Obituaries

Jan 10, 2021

Joan-Nell Macfadden passed away peacefully on Jan. 10, 2021.

Joan-Nell Bowron "Josie" was born to Frank and Evelyn Bowron on Dec. 1, 1934, in Chicago. She was born alongside a twin (Mounte Ella Bowron), who died shortly after birth so it can be said that right from the beginning, Joan-Nell was small in stature and arrived with...

Jan 10, 2021

On Jan. 10, 2021, we lost a wonderful father, husband, grandfather, friend, and mentor. Chuck Robbins was born to Cagie and Mary Robbins in Lincoln Park, Detroit. Chuck was an only child born into a family built on faith and hard work. Cagie worked on the General Motors assembly line until the day he retired, and Mary worked cleaning...

Jan 9, 2021

Carol was born to Art and Marion Steinmetz in Billings, and passed away from complications of severe dementia. She attended Billings-area schools, and graduated from Eastern Montana College with degrees in Business and Education. Carol worked as a bookkeeper and accountant for several businesses in Billings and Laurel. With a good sense of humor and quick wit, she enjoyed...

Jan 9, 2021

Mathias "Matt" Heinert, 77, departed this life on Monday, January 9th from complications of Alzheimers surrounded by his family at the Billings Clinic.

Matt was born in Bismarck, ND on October 5,1928 to Jacob and Margaretha (Judt) Heiner, the 11th in a family of 12 children, 9 of whom survived to adulthood. He was raised on a...

Jan 9, 2021

Karolyn Gainan If Karolyn Kane Gainan’s life were a book, the beginning pages would reveal a little girl with a big heart of solid gold who grew up chasing fireflies and running in and out of the bed sheets drying on the country clothes line on the family ranch in the majestic surroundings of Wolf, Wyoming. She attended the...

Jan 6, 2021

Faye A. Pierce, 90, of Billings, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. She had been taking care of herself, with help from her sons, Bob and Jim, and Synergy Homecare for the past few years of her life. Faye lived her entire life in her home in Billings.

She was the daughter of W.L. and Pearl H....

Jan 6, 2021

Ray CollinsRay Collins passed away on July 6, 2011 at the Sapphire Suites of Valley Health Care Center. Ray was born in Butte MT on August 8, 1926 to Dr. A. R. Collins and Erma Lessel Collins. He graduated from Whitehall High School in 1944 and served for 2 years in the U S Navy. He found his future...

Jan 5, 2021

Roy Adam Degenhart, 87, of Columbus, formerly of Billings, joined his heavenly father on Jan. 5, 2021, surrounded in loving energy by his children and grandchildren via Zoom.

Our sweet, kind, loving, funny, faith-filled, hardworking and humble Dad was born on April 20, 1933, on the family farm located off the Roundup Road in Billings, to Adam...

Jan 5, 2021

Anetta Metta Reich was born on Nov. 29, 1924. On Jan. 5, 2021, surrounded by her family, she was reunited with her husband, Phillip, into God's house. She also joined her parents, John and Anna Staebler; her sisters, Eleanor, Tillie, Mandy, Edna, Vivian; and her brothers, Solomon, Laymond, Raymond and Duane. She leaves behind her son, Dick and his...

Jan 4, 2021

Robert Wayne Swigart "Bob" passed away at his sister's home in Billings on Jan. 4, 2021. Knowing that his battle with cancer was coming to an end, he chose to leave his home in Maricopa, Arizona, to come back to his "birth" state, Montana. His loving sisters welcomed him with open arms, caring for him and surrounding him with...

Jan 4, 2021

Rick passed away at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings, on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, at the age of 71. His immediate family was given the gift of being able to see him and say "until we meet again" before he left this world to begin his next adventure.

Rick was an only child, born to Harold and...

Jan 2, 2021

On January 2nd, our family lost our son, brother, dad, and friend to so many. Rick, or Ricky Bob as he was so fondly called by his family and friends, passed away at his home in Red Lodge. Richard Lawrence Kirkness was born November 1st, 1951, in Billings to Neal and Norma Kirkness. Rick graduated from Senior High in...

Jan 1, 2021

Debra Ann Tabbert, 60, of Billings, passed away Friday, Jan. 1, 2021 (surrounded by family), after a two-and-a-half year battle with cancer.

Debbie was born in Salt Lake City on July 5, 1960, to Robert and Mary Dobias. She grew up in Bountiful, Utah, and moved to Fairview. After she graduated from Fairview High School, she went...

2021

Jean Marie Laughlin

How do we begin to write an obituary for our mom? How can we summarize in a few words what she means to us? We can try by setting down details about life. She was born in Billings, Montana, on Feb. 8, 1942, to Helen and Sigurd Nordlund. The oldest of four...

2021

Mary Gale Bembalkar

It is with a heavy heart the family of Mary Gale Aldrich Bembalkar announces her passing on Nov. 29, 2021.

On the morning of Nov. 22, 1945, a tiny baby girl, named Mary Gale was born to the L.R. Aldrich family in Billings. She was the second child in a family of...

2021

Maureen Brockman

Maureen Brockman, 74, recently passed away at her home in Billings.

She was born on Sept. 26, 1947, in Chicago. She married Wolfgang Brockman in 1968, and lived in Germany for a while. She later returned to the USA, got divorced and moved to Billings in 1996. She worked at the...

2021

Ellen Louise Bauer Miller

1947 — 2021

Ellen was a wonderful wife, mother, sister and friend. She was born in Hysham, Montana, in the summer of 1947. She was involved in many activities, such as cheerleading, and loved growing up in the small town. Before her senior year of high school, her family...

Dec 29, 2020

A life well-lived! Full of sweetness, fun, and grace, Loretta Cronk has left us with a space in our hearts that will be hard to fill. As one of three children to Ben and Hazel Smyk, she was born on Sept. 28, 1930, and raised in Coutts, Alberta. She married Dewey Cronk in 1950 and had a loving family...

Dec 27, 2020

Carl Edward Jahr was born on Sept. 9, 1935, in Rushford, Minnesota, to Raymond and Esther Jahr. He was the oldest of five children: Ronald, Ruby, Carol and Marilyn.

After growing up on the family farm, he set off for Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. He was a proud graduate of the class of 1957. While at...

Dec 26, 2020

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Vernon Roy Durham - beloved son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and social butterfly - in the early morning hours of Dec. 26, 2020. As a family friend observed, "he is now a true Christmas angel."

Vernie was born in Helena on March 6, 1954, to Roy...