Obituaries

Oct 7, 2021

Patricia “Patti” Anne (Conner) Morledge

Patricia “Patti” Anne (Conner) Morledge died on Oct. 7, 2021, at the age of 93, from complications related to colon cancer. She was born in November of 1927 to Cloyd and Pearl Conner in Portland, Oregon. When Patti was 6 years old, the family moved to Livingston, where her father...

Oct 5, 2021

William "Bill" Neil VanWieren, 99, of Billings, died peacefully at Eagle Cliff Manor on Oct. 5, 2021.

Bill was born to the late Neil VanWieren and Jane Lentner on July 29, 1922, in Powell, Wyoming.

He served in the Marine Corps during World War II and fought in the Pacific. He was a member of...

Oct 5, 2021

Helen Marie Ries Strekall

In the early morning hours of Oct. 5, 2021, our dearly loved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother was paid a visit by God’s angels, who assisted her on her journey to join Him and her husband.

Helen Marie Ries Strekall was born on Nov. 9, 1926, in Conrad. Her...

Oct 4, 2021

Dorothy Homewood (Dietz)

Dorothy Homewood (Dietz) was born on Nov. 24, 1929, to Eugene and Mary (Rowlett) Dietz in Neligh, Nebraska. She married Duane Homewood in Billings and had one son, Kevin. Dorothy and Duane divorced in 1966.

Dorothy worked for Carpenter Paper Company for 39-1/2 years, many of those years as office...

Oct 2, 2021

Betty Jane (Wittman) Harrison

Betty Jane (Wittman) Harrison, 92, passed away on Oct. 2, 2021, at Billings Clinic Hospital, surrounded by her family. She was born on Oct. 8, 1928, in Huntley, the oldest child of Samuel Wittman and Katie (Nafts) Wittman. Betty attended grade school in Huntley and high school in Billings.

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Sep 29, 2021

How do we capture the fullness and beauty of a life in a few inches of text? The following is our attempt.

Barbara Griffin — mother, wife, and friend of extraordinary love, grace, and inner and outer beauty — took her last breath on Sept. 29, 2021. She passed away peacefully in Billings, surrounded by family and...

Sep 28, 2021

Kathleen ‘Kathy’ Heinert

Kathleen “Kathy” Heinert, 91, passed away on Sept. 28, 2021, at Fischer Cottage, where she resided for the last three and a half years.

She was born on May 8, 1930, on her grandparents’ farm near St. Anthony, North Dakota, to Anton and Cecilia Bender. She was raised in Mandan,...

Sep 25, 2021

Michael James Mitzel was born on May 17, 1978, to parents Burt and Carol. He left this world on Sept. 25, 2021, at the Tongue River Reservoir.

Mike’s life flame burned brightly with a great zest for life. He lived his life to the fullest with a smile that lit up the room. He possessed an immense...

Sep 25, 2021

Neil Lawrence Powell

Neil Lawrence Powell was born in Billings, on June 4, 1959, to Cliff and Nancy Powell. He was the oldest of five children: three brothers, Brian, Mike and Chris, and sister Lisa Strouf. He went to Miles Avenue School, Lewis & Clark Junior High, and graduated from West High in 1977. He...

Sep 24, 2021

Norberto “Bert” Lopez

On Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, we lost Norberto “Bert” Lopez, at the age of 61. His daughter Hallee was by his side.

Bert was born on Oct. 25, 1959, in Powell, Wyoming, to parents Manuel and Irma Lopez. He was the eldest to four sisters: Edna, Amanda, Maria and Alicia....

Sep 22, 2021

Ronald Ramon Fisher

July 12, 1936 — Sept. 22, 2021

Ron, 85, was born in Billings to Raymond and Hazel (Grant) Fisher and grew up in Byron, Wyoming. He spent 36 years as an educator in Billings, retiring in 1998 from West High as a communications teacher and director of forensics. He also...

Sep 19, 2021

Catherine Mary Laliberté

Catherine Mary Laliberté, 99, passed from this world Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. SHE ALSO SERVED.

Cathy (with a “C,” she would always tell you) was married for 76 years to her husband, Bob, who passed in 2017. Together, they were the best parents seven children could have had, and they...

Sep 18, 2021

Glenna M. Love

Glenna M. Love was born to Elmer and Daisy Bennett on July 14, 1938, in Billings She passed away at age 83 at St. Vincent Healthcare after a short illness.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Stan; brother Richard; brother Roy; sister Helen; and half-sister Isabelle.

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Sep 17, 2021

Katherine Anne Gilliland

Katherine Anne Gilliland-Kinkade “Kathy” sadly passed away shortly before midnight on Sept. 17, 2021. She will rejoin her father, Keith L. Kinkade, and her daughter, Emily Anne, in heaven.

Kathy was born in Billings on Sept. 3, 1970. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her and the...

Sep 15, 2021

Linda Latka Fields Teets

On Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, Linda Latka Fields Teets passed away at Billings Clinic due to Covid, at age 68.

Linda Marie was born May 13, 1953, in Glendive, to Albert and Anna Geiger Latka. Linda attended Jefferson and Washington School, where she went to graduate from DCHS. Linda...

Sep 15, 2021

Bernice Jurovich See

Bernice Jurovich See passed away peacefully on Sept. 15, 2021, at Highgate Senior Living in Billings, at the age of 88.

Born as a coal miner’s daughter in Bearcreek, Montana, in 1933, to Angie and Velisha Jurovich, Bernice graduated from high school in Bridger and went on to study at...

Sep 15, 2021

Roberta Ann Boyd Stewart

Roberta Ann Boyd Stewart passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Roberta was born on Jan. 3, 1946, in Billings, the first daughter to Robert and Emma Boyd. She spent her childhood years in Billings and graduated from Billings West High School in...

Sep 13, 2021

Richard ‘Dick’ Simmons

Dick Simmons valued family, education and travel. He enriched the lives of thousands of students as a teacher of American History for 34 years at Billings Senior High School, becoming an icon as an educator. He stressed the importance of understanding the historical facts plus the underlying ideals. He exemplified this lifelong...

Sep 12, 2021

Betty Huschka

Betty Huschka, loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, on Sept. 12, 2021, at the age of 92.

Betty was born on Dec. 13, 1928, in Belfield, North Dakota, to Frank Ouellette and Barbara (Wagner) Ouellette. She married Joe Huschka on May 18, 1948. Together,...

Sep 12, 2021

Kayleigh Jade Weiland

Kayleigh Jade Weiland, 22, of Billings, was taken from us suddenly in the early hours of Sept. 12, 2021. She was born on June 3, 1999, in Billings, to James Weiland and Erika Willkom Beddow. She graduated from Skyview High School in 2017, where she maintained a 4.0 GPA for all four...