Obituaries

Feb 18, 2020

Our loving husband, father, coach, grandfather, mentor and friend, James "Jim" Zoeller Downs went home to his heavenly Father on Feb. 13, 2020.

Jim was born on April 6, 1936, to James Z. and Minnie Downs in Manton, Kentucky (a few miles from the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln - the birthplace of great men, he would remind...

Feb 14, 2020

Herbert Henry Livingston passed away on Feb. 9, 2020, in Billings. He was born on Oct. 15, 1922, in Boston, Massachusetts. His mother was Gladys E. Westcott and his father was James H. Rafferty. He was the second of five children born to Gladys Westcott. He attended school in Boston.

He enlisted in the Marine Corps in...

Feb 10, 2020

Leo Arden Nyreen, 77 years old, passed away at his home in Billings on Jan. 26, 2020.

He was born in Portal, North Dakota, to Carl and Irene (Foote) Nyreen. After he graduated high school, he joined the Army. After the Army, he attended Minot College of Business, where he graduated at the top of his class....

Feb 9, 2020

Elmer Leo Rudolph, of Billings, started a new journey in his life with the Lord on Feb. 2, 2020.

Born in 1933 to Jacob and Alvina (Martin) Rudolph in Forsyth, he went to grade school in Florence, then moved to Hamilton and then to Billings. He graduated from Senior High in 1952, and served in the U.S....

Feb 5, 2020

Matthew R. Frodsham, 34, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Billings, surrounded by his family. He was born on July 6, 1985, in Billings, to John and Linda (Jackson) Frodsham and joined brother John. He attended Laurel schools and graduated from LSH in 2004.

Matthew was an avid sports fan, with his favorite teams being the...

Feb 5, 2020

Laurel Ann Reinholz passed away peacefully in her sleep on Feb. 5, 2021, at the age of 87, after a long battle with Alzheimer's.

She was born to Ned and Anita Walker on Aug. 1, 1933, in Madison, Wisconsin. When she was a child, the family moved to a farm near Lindsay. She attended school in Glendive,...

Feb 3, 2020

Richard Joseph Gruber was born on Oct. 4, 1925. He passed away peacefully at his home in Billings on Jan. 31, 2020, at the age of 94.

He grew up in the mining town of Acme, Wyoming. His high school years were spent in nearby Sheridan. During his high school years, he was the sports editor for...

Feb 3, 2020

The Lord better be ready for some hard rockin' blues cause the head of the band "Schuster" is on his way.

Ronald Lee Schuster, a noted area musician and guitar virtuoso was born March 29, 1949 in Billings, Montana and passed away February 1, 2020 in Billings, Montana at the St. Vincent Hospital at 4:20 am. Ron...

Feb 3, 2020

David Arnold Miller quietly went to be with his Lord at age 81 on Jan. 29, 2020. He was born on March 31, 1938, in Bozeman, to G. Arnold and Viola Miller.

He is survived by his wife Diana; sister Evelyn of Round Mountain, Nevada; sister Willa (Bill) of Bozeman; brother Spencer (Brenda) of Red Lodge; sister...

Feb 1, 2020

Janice Eileen Eckerle finished her race on her birthday, Feb. 1, 2020, at her home in Billings. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and Christian.

Janice was born on Feb, 1, 1947, in Dayton, Ohio. At the age of 3, she became deaf, but she triumphed through her disability. She graduated from Belmont High School in...

Jan 24, 2020

Diane Marie Billman, age 76, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020, at the RiverStone Hospice Home in Billings. She was born the 10th child of 11 born to Russell and Albertina (Beehler) Kern in Miles City, on June 24, 1943.

Diane mainly grew up in Billings and attend Senior High School before moving with her...

Jan 21, 2020

This is more than an obituary; this is a love story that began in 1952 and lasted for 68 years. Merilyn passed away in her sleep early in the morning on Friday, Jan. 17, 2020. She and Bill were married on Aug. 14, 1953, a marriage that lasted for 66-plus years.

Merilyn was born July 20, 1932,...

Jan 19, 2020

Alan Lee Schlepp left this world on Jan 17, 2020, in the comfort of his home, surrounded by loved ones. In the days and weeks prior, he visited with friends and family members from across the country.

He was born in Conrad to Willard and Virginia on Nov. 22, 1954. His small town upbringing formed him into...

Jan 17, 2020

James Patrick Baumgardner, our wildly wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, known for his big heart and big laugh, passed away peacefully at home on Jan. 15, 2020, after a long illness, which he fought like the warrior he was. He was surrounded by his wife and children, which is exactly how he wanted it.

Jim...

Jan 15, 2020

Early in 2019, Bebe asked to have another Christmas with all of her children in one place. They made it happen last month in San Diego. After a fun week with her children and their spouses, some grandchildren and sun, Bebe returned to Billings and, that first night, tucked into bed and went to see her Lord.

...

Jan 15, 2020

Kathy Burke Novak passed away at home on January 14, 2020, surrounded by her loving husband and family members after an extended illness.

Born on November 16, 1958, the third daughter and middle child of Jack and Nancy Burke, Kathy embodied a true zest for life and found love and joy in all that each day offered....

Jan 14, 2020

Pamela Jean (McCafferty) Crisp, 51, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020, with her family by her side.

Pamela was born on June 10, 1968, in Billings, to Sedrick and Nola McCafferty. Pamela graduated from Billings West High in 1986 and went on to earn her BSBA at MSUB. She became co-owner of Better Property Management,...

Jan 14, 2020

Ruth was born on Sept. 30, 1923, in Okemah, Oklahoma, to A.M. and Ruby Fox. She was the youngest of three children: a sister, Jean, and brother Hershel. he family soon moved west, where Ruth graduated head of her class at Live Oak Union High School, Live Oak, California. After taking an additional business course, Ruth went to work...

Jan 12, 2020

Dr. Morvia Thomas Helmer, 94, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020.

Tom was born on June 14, 1925, to Walter and Bertha Helmer in Prospect, New York, and was the youngest of seven children. He graduated from Holland Patent Central School in 1943. After graduating, Tom volunteered for the Ski Troops and entered the service in...

Jan 11, 2020

On Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, Emma Marie Brown, loving wife and mother, passed away at the age of 62.

She was born in San Jose, California, on Dec. 5, 1957. Emma grew up in Sunnyvale, California, and graduated from St. Francis High School in Mountain View before settling in Billings in 1979.

Emma was very...