Obituaries

Mar 13, 2023

John Andrew Ranum, age 86, of Great Falls, MT, passed away on March 13, 2023. On June 18, 1936, John was born in Starbuck, Minnesota, and baptized at Indeherred Lutheran Church. He grew up in Starbuck and attended Luther College. He was drafted into the U.S. Army on August 10, 1959, and on May 26, 1960, Specialist 4 Ranum...

Mar 12, 2023

Joyce Blatter, our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away unexpectedly on March 12, 2023, in St. George, Utah, at the age of 82.

Joyce was born to Hank and Betty Flynn on February 20, 1941, joining her older brother, Leroy. Joyce grew up in Cody, Wyoming. At the age of 17, while working in a...

Mar 11, 2023

Richard "Rick" Arnold Evans was born on October 13, 1941, to George and Gertrude Evans in Wanda, MN. Following his childhood in Minnesota, he moved to Havre, MT with his brother, Dave, to work on a farm.

After college at MSU-Northern, Rick began a long retail career first with JC Penney and then with Herbergers. He moved...

Mar 10, 2023

Darold Patrick Gagner, aged 89, a prior resident of Shelby, passed away on Friday, March 10, 2023, at BeeHive Homes in Great Falls. He will be interred on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, with military honors at Mountain View Cemetery in Shelby, MT at 1:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

He is survived by his wife, Beverly;...

Mar 9, 2023

Howard W. Jones passed away on March 9, 2023. He was 88.

Howard was born September 19, 1934, in Edmore, ND to Robert and Mary Ouellette Jones. They moved to Montana when he was 16 and he went to work for the Great Northern Railroad. He then worked for the Anaconda Company for 26 years as a...

Mar 8, 2023

Rev. James E. Birkmaier, 83, passed away on March 8, 2023, in Great Falls, MT at Renaissance Assisted Living after a long illness. He served as a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings for 54 years. His funeral Mass of Christian Burial will take place in Great Falls at Holy Spirit Catholic Church on Saturday, March 11,...

Mar 7, 2023

The heart of our family closed her eyes and walked with Jesus on March 7, 2023. Heaven gained a beautiful angel when Donna McLaughlin passed away at the age of 88. She will be forever loved and missed by her family.

Donna was born on September 12, 1934, to Luverne Behling Coleman and Joseph Coleman in Bainville...

Mar 6, 2023

Irene Helen McNabb Johnson was born in Frazer, Montana to Leo and Lottie (Lingle) McNabb.

She was raised in and around Wolf Point. While living in Nashua, she met her futurehusband, Marvin Johnson. They were married July 6, 1951, in Nashua. They moved back to Minnesota where Marvin was born and raised. Their oldest daughter Marlis was...

Mar 6, 2023

Sherry Louise Smith Frasure passed away on March 16, 2023. She was born on July 6, 1950, to Evan and Natalie Smith in Great Falls, MT. She graduated from CMR High School in 1968. She worked in the Medical field for Blue Cross and Cascade Health Department. She then worked for Opportunity Inc. for...

Mar 4, 2023

Cadence Jade Forrest passed away on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at the age of 9. She went to school at Loy Elementary and was in 3rd grade. Her smile could light up the entire world and her laugh was the happiest sound you have ever heard. She had the most beautiful, expressive eyes that often did her talking for...

Mar 4, 2023

Janet Marie (Overland) Kempf of Great Falls passed away on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at the age of 78.

Janet was born on March 11, 1945, in Glasgow to Elling and Evelyn (Nelson) Overland. Janet met Bruce in Great Falls at the Elbow Room in Tommy’s 2D Lounge where he was bartending part time on a Sunday...

Mar 2, 2023

Janice Lucille White-Stoos, age 68, passed away peacefully in her home on March 2, 2023, of heart failure. She was born on March 13, 1954, in Brady, Texas to Marvin White and Virginia Houghton. Jan married her partner of 30 years, Ray Stoos, on March 17, 2015, in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico with close friends and family in tow....

Mar 1, 2023

Ronald Charles Mammen, 88, formerly of Great Falls, died of natural causes on March 1, 2023, at his home near Dearborn, MT.

He was born on October 3, 1934, to Donald J. Mammen and Catherine M. Jones in Billings. In 1937-1938 they lived on Pat O’Hara Mountain, in a remote cabin on the Two Dot Ranch near...

Feb 28, 2023

Harris Allan Dunn, 74, born in Brooks, Alberta, Canada and raised in Great Falls, MT passed peacefully at Peace Hospice of terminal cancer on February 28, 2023.

Harris moved to Great Falls in 1955 and was a graduate of Great Falls High School. Thereafter, he joined the U.S. Air Force where he proudly served for 20 years...

Feb 28, 2023

Heaven gained a beautiful angel on February 28, 2023, when Loretta Ann Stemple passed away. Loretta’s final journey was affected with Alzheimer’s dementia. She was born on May 29, 1942, to Roy and Lorene Young. She was raised in Great Falls and spent many years in Billings, MT. She returned to Great Falls to be closer to family.

Feb 28, 2023

George Henry Edward Bandel passed away at Highgate Senior Living in Great Falls, MT. He passed peacefully in his sleep on February 28, 2023, after 100 years of being loved. He was born on February 4, 1923.

George was preceded in death by his wife, Alice and his oldest daughter, Linda. He is survived by his daughter,...

Feb 28, 2023

On the evening of February 28, 2023, our beloved brother, friend, father, and grandpa passed from this earthly realm. Larry Eugene Stanley, Sr., a long-time Great Falls resident, was born at home in Nashville, Tennessee on November 4,1942. He was welcomed by his parents, Nellie Christine Thompson Stanley and Harry C. Stanley. Larry joined his sister, Norma Jean Stanley...

Feb 27, 2023

August “Gus” Author Habets began his journey to Heaven on February 27, 2023, at 93 years old. Cremation has taken place at Schnider Funeral Home. Gus’s celebration of life will be on March 18, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. at the Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel.

Gus was born on August 7, 1929, in Conrad, Montana to August and...

Feb 23, 2023

Monida Mae Beck Stevens was born on May 30, 1938, to Lois Elizabeth Gottfried Beck and Elmer “Rusty” Beck in Choteau, MT. She was raised in Fairfield, MT along with her sibling Robert “Bob” Beck. She married Rodney Phillip Stevens, the love of her life, on February 7, 1957. Together they shared 61 glorious years and spent their years...

Feb 22, 2023

Katherine “Kathy” Dugan Pickens passed away on the evening of February 22, 2023. A new angel was called into service to watch over four of her children with spouses; 18 grandkids; 12 great-grandkids; and one ON the way. Kathy lost a hard fight against COPD. She left behind a legacy of people from a lifelong obsession with helping anyone...