Obituaries

Feb 20, 2017

1925 - 2017

Paul Gilbert Olsen - a remarkable son of Butte, America - passed on from this world on Feb. 17, 2017. His family now celebrates the life of a truly exceptional man. Paul was born on Sept. 25, 1925, the youngest child of Albert Olsen and Anna Vennes Olsen, both Norwegian immigrants who...

Feb 15, 2017

Lucile "Lu" Nelson, 101, of Billings, passed away at TenderNest on Feb. 12, 2017, following a very brief stay. She lived in her own home until one week prior to her passing. Lu was born in Billings on Oct. 14, 1915, to Benjamin and Viola Balkwell. Her father passed away when Lu was young and her mother was in...

Feb 14, 2017

Glen G. Sprankel, 82, of Billings, passed away Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017, at Billings Health and Rehab.

The son of Fred and Marie Sprankel, Glen was born May 15, 1934 in Billings. He served in the United States Navy and enjoyed a 40-year career with the Post Office.

Glen married Marlene Handeland on April 23,...

Feb 13, 2017

James W. Kenaley, 91, of Billings, passed away on Feb. 13, 2017.

James was a WWII and Korean War Veteran who served as a Seabee in the Navy. He retired in 1982 after 39 years working for the Northern Pacific and Burlington Northern Railroads.

He was preceded in death by his eldest son, James M....

Feb 10, 2017

Jean Ann Baldi passed away on Feb. 7, 2017.

Jean was born in 1929 in Denver, to Michael and Naomi Strawmire Huddleston. Her parents owned Pat and Mike's Grill, across the street from their home, and Jean had many happy memories from that time. She married Ronald Baldi in 1946, and recently celebrated 71 years of marriage....

Feb 8, 2017

A vibrant presence was hushed in Billings when death took Richard L. Stratford on Feb. 3, 2017, at RiverStone Hospice.

Dick was born on Feb. 12, 1927, in Billings, to Harry Haines and Katherine (Denton) Stratford. Dick was raised on the farm his father established in 1910 in the Blue Creek Area in the south hills of...

Feb 4, 2017

Jerome D. "Jerry" Hein traveled from the worldly prison of his body to our Lord's spacious Heaven on Feb. 4, 2017. Jerry was born on Oct. 2, 1934, to George and Alice Harding Hein in Billings. He graduated from Billings Senior High in 1952 and joined the Army in 1954. While in the Army, he traveled to Japan and...

Feb 3, 2017

John "Jack" Lawler, a lifelong Montana resident, passed away on Feb. 1, 2017. He was born on Jan. 8, 1919, in Baker, the son of Edward and Dove (Schenck) Lawler. Jack graduated from Baker High School in 1937. He played center on their first basketball team to win a district title in 1936. He also was the first Eagle...

Feb 3, 2017

On Jan. 31, 2017, our world traveler made his final journey.

John Newman was born to Harold and Maude Victoria Smith Newman in Rickmansworth, England, on Sept. 18, 1933. Due to the death of his mother at a very young age, John was raised with the help of his family during very dark times while England was...

Feb 2, 2017

Theophil Tesky, 93, passed away on Jan. 31, 2017, at Westpark Village.

He was born in Venturia, N.D., on Sept. 15, 1923, and married Ruth Weisenburger Tesky (deceased) on April 20, 1947.

He is survived by daughters Kathleen Ann Cook (Monte Cook) and Cynthia Kay Sieler (Tom Sieler); sisters Octiva Bertsch, Agnes Biegel; grandchildren Holly...

Feb 1, 2017

John Edward Mulvaney was born in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Feb. 2, 1936, to Chester and Alice Mulvaney, and passed away at home in Billings on Jan. 27, 2017.

John was raised in Colorado, graduating from Longmont High School in 1954. From 1955 to 1959, John proudly served in the United States Marine Corps, receiving an honorable...

Jan 30, 2017

After meeting her youngest great-grandchild for the first time the week before, having played the past week with her two grandchildren from Macau, and having finished her last daily crossword, bible readings and her most recent mystery novel, on the evening of Jan. 30, 2017, Trudie Kinnard removed her bookmark and glasses one last time, closed her tired eyes...

Jan 29, 2017

Betty McFarland Martin was born on Dec. 2, 1923, in Columbus, Mont., and went to be with Jesus on Jan. 20, 2017. Her parents were Robert McFarland and Fern Motter McFarland Stow.

The family moved to Billings seven years later. She graduated from Billings Senior High School in 1941, and attended Billings Business College. During WWII, she...

Jan 27, 2017

It is with heavy hearts that we say our last goodbye to a remarkable fighter. After a long seven-year battle with cancer, Pat passed away surrounded by the love of her family. She joined Heaven's angels on Jan. 23, 2017, the same day her mother passed 10 years prior.

Pat was born on Aug. 13, 1940, in...

Jan 23, 2017

Gary Dean Littell, 59 of Billings, passed away suddenly at his home on March 23, 2006. Gary was born on January 23, 1947 to Fred and Olive (France) Littell in Glendive, Montana. He went to high school in Glendive and graduated with the class of 1965. Gary followed his fathers footsteps playing varsity football for four years with the...

Jan 19, 2017

Barbara E. Premo was born on Nov. 25, 1935, in Billings, to Grant U. Jones Jr. and Catherine K. Jones. Barbara was the oldest of four children: Jim Jones (Kitty), Patricia Myer (Don) and Trudy Jones (deceased). Barbara passed away Jan. 17, 2017, in her home, surrounded by her loved ones.

Barbara married the love of her...

Jan 18, 2017

Patrick N. Redler, 76, of Billings, died peacefully and pain-free at his home on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017.

Pat was born on May 7, 1940, to Cyrus and Winifred (Phillips) Redler in Billings. After graduating from Central High School and, following his four years in the Army, he met and wed Anita Elings on May 28, 1966,...

Jan 17, 2017

Irene Francis Slotsve, 81 of Billings, passed away Friday, January 13, 2017 at Canyon Creek Memory Care while surrounded by her family and loved ones.

Born October 29, 1935 in Atholl, South Dakota, Irene was the daughter of Donald and Marie Brown. The family moved to Billings when Irene was a child and ran a small farm...

Jan 17, 2017

Barbara Huisenga passed away peacefully at the age of 89 on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, at St. John's Lutheran Home, where she had lived since June 2015.

Barbara was born to Anna and Milton Simpson on April 30, 1927, in Miles City, and grew up on their cattle ranch with her sister, Margaret Ann.

At...

Jan 17, 2017

June Sawyer Wallace Stevens passed away on January 17, 2017 at RiverStone Hospice in Billings. Born in Rosebud, Montana, on June 11, 1913, June was the fourth child of Annie Hill Sawyer and John Marshall Sawyer. Her early childhood was spent here in Montana, but she lived in Maine during her school years. She graduated from Bates College in...