Obituaries

Dec 14, 2023

Singing and Dancing to the Very End! Dorothy Turnbull, age 90, passed away on December 14, 2023.

Dorothy Mae Herman was born December 30, 1932 in Laurel, MT, first-born to Alex and Anna Herman.

After graduating from Terry High School, she and her cousin, Esther Michaels, worked at Pierce Packing in Billings.

On...

Dec 13, 2023

Florence Beata (Wohlschlegel) Black was born on July 12, 1929, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and passed away in Billings, Montana, on Dec. 13, 2023, after a wonderful life of 94 years.

The first child of Albert Lee Sr. and Hazel (Christensen) Wohlschlegel, Florence grew up in Idaho Falls, where her parents owned and operated the Yellowstone Dairy....

Dec 10, 2023

Allan Ray Hinkle

Allan Ray Hinkle, 78, passed away at his home in Billings on Dec. 10, 2023. Allan was born the fourth of six children on Nov. 20, 1945, to George and Elizabeth (Nafts) Hinkle Jr.

He grew up on the family farm in Shepherd, where he graduated from high school in 1965. Allan...

Dec 8, 2023

Priscilla Dean Russell Laird, 92, of Billings, passed away on Dec. 8, 2023.

She was born on Oct. 20, 1931, the daughter of Minerva Bonlyn Bowen and Charles Vernell “Curly” Russell in Willow Lake, South Dakota. Priscilla spent most of her youth in Miles City, punctuated by a period during the War when her family lived in...

Dec 4, 2023

Jeffrey “Jeff” Harold Boschee was born on Sept. 19, 1955, to Harold and Lorraine Boschee, as their second child of four, in Forsyth. He graduated from Forsyth High School in 1973.

Jeff started at Eastern Montana College, graduating in 1977 with a degree in high school English and a minor in Theater Arts. He continued to live...

Dec 3, 2023

Linda Frances Dow lived a beautiful life of 81 years.

She was born in Bremerton, Washington, in 1942, to Mary Amelia (Plovanic) Dow and Harold Francis Dow, who started their family with Linda and Marilyn as Dad worked in the Navy Shipyard in Bremerton during WWII. Our family moved to Bozeman and Lewistown, and settled in Billings...

Dec 3, 2023

Ralph E. Smith was born on Aug. 30, 1938, to Donald and Marion Smith, in Kendall, New York. He graduated from Kendall High School. He worked at Dupont and Sears. He and his beloved wife met when they were 14 years old and later married and remained so until Clara’s death in 2022.

He is survived by...

Dec 3, 2023

Joan Arzella Shipley was born into this world on Feb. 19, 1951, to Annie and James Rollins. Four years later, they welcomed Joan’s little sister Sue into the world. When Joan was 9 years old, she discovered her first love, playing the violin.

In 1975, while working at Sambos she met the love of her life, Daniel....

Nov 22, 2023

Patricia Ann “Trish” Matteson, 74, of Billings, passed away on Nov. 22, 2023. She was born on July 30, 1949, the daughter of John R. Lair and Karen Bengtson, in Redwood Falls, Minnesota. She had two children: son Benjamin (Becky) and daughter Jennifer (Mark); and two siblings, Marcia (Dave) Heningman of Bridger and Steve (Diane) Lair of Colorado Springs,...

Nov 20, 2023

With deepest sorrow, we announce that Brandon James Witt, “B,” age 26, passed suddenly on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, while in the hospital, fighting a brief but courageous battle with leukemia, surrounded by his loved ones. Brandon was born on Feb. 7, 1997, in Billings.

Those who knew Brandon, even just a little, lost a shining light...

Nov 18, 2023

Dawn Ellen DeHart Lofthouse, 72, of Billings, passed peacefully at her home on Nov. 18, 2023, with her devoted and loving husband, Larry, at her side.

She was born on Feb. 22, 1951, in Waukegan, Illinois, to Ed and Adell DeHart. The eldest of five children, she grew up in Helena, Montana, attending Helena High School.

Nov 18, 2023

Victor Bachmeier passed away peacefully Saturday, Nov.18, 2023, when his weak heart failed him. We will miss him gracing the head of our Thanksgiving table this year, but we are very thankful for his full 96 years of life.

He was born to Ladislaus and Asteria (Wingenbach) Bachmeier, who immigrated from Krasna, Ukraine, in 1908. He was...

Nov 17, 2023

James Douglas Clark, Jr. passed away peacefully on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, at the age of 87, in Billings, Montana.

He is survived by his wife, Judy Senteney; his sons, Kenneth Clark (Patricia Clark), Douglas Clark (Monica Clark); his daughters, Andrea Fiscus (Kevin Fiscus) and Heather Mace (Tom Mace); and grandchildren, James L. Clark, Holly Hardie (Brandon...

Nov 16, 2023

Betty Ann Teigen, of Billings, died Nov. 16, 2023. She was born on Nov. 13, 1932, to Charles and Mary Zimmerman, the youngest of eight children. Raised on the family farm at 48th and Grand, Betty was proud of her grandfather’s role in helping to build Zimmerman Trail. She attended Billings schools from The Shiloh School through Senior High...

Nov 15, 2023

Daniel R. Kercher passed away on Nov. 15, 2023.

He was born in Bridger, Montana, on Jan. 31, 1941. After the family moved to a farm in Roberts, Montana, in 1946, Dan attended school at Roberts and graduated in 1959. He entered St. Olaf College in Minnesota with a focus on pre-med. He transferred to EMC (MSUB),...

Nov 14, 2023

Robert “Bob” Lee Rindal passed away on Nov. 14, 2023, in Billings, Montana.

Robert was born on Oct. 9, 1941, and was raised in the Missouri Breaks area near Roy, Montana. Robert’s adult life was in Billings.

Robert’s work career started with driving heavy equipment but quickly moved into a career as an independent trucker....

Nov 9, 2023

Vincenza Theresa (DeSimone) Vernese, 96, our loving mother, sister, grandmother, and aunt, died peacefully on November 9, 2023, in Billings, Montana, surrounded by family.

Terry was born in Queens, New York, to Frank and Filomena (DeSena) DeSimone. The second of five children, Terry grew up in a close-knit Italian family. She attended St. Mary’s Academy, a boarding...

Nov 8, 2023

Paul Lalone Read, 62, formerly of Henderson Harbor and Watertown, New York, passed away in the comfort of his Montana home, surrounded by his wife Dawnmarie and son Victor Michael on Nov. 8, 2023.

Paul Lalone Read is the oldest son of four children of the late Paul B. Read and the late Kay Lalone Read. Paul’s...

Nov 8, 2023

Allan Siess, 71, of Billings, passed away at home on the morning of Nov. 8, with his wife, son and two pups by his side. He left us much too soon, but we are thankful he is now at peace.

Al was born in Billings, and spent his formative years in Bozeman. His parents, Charles and Ruth...

Nov 7, 2023

Wanita Mae Benson, age 74, of Billings, Montana, passed away on November 7, 2023. She was born on April 1, 1949, in Scobey, Montana, to the late Frances and James Morris Paulson.

Wanita is survived by her loving husband, Smokey Benson; and children Patrick (Kyrie) Fouhy, Andrea (Jake) Spero, Kelly (Danna) Benson, Syd Benson, Emily (Rob) Jones,...