Obituaries

Apr 9, 2015

Donald LeRoy Hirst, 85, of Billings, passed away peacefully in his home on April 4, 2015. He was born in Spokane, Wash., on Nov. 18, 1929, to Donald C. and Evelyn C. (Johnson) Hirst. He graduated from Sandpoint, Idaho high school in 1947. Don entered the U.S. Army (Sig Corps) in 1951, where he met his beloved wife, Shirley...

Apr 8, 2015

Gary Wayne Brese was called home to Heaven on April 4, 2015. He was born in Billings on Aug. 6, 1952, to Jim and Eleanor Brese. A 1970 graduate of Billings Senior High School, he also earned a civil engineering degree from Montana State University in 1974. In 1976, he married Carol Kober and had a daughter, Claire, in...

Apr 3, 2015

On the morning of April 3, 2015, after fighting a long, hard battle with COPD, Jack Lackman cast his last breath, surrounded by his loving family. He passed peacefully in the home that he lived in for 71 years.

Jack entered this world on Feb. 13, 1939, in Billings. Jack was the first of four children born...

Apr 1, 2015

My Prince is Gone

My beloved prince died in my arms in our home on March 27, 2015, after a valiant battle with a long illness. His name was Gary Kenneth Clymer, my husband of 49 years.

Gary was born in Antlers, Okla., on Nov. 3, 1943. He graduated from Antlers High School...

Mar 29, 2015

Susan Svetich Gralapp passed away on March 29, 2015. She was born on July 9, 1952, in Billings, Montana, the seventh child of John and Neva Evans Svetich.

She graduated from Billings Senior High School. She and Bernard Jackson were married in 1972 and had two children, John and Amy Marie. They were later divorced but remained...

Mar 29, 2015

Dolores "Do" Siemiantkowski Page, beloved mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 29, 2015. Do was born in Chicago on Dec. 27, 1924 to Stephanie and Stanley Siemiantkowski. She was the oldest of three children. Do grew up in Chicago and met the love of her life, Harry "Hap" Page, at Navy Pier. After a...

Mar 27, 2015

Nicholas "Nick" Dahl, 20, died at his home in Billings on January 1, 2006. Nick was born on April 9, 1985 in Miles City, Montana to Gary and Linda Dahl. Nick spent his childhood in Montana and Hawaii. He went to school in Shepherd, MT, completing his education in 2003.

At the time of his unfortunate death...

Mar 26, 2015

William F. Woolston - kind, sharp and classy to the end - died peacefully at his home on the morning of Monday, March 23, 2015. He was 93.

Bill was born in Forsyth to Ernest and Mary Woolston on June 24, 1921, with many good years and adventures ahead of him. We still haven't confirmed that he...

Mar 22, 2015

Joseph (Joey) Thomas Tochihara was unexpectedly taken from us on March 19, 2015 following an emergency surgery to repair an aortic dissection. Joe was reunited with his father Jeff and Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Joe was born in Butte, MT on December 2, 1987 to Jeff and Norie (Quinn) Tochihara. In 1995 the family relocated to Absarokee, MT...

Mar 22, 2015

Lois A. Jones, 89 of Billings, passed away Thursday, March 19, 2014, while a resident at St. John's Lutheran Ministries.

Lois, a Billings native, was born on July 29, 1925, married Carl in 1952 and was a good mom to Carol (Gordon, deceased), Bob (Charlene) and Brian (Jolane). The family moved every few years, and Lois always...

Mar 21, 2015

Margaret Mahoney Converse, 99 of Billings, passed away Saturday, March 21, 2015 at her home. Through her faith in Jesus, she is home with Him now. Margaret was born March 3, 1916 in Nashville, Tn. She attended grade school and Junior High in San Angelo, TX be for returning to Nashville for High School. She moved to Billings in...

Mar 20, 2015

John M. "Jack" Galusha passed away on Sunday, March 15, 2015, from complications of Alzheimer's. His wife was at his side. Born on Sept. 7, 1928, in Cody, Wyo., to Barbara Mary (Mainland) and John Ernest Galusha, he spent most of his life in Laurel. He attended school in Laurel and graduated from Laurel High School in 1948. Jack...

Mar 19, 2015

Marie E. Barnes, 86, of Bighorn, Mont., passed away Thursday morning, March 19, 2015, at Rosebud County Respite Care, Forsyth, where she was given comfort while she said goodbye to the family. She was born north of Custer at her parents' home near Pineview, the daughter of Jens and Alma Nielson. Marie's early school years were at the country...

Mar 18, 2015

James Phillip Wittmer, 65, of Billings passed away March 18, 2015. His Golden heart stopped beating after a long courageous battle with cancer. Jim passed away at home surrounded by his loving family, being a born again Christian, he went to be with his savior Jesus Christ. Jim was born January 7, 1950 to Harold and Caroline Wittmer. He...

Mar 16, 2015

Norman L. "Norm" Sulenes, 95, of Billings, died on March 16, 2015 in Kihei, Maui, Hawaii.

The son of Arthur and Minnie Sulenes, he was born in Minneapolis on Dec. 22, 1919. He was raised and educated in Minneapolis, serving in WWII with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during the invasion of Okinawa, and part of...

Mar 15, 2015

Harold William Grusing, of Billings, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, at St. Vincent Hospital, on Saturday, March 7, 2015, after a hard-fought battle with pneumonia. Harold was born in Lakin, Kan., on Oct. 8, 1937, to Louis and Mildred Grusing. He had three children from an early marriage: Doug, Kevin and Steve. He met the love...

Mar 11, 2015

Our beloved father and grandfather, Elmor James Adkins, 88, passed peacefully into eternity at 12:28 a.m. on March 11, 2015. Born into the most humble and humbling of circumstances, Dad built, in the words of one grandson, "a legacy without price in value and without end in duration." Over the course of his life, he was a U.S. Air...

Mar 10, 2015

Vada Mercer Pitchford completed her earthly journey on March 8, 2015. She was born in Sherman, Texas, on Nov. 2, 1920, the daughter of Sallie (Legate) and Ernest F. Mercer. She was united in marriage with Louis C. Pitchford, Jr., in 1955 and spent her life loving God, her family and her friends. She is preceded in death by...

Mar 8, 2015

Oliver Victor Stark earned his angel’s wings on March 8, 2015, after a valiant struggle against medical odds. He was born September 14, 1940, in Billings, MT to Edith and Oliver Stark, both of whom preceded him in death. Oliver married the love of his life, Karen Schwartz, on November 23, 1961, and their love shone for 53 years....

Mar 7, 2015

Mom and Dad are together again Lawrence Farnsworth Small, Sr. died on Sunday, March 1, 2015. Here, in his own words, are his remembrances of his life: Lawrence F. Small Sr. was born in Bangor, Maine, on Dec. 30, 1925, the youngest son of Maine educator Irving W. and Geneva M. Small. Family included three brothers and his maternal...