Kevin Jacob Stilson ~ May 1, 2005
Hansen M. Murray ~ May 2, 2005
C.E. (Bud) Webster ~ May 2, 2005
Mildred Marie Schmidt ~ May 3, 2005
Elizabeth Ann Schiltz ~ May 4, 2005
Howard Allen Roby ~ May 8, 2005
Roy L. Mork ~ May 9, 2005
Elizabeth Bunn ~ May 10, 2005
Lois Ann Pinney ~ May 11, 2005
Gladys Lurraine Thomas ~ May 12, 2005
Elizabeth Ann Farnes ~ May 12, 2005
Ralph Kisgen ~ May 13, 2005
Paul Phillip Miller ~ May 14, 2005
Ethel Cyphers ~ May 16, 2005
Maria Anna Torres ~ May 19, 2005
Walter Winkelman ~ May 24, 2005
Jack Mollenbrink ~ May 26, 2005
Peggy Jean Pace ~ May 29, 2005
Jose "Chris" Luna ~ May 31, 2005
Kevin Jacob "Jake" Stilson died at his home in Powell on Sunday,
May 1 at the age of 26.
He was born on May 15, 1978, in Sheridan. He grew up in Wyoming and Montana,
living in Buffalo, Billings, Jackson and Powell.
He was pursuing his architectural drafting degree at Northwest College in Powell
where he had made a home for his family.
Jake spent most of his school years in Buffalo and Jackson. He graduated from
Jackson Hole High School in 1996. In November of 1997, Jake joined the U.S.
Navy to see the world.
After his navy service, Jake returned to Jackson where he met and fell in love
with his wife, Crystal. They were married in Jackson on April 27, 2002. Jake
and Crystal had two beautiful girls who were the apples of their father's eye,
Anna, 4, and Ashlyn, 18 months.
Jake loved his family, friends and his trucks. Some of his hobbies were 4-wheelin',
Playstation, turning wrenches, hanging out with the guys and, of course, spending
time with his family.
He was a high-spirited guy with lots of ideas. When Jake decided on something,
he would jump in with both feet. It didn't matter what he was doing, he would
try to do it with a smile and usually made it fun. You only had to spend 10
minutes with Jake to be a friend for life.
Survivors include his wife Crystal and his daughters, Anna Marie and Ashlyn
Elizabeth of Powell; his parents, Linda Morlage of Billings and Kevin and Lucy
Stilson of Jackson; sisters Ginger Stilson of Billings and Stacy Durtschi of
Idaho; grandparents, Dena Stilson of Jackson, Jeannine Stilson of Alpine and
Dave and Sharon Kyle of Gillette; and nephew Taiyan Stilson of Billings.
Jake was a loving husband, daddy, son, brother and friend. He will be missed
by all.
Memorial services were held in Cody on May 7, and a memorial service is scheduled
in Jackson on Saturday, May 14. Cremation has taken place.
A memorial fund has been established at the Bank of the West. Donations may
be made at any Bank of the West location.
Hansen M. Murray, 87, died Monday, May 2 at his home in Cody.
A memorial service will be held Sat., May 7 at the Cody Senior Center at 2
p.m. Cremation has taken place.
For those who wish, the family would appreciate memorial contributions to the
Cody Senior Center. A full obituary will follow.
Funeral services for legendary car dealer, Constant Edward (Bud) Webster of
Cody, who died Monday, May 2 at West Park Hospital in Cody, will be today (Thursday),
May 5 at the LDS Stake House in Cody at 10 a.m.
As the firm guiding hand of Webster Motors, Inc., he still manned the showroom
and directed the fortunes of the Cody auto dealership at age 92.
In his 65th year as Cody's Chevrolet dealer, he was honored by General Motors
in 2002 with a one-of-a-kind plaque with the notation that no other dealer
had continued as a dealer operator for that long. At his death, he was in his
68th year as owner-operator of the dealership.
C.E. "Bud" Webster was born Oct. 12, 1912 on the Webster Ranch on
the Greybull River, six miles from Meeteetse. He was the son of Charles A.
Webster and Mae Bennion Webster.
Bud attended the country school on Long Hollow next to the ranch. It was called
the Webster School. In the fourth grade, the school consolidated with Meeteetse
and he graduated from Meeteetse High School in 1931.
His youth was spent on the ranch, doing lots of chores, milking cows, chopping
wood and keeping the coal bucket filled for his mother's cook stove. When he
got old enough to ride, he rode with his brothers and dad as ranch hands for
cattle. He helped bring cattle to Cody often, delivering them by noon the second
day, having dinner at the Diamond Café and then riding back to the ranch
28 miles. Fifty miles in a day was not unusual.
When he was 17, he was given the responsibility of tending to sheep camps in
the upper Greybull and Francs Fork. He did this every summer for five years,
until he graduated in 1935 from the University of Wyoming.
Bud had two wonderful brothers, Clyde, Owen, and his beloved sister, Margaret,
all of whom have been gone for many years. Bud was especially close to Clyde's
sons, Charlie, Dan and Gene.
At the university as a freshman, he met Lucille Moncur. They were good friends
and occasionally dated. After graduating, they got more serious and seven years
after meeting her, he finally succeeded in talking her into marrying him. He
often said that was the best deal he ever made. They have three children: Margaret,
a retired speech language pathologist, is married to Dick Scarlett, living
in Jackson Hole and in the banking business; Ed, a practicing attorney in Cody
and vice-president of Webster Motors, Inc., is married to another UW student,
Nancy Ratliff; and Bill, the youngest. Bill went on to become a medical doctor,
and after practicing as a Board Certified Emergency Physician at Long Beach
Memorial Hospital for more than 20 years, he retired. He is married to Judy
Pinkert whom he met as a nurse at the University of Colorado Medical Center.
Bud and Lucille have four grandchildren, Shannon Wyatt Becker married to Eric
Becker; Leslie Scarlett Noble married to Kent Noble; Bill Scarlett and Alison
Scarlett. They have three great-grandchildren, Lindsey and Tate Noble and Riley
Belle Becker.
Graduating from UW in 1935, times were extremely tough and Bud ended up working
for an oil company in Los Angeles for $81.50 per month. He was delighted when
he received a wire from the Wyoming State Board of Equalization offering him
a job as an auditor for the brand new Sales Tax Division at $150 per month.
He jumped at the opportunity.
In the fall of 1937, Bud's brother, Owen, had sold his interest in the Webster
Ranch and had some money. Bud knew the Chevrolet dealership in Cody was bankrupt.
It was an opportunity for both of them. Owen financed the deal for which Bud
was forever grateful.
Four years later, however, Owen decided to quit the car business, and Bud bought
him out on Dec. 6, 1941, the day before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Bud's history in the car business is pretty well known. He received about every
honor any car dealer ever had, including president of the Wyoming Dealers Association
and Wyoming's representative for six years on the National Automobile Dealers
Association. Bud was named as Wyoming Time Life Dealer of the Year.
He served six years on the Wyoming Highway Commission and spearheaded the reconstruction
of the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway. UW awarded Bud many honors, including Distinguished
Alumnus from the College of Commerce and Industry in 1971, Businessman of the
Year in 1987, and in 2002, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UW Alumni
Association. The Webster Family was recognized by the university as the 2001
University of Wyoming Family of the Year.
Through the years, he was active in the Cody community. He served as president
of the Cody Club in 1951, and his crowning achievement that year was to acquire,
through the help of his dear friends, Lloyd Taggart and Glenn Nielson, an additional
160 acres so the airport runway could be lengthened to accommodate commercial
airlines coming to Cody. The next year, Frontier Airlines landed its first
plane in Cody.
He served on the hospital board for 20 years and 12 years as chairman, the
Stampede Board for six years, and in 1985, he became a member of the Board
of Trustees of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.
Along the way, he acquired a partnership in two car dealerships in Utah, and
in 1948, he bought the Powell Chevrolet dealership which he operated for four
years. He named it Eddie Chevrolet after his 4-year-old son.
In 1943, Bud and Lucille purchased the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Thermopolis.
The Coca-Cola franchise covered all of Fremont County and the four Big Horn
Basin counties. In 1963, they moved the plant to Cody, and in 1979, sold it
to Si Cathcart. For many years, his day started at 4 a.m., and he worked late
evenings, managing both the Chevrolet and Coca-Cola businesses. During his
tenure as a Coca-Cola bottler for 36 years, he bottled Coca-Cola, Sprite, Orange
Crush and White Rock mixes supplying more than 1,000 outlets throughout the
territory from Muddy Gap to Dubois to Frannie.
In 1946, although he was banking at the First National Bank, he was invited
to become a director of the Shoshone National Bank. He served on the board
for 40 years until it was sold to his daughter and son-in-law's holding company,
United Bancorporation of Wyoming, Inc.
In a book compiled by the American Heritage Center at UW in 2000, Bud was named
as one of eight "Businessmen of the Century" for Wyoming. Bud loved
his horses and riding with his kids in the evenings. After they had left home,
he rode, weather permitting, most evenings, often with his son, Ed, or alone.
He thoroughly enjoyed the pack trips into the mountains accompanied by members
of his family. He rode in the Stampede Parade for more than 50 years.
Bud's hobby was his garden, always next to his home, and his success as a gardener
was well known. He always was first to have ripe tomatoes. Bud always gave
credit to his wife, Lucille, and repeatedly said his life had been wonderful
because of Lucille, and that went for his financial success and happy life
they shared together.
There were two sayings Bud often repeated; first, "Give life the best
that's in you for it's only a one-night stand. There are no repeat performances
brought back by popular demand." And then in closing, Bud would often
quote a famous Codyite, "I ain't mad at nobody."
Interment will follow services at the Riverside Cemetery.
Memorials should be directed to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center or the Cody
Medical Foundation.
Mildred M. Schmidt, 80, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Tuesday, May
3 after a courageous battle with kidney disease. She died at Powell Valley
Hospital.
She was born March 9, 1925, in Ozark, Mo., daughter of Charles E. Hampton and
Mary Bertha (Hodges) Hampton. She came to Wyoming with her family when she
was 18 months old and lived her lifetime in Powell.
She graduated from Powell High School in 1943. She married Richardt Schmidt
on Feb. 23, 1943, in Billings, Mont., and they were married 59 years. During
World War II and the Korean Conflict, she and later she and her family, went
with Richard, her husband, to various military sites where he was stationed.
She was a bookkeeper and secretary for 25 years in her late husband's insurance
office.
She was a member of First Southern Baptist Church, American Legion Auxiliiary
and Women on Mission.
Among her hobbies, she enjoyed cake decorating, ceramics and reading. She worked
in the church nursery for many years and loved children. She was a very loving
and giving person.
Her own grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the joy of her life, and
she kept going because of them. She was on kidney dialysis for more than seven
years.
Survivors include a son, Dean Schmidt (Karen) of Chickasha, Okla.; a daughter,
Linda Greaham (Bill) of Powell; a sister-in-law, Shirley Hampton and children
of Billings, Mont.; four grandchildren, Amy (Ken) Roberts of Stillwater, Okla.,
Dirk Schmidt of Cleveland, Okla., Julie (Leif) Ohman of Powell and Jeff (Christie)
Greaham of Powell; and seven great-grandchildren, Harley Riddle, Kirk, Kelsey,
Dillon and Nikki Ohman and Dalton and Elise Greaham.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. today (Tuesday) at First Southern Baptist
Church, a celebration of her life. Burial will be in Crown Hill Cemetery. Miratsky-Easton
Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
The Rev. Mickey Wells of Kaycee and Interim Pastor Don Hall of First Southern
Baptist Church will preside. For those who wish, memorials to Gideon Bibles
or Mountain Top Baptist Assembly Youth Camp would be appreciated by the family.
Elizabeth Ann Schiltz of Powell died early Wednesday, May 4 in a Billings,
Mont., hospice house. She was 79.
Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, May 9 at Crown Hill Cemetery,
followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church.
She was born April 17, 1916, in Bangor, Wisc., the daughter of Henry and Hedwig
(Fuchs) Thicke. Following high school graduation and business school, Elizabeth
Ann was employed in LaCrosse, Wisc., with the Agricultural Adjustment Agency.
In 1944, she went to electronics radio and television school in St. Paul, Minn.,
along with some other young women from Wisconsin and Minnesota.
In February, 1945, she was accepted as a radio operator by the U.S. State Depoartment's
Office of War Information in their international broadcasting division in New
York City. After the war, she was secretary to the office manager of Sonneborn
Oil Company in New York City.
In June of 1949, she returned to LaCrosse, Wisc., and worked as a secretary
in a claims office for Hartford Insurance. She married Vincent H. Schiltz on
Oct. 22, 1949, in Bangor, Wisc., and they came to Powell on their honeymoon
to choose their Heart Mountain homestead on the Shoshone Reclamation Project.
Her New York City style never left her. She met the challenges of death as
thos of life, with grace and dignity, always having faith and trust in the
Lord. With strength and courage, love and joy, she has given freely to her
family and community. Such gifts are beyond measure and cannot be lost.
Survivors include her children and their spouses, Teresa and John R. Lawson
of Great Falls, Mont., Quentin and Georgia Schiltz of Atlantic, Iowa, Juliane
and Gregory Koening of Rapid City, S.D., and Ted Schiltz of Casper; a sister,
Lois Best of New Berlin, Wisc.; a brother, Henry A. Thicke and his wife Ann
of Bangor, Wisc.; sister-in-law Kathy Thicke of Menominee Falls, Wisc.; and
15 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Preceding her in death were her husband, Vincent; her parents; and a brother,
Ramon.
For those who wish, memorial contributions may be made to Horizon Hospice House,
1019 Neptune Bldv., Billings, MT 549105.
Howard Allen Roby, 71, of Hysham, Mont., formerly of Powell and Cody, died Sunday, May 8 at the Rosebud Health Care Center in Forsyth, Mont., with his family by his side. He was born on June 2, 1933, son of Walter and Clara (Arbentz) Roby in Los Angeles, Calif. As a young child, he moved with his family from California to various areas in Wyoming where his dad worked in construction. Howard attended schools in both Powell and Cody. Following his schooling, he joined the United States Army and served his country in Korea. On Sept. 26, 1956, he married Nancy Capron. To this union eight children were born. Throughout Howard's working years, he and Nancy made their home in the Powell and Cody areas. Later in life, they moved to Hysham where they lived until his death. Howard enjoyed fishing, woodworking and being in his shop. Most of all he enjoyed spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Nancy Roby of Hysham; two sons, Edward Roby of Alaska and David Roby and his wife Rani of Alaska; five daughters, Lori Leeper of Powell, Dori Hendricksen of Billings, Mont., Diane Keller of Hysham, Angie Zent and her husband Pat of Hysham, and Julie Matheson and her husband Mat of Fort Collins, Colo. He is also survived by 17 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren; and one brother, Harry Roby and his wife Ione of Cody. He was preceded in death by his parents; his son, "Corky" Howard William Roby; and one brother, George Roby. A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 20 at 2 p.m. at the First Southern Baptist Church in Powell. Burial will follow in Crown Hill Cemetery. Memorials can be made to a charity of one's choice. Condolences can be sent to the Roby family at www.stevensonandsons.com. Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home of Forsyth is in charge of the arrangements.
Roy L. Mork, 65, died Monday, May 9 at the Powell Valley Hospital.
A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 14 at Miratsky-Easton
Funeral Home. Cremation has taken place. A full obituary will follow in the
next Tribune.
Former Powell resident Elizabeth Kohlmeyer Christensen Bunn died Tuesday,
May 10 in Duncan, S.C.
She was born to Henry and Anna Beckman Kohlmeyer on July 7, 1912, in Madison,
Ill., then moved to Powell when she was 1 year old. After graduating from Powell
High School in 1930, she married Eugene Christensen in December of 1930. To
this union were born four sons. Eugene died in February, 1941. She then married
Ross O. Bunn in May of 1951, and to this union were born two daughters. Ross
Bunn died in 1982. She moved from Powell to Weirsdale, Fla. in November of
1956. In 2003, she moved to Duncan, S.C., to be with her daughter, Lynell.
She was also preceded in death by a son, Ray Christensen; a grandson, Brian
Dwayne Christensen; and great-grandson, Chaz Mark Thomas. She is survived by
sons Gene (RaVoe) Christensen of Salt Lake City, Utah, Allan Christensen of
Fair Oaks, Calif., Bert (Zona) Christensen of Apopka, Fla., and daughters,
Lynell (James) Drake of Duncan, S.C., and Marveen Palmer (Robby Lillard) of
Beverly Hills, Fla.; 15 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, and four great-great
grandchildren. Cremation has taken place, and burial of cremains will be at
Crown Hill Cemetery, Powell, in a private family memorial service. Memorials
may be made to Southeastern Children's Home, or American Cancer Society.
Lois Ann Pinney - May 11, 2005
Lois Ann (Shan) Pinney, 68, went to be with her Lord and Savior peacefully on Wednesday, May 11 in Apache Junction, Ariz. She was born Feb. 10, 1937 in Glenrock to Alvah F. and Ida G. Brubaker. She graduated from Glenrock High School, attended Casper College, and graduated with a BA degree in Fine Arts from the University of Wyoming. She earned a Master of Music in Education from Arizona State University. She married Donald Joe Pinney on May 23, 1959. She was an elementary music teacher for School District No. 1 in Powell for 26 years. Upon retirement in 1992, she and her husband traveled and wintered in Arizona. Among her hobbies, she enjoyed singing, swimming, oil painting, camping, traveling and playing "Dirty Board." She was a very loving and giving person as an outgrowth of growing up in a home full of love, music, and strong Christian teaching. Her Savior, husband, children, grandchildren and extended family were the joys of her life. She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Joe, of Cody; daughter, Gerry Ann, son-in-law, Jeff Scott and grandchildren, Jacob, Matthew, and Allison of Cody; daughter, Kari Kay of Cody; son, Wesley Joe, daughter-in-law, Keri and grandchildren Alexander and Samuel of Seattle, Wash. Other survivors include sisters, Mabel Rose Hannah of Forest Grove, Ore., Mary Elizabeth Neiswanger of California, Jane (Missy) Nickerson of Casper, Catherine (Chick) Proffitt of Laredo, Texas; brothers, Louis Hoffman (Lewy) Brubaker of Bonita Springs, Fla., Richard Lee (Dick) Brubaker of Payson, Ariz.; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Elbridge Leroy (Bru) Brubaker, William Ellis (Bill) Brubaker, Allen Thayer (Al) Brubaker, Jack Pershing Brubaker; and sister, Cherie Oswald. Memorial services and a celebration of her life will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 28 at the Cody Missionary and Alliance Church, 147 Cooper Lane East on the Powell-Cody highway. Interment will be in Cody. For those who wish, memorials may be sent in Lois Ann's name to Sunshine Acres Orphanage, 3405 N. Higley, Mesa, AZ 85215. When sending the memorial, please ask that Sunshine Acres send an acknowledgment to Joe Pinney at 901 Gloria CT., Cody, WY 82414.
A former Powell resident, Elizabeth Ann Farnes, 69, of Twin Falls, Idaho,
died Thursday, May 12 of a brief, devastating bout with cancer.
She was born Jan. 8, 1936, in Billings, Mont., and was raised in Powell and
Thermopolis. She moved to Idaho in 1957 where she created a loving and welcoming
home to raise her children.
She worked at Sunbridge Nursing Home in Twin Falls for 20 years and finally
retired a year to to enjoy her home and family full-time. Aside from her family,
her greatest enjoyment in life was the time she spent camping, fishing and
boating at Magic Reservoir. She maintained a weekend home there for many years.
Ann leaves behind five children, Cindy (Rick) Allyn of San Diego, Calif., Tony
(Julia) Slane of Wendell, Idaho, Craig (Sandy) Egan of Filer, Idaho, Lori Egan
of Fort Benning, Ga., and Karen Egan (Jon Reynolds) of Twin Falls, Idaho; 13
grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother,
Tom (Elaine) Bushey of Powell. She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert
W. and Garnett Bushey, and a brother, Jim Sheets. Her children will remember
her as generous and giving to a fault, adding that she had strong opinions
and always expressed them whether we liked them or not. She had a wonderful
sense of humor and always made us laugh. She gave us many gifts throughout
our lives, and her great strength and dignity in death is her final legacy
to us. She was our teacher, our conscience, our friend. She was our beloved
mother and grandmother and will live on in our hearts forever. Our loss is
immeasurable. Cremation and private inurnment are under the direction of White's
Mortuary. Her family is celebrating her life and will welcome family and friends
at an open house in her honor today (Tuesday, May 17) at Ann's home at 136
10th Avenue North in Twin Falls, from 3 to 6 p.m.
Gladys Lurraine Thomas - May 12
Funeral services were conducted Monday, May 16 at Union Presbyterian Church
in Powell for Gladys Lurraine Thomas, 74, who died Thursday, May 12 at St.
Vincent Hospital in Billings, Mont.
She was born June 23, 1930, in Lakeview, S.D., to Carl and Rosetta Sauerwein.
The family moved to Wyoming where Lurraine grew up.
The family lived near Casper where her father worked on the construction of
Alcova Dam. Later she moved to the North Fork with the family and attended
the one-room Wapiti School through the eighth grade. She then moved to Cody
to complete high school. While attending high school, she worked at the Green
Gables Restaurant.
On Feb. 12, 1949, Lurraine married Roy Dee Thomas in Cody where they lived
before moving to Powell. Lurraine and Roy farmed on the Willwood before retiring
to Ralston.
She worked as a bookkeeper for the Powell Auction Yard, then the Anthony's
Department Store. After retiring from the Stage Department Store, she volunteered
in the classroom at Southside Elementary School.
She was active in the community, belonging to the Star Club, Ralston Women's
Club, VFW Auxiliary and the Ralston Water Board.
Survivors include her husband of 56 years, Roy Thomas of Ralston; her daughter,
Rosemary Barnes and husband Dan living in Albany, Ore.; grandson Christopher
Barnes and wife Tiffany and granddaughter Amanda Barnes living in the Portland,
Ore., area.
Her son, James Thomas, preceded her in death. His children, Stanley, Keith
and Jacob Thomas, live in Casper with their mother, Janet Crichton and stepdad, Årchie
Crichton.
Burial was in Crown Hill Cemetery under the direction of Miratsky-Easton Funeral
Home.
Funeral services for Ralph Kisgen, 63, of Gillette were held Monday at the Stevenson Wilson Funeral Home Chapel in Gillette. He died Friday, May 13 at the Campbell County Memorial Hospital of natural causes. Burial was in Mt. Pisgah Cemetery in Gillette. Ralph James Kisgen was born Feb. 11, 1942, son of John and Veronica (Schneider) Kisgen in Chokio, Minn. He was raised and educated there. In 1982 he came to Gillette where he began working for the Campbell County Road and Bridge Department, as a heavy equipment operator. He retired after 20 years of service in 2002. On Dec. 5, 1992, he married Betty Trigg in Gillette where the couple has resided since. Survivors include his wife, Betty of Gillette; four sons: Mark Kisgen of Powell, Mike Kisgen (Deb) of Gillette, James Kisgen (Donna) of Freeburg, Ill., and, B.J. Kisgen of St. Charles, Mo.; one daughter, Peggy Burckhard of Devils Lake, N.D.; one brother, Marvin Kisgen of Alberta, Minn.; two sisters: Joyce Snell of Chokio, Minn. and Mary Jo Brown of Hancock, Minn; three stepchildren: Emily Hicks of Gillette, Christopher Hicks of Thomaston, Conn., Aaron Hicks of Las Vegas, Nev.; six grandchildren, four step grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Lois Kisgen; and his brother, Jerry Kisgen. Memorials are suggested to the American Lung Association or the Gillette Moose Lodge.
Longtime Powell resident Paul Phillip Miller, 83, died from a massive heart
attack early Saturday, May 14. At the time of his death, he was living with
his daughter in Cody.
Graveside services will be held at Crown Hill Cemetery in Powell at 1 p.m.
on Thursday, May 19. Visitation for family and friends will be from 10 a.m.
until noon Thursday at Ballard Funeral Home in Cody.
Paul was born Nov. 9, 1921, in Schaller, Iowa, the oldest child of George Francis
and Mary Catherine (Jannink) Miller. In the early 1930s, the family moved to
Wyoming near Manderson.
He worked for the Badura Brothers in Clark, then for the City of Powell during
the 1950s and 1960s. He later went back to work for the Badura Brothers and
then Dick Jones Trucking. At the time of his death, he worked part-time for
Linton's Big R in Powell.
He married Anna Mae Vikturek on March 1, 1946. To that union were born 10 children:
Steve (Esther) Miller of Riverton, Ed Miller of Billings, Mont., Lois (Bill)
Brown of Cody, Lynn Dey of Fortston, Ga., Vince (Carol) Miller of Culpeper,
Va., Arthur (Stephenne) Miller of Aurora, Colo., Sharon Miller (gone, but not
forgotten), Charles (charlene) Miller of Woralnd, Joe (Sandi) Miller of Littleton,
Colo., and John Miller (gone, but not forgotten).
He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Mary; his wife, Anna Mae,
in July of 1962; his brother, Alfred; his sister, Florence; children Sharon
and Johnny; and several grandchildren.
On June 7, 1969, Paul married Florence Norskog and took as his own her children,
Linda Hostetler of Billings, Mont., Don (Rose) Hostetler of Boise, Idaho, Deb
(John) Zierke of Cody, R.D. (Julie) Hostetler of Billings and Richard (Carla)
Hostetler of Billings.
Paul's last wish was for a simple, no frills graveside service. He was a simple
man who took care of his family. In honoring his wishes, the family would appreciate
a memorial donation to a charity of choice in his name. He was especially fond
of animals given all the cats he kept. Thanks to all of his many friends for
their support.
Ethel Carrie Cyphers, 81, of Billings, Mont., entered her heavenly home Monday,
May 16.
Born Aug. 31, 1923, to Raymond and Edith Cyphers near Manderson, she was raised
at Powell. She graduated from Eastern Montana College and taught elementary
school in Powell for 38 years. After retirement, she and her sister Margaret
moved to Billings in 1987.
She was a long-time member of First Baptist Church of Powell and West Side
Baptist Church of Billings.
Memorial service is at 11 a.m. today (Thursday, May 19) at West Side Baptist
Church, 323 S. 32nd Street West. Interment is at Sunset Memorial Gardens in
Billings.
Survivors are sister Margaret Cyphers of Billings and brother and sister-in-law
Joe and Mona Cyphers of Powell. Memorials are preferred to West Side Baptist
Church, or The Gideons, International.
Maria Anna Torres, infant daughter of Tomas Torres and Sandra Garcia, died Thursday, May 19 at the Powell Valley Hospital. Funeral Mass was celebrated Monday at St. Barbara’s Catholic Church, with burial in Crown Hill Cemetery under direction of Miratsky Funeral Home.
Graveside services for long-time Powell resident, Walter Winkelman, 92, will
be conducted Friday, May 27 at 11 a.m. at Crown Hill Cemetery.
The son of Powell homesteaders died Tuesday, May 24 at Powell Valley Hospital.
He had recently been a resident in the Powell Nursing Home.
He was born Nov. 26, 1912, in Millerton, Nebr., to John and Elizabeth Winkelman
and moved with his parents to a homestead northwest of Powell in 1917. He was
educated in the Powell schools.
He married Ethel Robertson of Lovell in Billings, Mont., in October of 1935.
The couple had two daughters, Barbara and Jo Ann (Jodie).
Walter farmed southwest of Powell and owned and operated a school bus from
Elk Basin to Powell during the days of the Elk Basin camp.
In 1957, he moved to Bakersfield, Calif., where he was branch manager for B&W
Inc., an oilfield equipment company. He retired from that position in 1981
and then was manager for an oilfield services company.
He moved back to Powell in retirement 12 years ago.
Survivors include his daughters, Barbara (Dexter) Dearcorn of Powell and Jodie
(Robert) Berchtold of Powell; five grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and
four great-great grandchildren.
Jack Millard Mollenbrink, 77, Lovell, died Thursday, May 26 at his home with
his wife by his side.
He was born March 19, 1928, in Sundance, the oldest of seven children of John
Millard Mollenbrink and Mary Mae Dudrey Mollenbrink. He learned to work at
an early age and worked hard all his life. He was dependable, and his word
was his bond. He loved to help others and especially found joy in serving his
church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in many
callings, but his favorite was home teaching. He volunteered to bring the Sacrament
to the sick. Each Sunday he would greet his ward memers at the door as he passed
out the ward bulletin. He formed special friendships, especially with children.
He was a member of the Search and Rescue for over 30 years. He loved being
a part of this group and formed many friendships.
The most important people in his life were his family. He had a special bond
with the little children, and they were quick to show their affection for him.
The last few years he had to accept the limitations that failing health put
on his life. He did not enjoy being sick, and he pushed himself to do all he
possibly could. He still mowed his own yard, even while carrying an oxygen
bottle on his shoulder. He hated weeds and waged an all-out war on them, sometimes
to the demise of certain garden plants that got too close to his spray wand.
Survivors include his loving and devoted wife of 42 years, Helen Gay Mollenbrink;
sons Terry Mollenbrink of Greybull, Gary Mollenbrink of Billings, Mont., Robert
Workman of Mapleton, Utah, David Workman of Orem, Utah, Dell Workman of Haskins,
Ohio, and John Workman of Provo, Utah; daughters Sherry Byxbe of Billings,
Andrea Hawthorne of Powell and Claudia Mayes of Lovell; 32 grandchildren and
39-great-grandchildren; brothers Merritt and Eldon Mollenbrink of Sundance;
and sisters Ella Mae Gaylord of Sundance and Donna Spracher of Gillette;
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Sam Mollenbrink; sister,
Shirley Ramstead; son, Kenneth Workman; grandson, Ryan Mollenbrink; and great-grandsons,
Tyreal and Hyrum Humpherys.
Funeral services are scheduled Saturday, June 4 at 10 a.m. at Union Presbyterian
Church for Peggy Jean Pace, 60, who died Sunday, May 29 at Powell Valley Hospital.
She was born Feb. 21, 1945, in Lovell to John and Hazel Marie (Worden) Muller.
She loved playing cards, going to bingo, making blankets, hunting for asparagus,
spending time with family, and most of all, playing games with her grandchildren
and great-grandchildren.
She was a loving and compassionate care giver to her family, giving up her
home for days, weeks, months and even a year at a time. She never complained,
even when she was sick and needed taking care of herself. She will be missed
by all who loved her.
Survivors include her daughters, Cherri (Frank) Siebert of Riverton, Ronda
Bessler of Powell, Annette Rodriguez of Powell and Bobbi (Scott) Myers of Cody;
brothers, Dale (Janis) Muller of Eureka, Mont., Leonard Muller of Frannie,
Gary Muller of Evanston, Clifton (Eddie) Muller of Greybull and Jack Muller
and brother-in-law, Joe Neisess of Troy, Mont.; sisters, Marion (Glen) Althoff
of Powell, Evelyn (Don) Hicks of Cody; Muriel (Dale) Holthues of Billings,
Mont., and Judy Daugherty of Boise, Idaho; 18 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren;
and numerous nieces and nephews and certain special ones she made her own:
Leslie, Neva, Lori and Melissa.
She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Hazel Muller; her husband,
Bill Pace; her daughter, Becky Reno; her granddaughter, Tanna Caines; her great-granddaughter,
Renae Wainsoctt; and sisters Lillian Hume and June Neisess.
Funeral services for lifelong Powell resident, Jose (Chris) Luna, 60, will
be held Friday, June 3 at 1 p.m. at Miratsky-Easton Funeral Home.
He died at his Powell home Tuesday, May 31, ending a long battle with cancer,
and is now at peace with the Lord.
He was born in Powell Dec. 12, 1944. He grew up and lived in the community
all of his life, a loving father, husband, co-worker and dear friend to many.
He was a hard-working, good-hearted man who most recently was employed at Busch
Agricultural Resources, Inc. He operated the Fromberg elevator and worked at
both the Ralston elevator and Powell seed plant over the past 15 years.
Chris worked well with local area farmers for over 25 years, many times using
his vacation to help them with the sugar beet harvest. He also spent many years
working in the oil field when it was booming.
He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles #2426.
Chris met the love of his life, Mary Gutierrez, and they were married on Aug.
31, 2004 in Cody. They enjoyed their companionship and spending time together.
In his free time, Chris enjoyed playing pool, darts and camping.
Survivors include his wife, Mary of Powell; two daughters, Renee Shambles (Dexter)
of Powell and Crystal Luna of Colorado Springs, Colo.; grandchildren: Vanessa,
Kevin, Landon, and Graiden; stepchildren, Stephanie Gutierrez, Henry Gutierrez,
Jr., Anthony Gutierrez, Roy Garza, Gilbert Garza, Mary Ellen Garza, Terri Garza,
Refugio Garza, Stephanie Rodriguez, Melissa Brothers, and Brent Metzer; and
many step-grandchidlren.
Memorials can be sent to American Cancer Society, 550 N. 31st St., Suite 103,
Billings, MT 59101.
Burial will be in Crown Hill Cemetery. Pallbearers include Roy Keiser, Eugene
Gonzales, Bob Vergara, Jim Rodriguez, Bob Olberding and Rick Brown. Honorary
pallbearers are Dexter Shambles, Henry Gutierrez, Jr. and Bob Carpenter. A
reception will follow at the VFW.
Rosary will be said tonight (Thursday) at 7 p.m. at Miratsky-Easton Funeral
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