Obituaries

Feb 4, 2016

Born April 10, 1926 in Sebeka Minnesota; passed away January 30, 2016.

Jim Larson grew up in a Catholic family of 8 children (5 girls and 3 boys) in North Dakota. The family lived in a modest home where he could look up at the stars and snow coming through the ceiling cracks while sleeping in a...

Feb 3, 2016

Our beloved Natalie accidently let slip the reins of life on Saturday, January 30, 2016. Cause of death was an accidental drug interaction. Her short 20 years were filled with passion, intelligence, and an infectious respect for people and animals of all kinds.

Natalie was born April 21, 1995 in Billings, Montana. She attended Rimrock, Rose Park...

Feb 3, 2016

Jake, our beloved husband, father, grandfather, son, brother and friend, passed away on Jan. 13, 2016, of a sudden heart attack. Jake was born to Robert Jacobson Sr. and DeLoris A. Jacobson in Fulton, S.D., on Sept. 7, 1951. He spent most of his youth growing up in Wyoming and Montana. After Jake graduated from Sheridan High School, he...

Feb 3, 2016

Rick Hutchinson passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016, surrounded by family.

Rick was born on May 20, 1934, in the back of a car in Columbus, Ohio. He attended Columbus West High School, where he met his future wife, Barbara Williams. They were married on Sept. 15, 1956. They both attended Ohio State University, and...

Jan 31, 2016

Lola Hankel Berlinsky passed away Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, at St. John's Lutheran Home, at the age of 92. She was born on March 10, 1923, in Billings, the second of six children, to Earl and Martha Love.

After attending Billings Senior High, she married Norbert Fode, moved to California and, together, they had one son, Dennis....

Jan 29, 2016

Steve E. Hlebichuk passed peacefully on Friday evening January 29, 2016 at Valley Health Care Center.

Steve was born on Dec. 19, 1925, on the family ranch in Billings County, N.D. His parents, William "Bill" Hlebichuk and Monica Basaraba Hlebichuk, homesteaded about 10 miles north and west of Gorham, N.D.

Steve attended his first six...

Jan 28, 2016

Joan Louise Budeau Mazzucola, 73, of Billings, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, at her home, after a long battle with cancer, with her sister and daughter by her side.

Joan was born in Havre on July 17, 1942, to Albert and Leora (Wendland) Budeau, and raised in Rudyard, Mont. Growing up, she helped on the...

Jan 27, 2016

Patricia Gwen (Lee) Ballantyne, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, sister and friend, 79, of Billings, passed away peacefully, on Jan. 24, 2016, at Morning Star Assisted Living.

Patti was born March 17, 1936, on their family farm in Westhope, N.D. She would always tell the story of how she was delivered on St. Patrick's Day by...

Jan 27, 2016

Clark Allison DeFrance, 73, of Billings, died on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016. He was the first son of Allison and Erma Clark DeFrance, born on Sept. 17, 1942, in Glendale, Calif.

He was raised in San Leandro, Calif., and graduated from high school in Kirkland, Wash. After proudly serving in the Army, he attended and graduated from...

Jan 27, 2016

On Jan. 24, 2016, at the age of 82, Alex went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

He was born on July 10, 1933, in Aberdeen, S.D., to Alex and Helen Hilsendeger. He spent his childhood in Aberdeen, went on to college, got his master's degree, spent a brief time in the Navy, and...

Jan 20, 2016

Helen "Pat" Galusha passed away on Jan. 16, 2016, at Billings Clinic.

Pat was born on Aug. 8, 1930, to Charles B. and Katherine (Montgomery) Rathbun in Fargo, N.D. She lived with her family in North Carolina for a brief time and started school there before moving back to Fargo. After her mother passed away, Pat moved...

Jan 15, 2016

Jean C. Sullivan passed away suddenly on the evening of Jan. 12, 2016, at her home in Billings.

She was born in Butte, the first child of Arthur and Loretta (Sullivan) Ryan on Aug. 31, 1926. Jean attended Catholic schools in Butte, graduating from Girls Central High School in 1944; following high school, she worked several years...

Jan 15, 2016

Shawn Finnegan passed away at his home on Jan. 12, 2016, just two days short of his 42nd birthday. Shawn was born in Butte, Montana, and was the oldest son of Phyllis Daly-Cunningham and Don Finnegan.

He spent his childhood growing up in Anaconda and Bozeman until he moved to Billings to live with his father in...

Jan 15, 2016

Dr. Thomas C. Donahue, 65, of Billings, passed away on Jan. 13, 2016, in Billings.

He was born in Panama City, Florida, to Patrick and Irene Donahue on June 17, 1950. He is preceded in death by Patrick and Irene Donahue. He is survived by his sister, Colleen Donahue; and two brothers, Dan and twin brother Tim...

Jan 13, 2016

Margaret "Peg" Tatarka passed away on January 13, 2016 at St. Vincent Hospital with her family at her side following a short illness. She was born in Helena on September 26, 1923 to Leo and Felicia (Sullivan) LaReau. After graduating from Helena High School in 1941, she attended Montana State University. She transferred to the University of Minnesota, where...

Jan 12, 2016

Joyce Elizabeth Packard was born April 6, 1951 in Little Falls Minnesota to Burke and Florentina Kappes.

After graduating from high school Joyce completed business school and barber college in Minnesota.

Joyce moved to Montana in 1983 and operated The Hair Station for more than 30 years in Billings. Joyce was united in marriage to...

Jan 10, 2016

Evelyn Deming, 96 was born at the family homestead on the "Big Flat" between Hogeland and Turner MT, the third child of John and Lottie Bergren. She graduated from Hogeland High School and was employed doing housekeeping and child care in Harlem MT before marrying Henry Deming in 1939. They resided in Turner where their four children were born....

Jan 10, 2016

Albert "Al" Paul Resch went to heaven on Jan. 6, 2016, surrounded by his family.

Al was born to John and Bertha during a blizzard at the family farm outside of Harris, Minn., on Jan. 25, 1928. Dad grew up on various farms in the area and went to school in the Rush City, Minn., area. At...

Jan 10, 2016

Tim Jerhoff passed away on Dec. 26, 2015, in Nevada City, Calif., at the age of 75, of complications related to throat cancer. Tim will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and his dog Brody. Tim will be remembered for his great love of golf and other sports, his love of telling stories, and time spent with family...

Jan 8, 2016

Heidi Thometz, 68, peacefully passed away in her home on Dec. 19, 2015.

She is survived by her two children, Jamie Oncay Chapman and Joshua Thometz; four grandchildren, MacKenna Kuntz, Desmond and River Chapman, and Hayden Thometz; and five siblings, Mary Cappiello, Gretchen Thometz, Anne Bowen, Lisa Hannegan and Alan Thometz.

Heidi was the pillar...