a time when young women were expected to get married
and have a family, Sylvia courageously left the security of her parents' home and went to the "Big City" of Los Angeles where she studied for and became a registered nurse and then worked at Los Angeles County General Hospital.
During this time she met and married
Lewis A. Phelps and had a daughter.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Lewis reenlisted in the service, and Sylvia and her daughter moved back to her parents' wheat ranch at Denton. When the war was over, she moved to Oakland, Calif., and worked as the head of the shot clinic at the Kaiser Permanente Hospital.
In 1950 Sylvia became quite ill and once again moved back to Denton. She was later diagnosed as having multiple sclerosis, which she fought for 50 years and in spite of which she lived an active and productive life.
She moved to Billings in 1957 and worked as a private duty nurse until meeting and marrying Joseph A. Merrick on Dec. 17, 1962, when she moved to Bozeman. She and Joe enjoyed traveling and fishing and shared in many activities including the Lily of the Valley Chapter of Eastern Star.
In 1989 Sylvia moved back to Billings to be near her daughter.
Sylvia was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers, Ralph and George, and both husbands.
She is survived by her daughter, Elissa Linse; son-in-law, Roy A. Linse; two granddaughters, Cindy Linse and Cara (Michael) Masterson; and great-grandson, Spc. Arrin L. Linse; stepsons, William and Gerald Merrick and their families. She is also survived by her sister, Doris S. Glock, and nephews, and her sister-in-law and friend, June S. Skarda and nieces.
Sylvia had been a resident at Valley Health Care Center for the past five and a half years, where she was given excellent and loving care.
Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, at Valley Health Care Center in Billings.
The family requests no flowers, but any memorial gifts friends may care to give should be sent to the Multiple Sclerosis Society in Sylvia S. Merrick's name.
Michelotti, Sawyers & Nordquist has charge of arrangements.
ROBERT W. WILLIAMS
Robert W. Williams, 72, passed away Oct. 13, 2000, in Plano, Texas.
Bob was a long-time resident of Gardiner and a retiree of the National Park Service, spending most of his career at Old Faithful.
Bob enjoyed flying, woodworking and the company of his pet goat, Peter. He had a great sense of humor and quick wit.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Milly.
He is survived by two sisters, a brother, three daughters, a son and a stepdaughter. He will be missed by friends and family.
No services will be held.
JOSEPHINE ZWICK HOWE
Wife, mother, grandmother and friend, Josephine Zwick Howe, passed away April 7, 2000, in Bozeman. She was born in Ely, Nev., on June 25, 1917, to Joseph Anton and Elsie Margaret (Brooks) Zwick. She moved with her family to Butte, where she grew up, attended Butte High School, married
Robert H. Howe and started her family.
Bob and Jo were married
April 11, 1937, and enjoyed 63 years of marriage. Jo filled her life with her church work, volunteering in the schools with her children, over 20 years of Girl Scout work, Cub Scout den mother, over 10 years of Red Cross work in Billings Deaconess Hospital, sewing for her family and lots of travelling with her husband.
She is survived by her husband, Bob; daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Mike Bennett; son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Cynthia Howe; four grandchildren: Alison Bennett, Stephanie Howe, Mitchell Howe and Caroline Howe.
A memorial service honoring Jo and her life with us, will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, at the Grand Avenue Christian Church, with a reception following. In her memory, memorials may be made to Grand Avenue Christian Church, 110 S. Grand Ave., Bozeman, MT 59715; to the Gallatin County Historical Society, 317 W. Main St., Bozeman, MT 59715; or a charity of choice.
JACK BURTON LEWIS
Jack Burton Lewis, 77, passed away, May 8, 2000, of cancer. He was born June 21, 1922, to Charles Glenn and Myrtle May Lewis in Bozeman. He attended schools in Bozeman and was inducted in the U.S. Army at the age of 19. Upon release from the military, he spent a short time in the Seattle, Wash., area working as a welder in the shipyards. He later returned to Bozeman to live.
He married
Cecil Mae Puckett on April 10, 1947 in Billings. They spent 53 wonderful years together. He retired from the Gallatin County shop in 1984 and spent the rest of his life attending to his hobby of working on automobiles and trucks.
He was a member of the B.P.O.E Lodge 463 for 55 years and the Livingston Saddle Club, where his love of dancing was fulfilled.
Jack is survived by his wife, Cecil, of Bozeman; his daughter, Connie, of Bozeman; his son, Richard and wife Gay and two grandchildren Nicholas and Taylor, of Tualatin, Ore.
Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at the Dokken-Nelson Sunset Chapel and followed by a reception at the Elks Lodge. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Cancer Treatment Center, 931 Highland Blvd., Suite 3200, Bozeman, 59715.
Alfred Louis Abelin
Alfred Louis Abelin, 87, passed away Sunday, May 21, 2000 at the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. Alfred was born on January 1, 1913 in Circle to Louis and Bertha (Schilinzer) Abelin. He graduated from Circle High School and in 1957 graduated from Montana State College. He taught for one year at Bozeman High School, two years at Gardner High, ten years at Three Forks High and thirteen years at Jasper High in Jasper, Alberta, Canada.
Al operated a roller rink in the late 40's at the site of City Hall. He was on the Bridger Bowl Ski Patrol for 25 years and the Marmot Basin Ski Patrol for thirteen years. He was an avid skier until the age of 77. He built his first home in Bozeman in 1939 and built a new home in Bozeman when he retired >from teaching. Alfred spent a number of retirement winters in Arizona.
He was an avid outdoorsman: loved to hunt, fish, hike, camp, ski, motorcycle, horseback ride, was an RV enthusiast and writer.
Alfred is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law: Ron and Rosalea Abelin of Belgrade; Terry and Patricia Abelin of Bozeman, Doug Abelin of Helena, Phil and Deb Abelin of Victor, Idaho; brother, Richard Abelin of Springfield, Ore.; sister, Annette Hunkins of Beaverton, Ore.; sister, Verna Hughes of Camas, Wash.; sister, Lillian Smith of Portland, Ore. and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents Louis and Bertha, daughter, Sheryl Baker; sisters Marie and Ruth.
A funeral service will be held Wednesday, May 24, at 10 a.m. at the Dokken-Nelson Sunset Chapel. Interment will follow in Sunset Hills cemetery. Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the Cancer Treatment Center, c/o Bozeman Deaconess Foundation for Gifting, 931 Highland Blvd. Suite 3200, Bozeman, 59715.
