Walter W. Mangels
POLSON — Walter W. Mangels died May 22, 2007, at Sacred Heart Medical Center, Spokane.
He was born July 31, 1917, in Polson’s first hospital to George and Anna Mangels, who had immigrated from northern Germany to Polson in 1911.
He grew up on the family farm on Minesinger Trail and attended school at the Mountain View rural school. His German/English was difficult for the teacher to understand at first and he was sent home once because of it. On the farm he learned the importance of hard work and honesty.
His father was a pioneer in the Certified Seed Potato industry and Walt carried that tradition to the end. He always stressed quality over quantity. Many of his other crops were also certified, too, and he was an advisor for the Creston Agricultural Experiment station, and grew many varieties of crops for them.
Prior to WW II he worked at other jobs including “cat skinning” (operating a crawler tractor) for Hocker Farms in North Crow. There he met Phyllis Jean Cooper. They were married in the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Pablo and she remained the love of his life for 65 years. Her passing 1-1/2 years ago left a terrible void in his life. Now they can be together again.
He worked for a while at the sugar beet factory in Missoula, then moved to Wenatchee, Wash., where he was employed at a water pump business and there he attended Wenatchee Jr. College to learn the machinist trade.
When WW II broke out he went to work as a machinist at Boeing Aircraft Co. and was very proud of the work he did on the B-17 Flying Fortress and later the B-29 Super Fortress bombers. He continued to work at Boeing a while even after the war was over. While living in Seattle, Walt built his first house and there his first son, Walter Gilbert was born. He also found time to fish and often recounted stories about steelhead fishing in Puget Sound.
Walt’s parents wanted his help back in Polson, so he left Boeing, built a second house and resumed farming on 80 acres adjoining Highway 93, about five miles south of Polson. He leased much of his farmland, which included several parcels owned by tribal members. They knew he was honest and would treat them fairly. His honesty and fairness also extended to all his employees. In order to save their crops, he and Phyllis once had to battle a grass fire started by the Northern Pacific Railway steam engine.
Walt and Phyllis were also blessed with two more sons, Arthur George and Charles Wayne. The three boys sometimes called their dad a “slave driver,” but they also appreciated the fishing trips to Mud Lakes, Cold Lakes and Lake Mary Ronan. Fish trembled at the sound of his voice. Hunting trips were always fit in around the farm work with many local outings with friends and his favorite border collie, Daisy, rooting out pheasants. For antelope and mule deer they traveled to Central Montana and made many more friends.
Walt was a member of the Polson Outdoors, where he was famous for winning door prizes; Polson and Mission Range Rifle Club, NRA, Good Sam Club where he was in charge of recycling aluminum cans for Dogs for the Deaf; Polson Senior Citizens, where he served on the board and helped raise funds for the Sr. Citizens bus, and he didn’t quit until it was paid for.
He was on the board of directors for the Ronan Co-op, and was a county committeeman for the Farm Service Agency. He was a lifetime member of the Missouri Synod Lutheran church, and attended both St. Paul in Pablo and later Mount Calvary in Polson. He and Phyllis enjoyed square dancing and playing pinochle and made many friends while doing so. He was a very sociable person. He loved to visit and gently tease. He often had a silly nickname for many of his closest friends and loved ones.
Walt was preceded in death by his wife Phyllis; two sisters, Nelda and Adella Christy; brother George and granddaughter Teresa.
He is survived by three sons — W. Gilbert (Joanne) Mangels of Polson, Arthur G. (Nell) of Dillon, and Charles W. (Teresa) of Polson; a sister, Thelma Sherba of Colo.; several grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were Tuesday, May 29, at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Polson with Rev. Aaron Stinnett officiating. Burial was in Lakeview Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Dogs for the Deaf, the Miracle of America Museum or Mt. Calvary Lutheran church.
Arrangements were by Grogan Funeral Home and Crematory of Polson.
Charles (Chuck) Fon Dixon, Jr.
POLSON — Charles (Chuck) Fon Dixon, Jr., 84, died May 21, 2007, after a long illness.
He was born in St. Ignatius on Sept. 2, 1922, in the back of a covered wagon to Charles Fon and Agnes Dixon. Chuck grew up in the Mission area and in his younger years attended St. Ignatius Mission School.
During WWII, Chuck enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps where he served honorably on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. After the war, he returned to his beloved Montana where he completed an electrical engineering degree in Bozeman at what was then known as Montana State College.
On a ski hill near Polson, he met Linda Smith, whom he later married. They raised four children at their home on Flathead Lake.
Chuck’s joys in life were his family, hunting and fishing. After retirement, Chuck and Linda enjoyed many hours of fishing in the cool, clear waters of Flathead Lake, Hauser Lake, and Lake Koocanusa. In the last few years of his life, Chuck liked to kick up his heels square dancing with his many friends.
Chuck participated in many community activities and often served on community boards such as the Camp Fire Girls, Polson Outdoors, Hunter’s Safety, the Rural Fire Board, as a Tribal Election Judge, and the Lake County Parks Board. His service was so highly honored the Parks Board named a park after him, The Chuck Dixon Memorial Park, which is located on the west-shore of Flathead Lake.
Chuck was preceded in death by his wife of over 50 years, Linda; his parents, Charles Fon and Agnes; brothers Del, Edward, and Merle; and sister Gloria Daniels; close friend Ruth Mahle; sisters Thelma Niemeyer and husband Bill, Betty Muralt and husband Gary; daughter Rebecca and husband Greg Lewis, daughter Christine, son Charles L. and wife Eve, daughter Melinda and husband Chris Clouart, and his cherished grandchildren Alix and Kyle Dixon.
A memorial service will be held at a later date this summer. Arrangements are by Grogan Funeral Home & Crematory. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.groganfuneralhome.com
Helen Marie Benally Espinoza
ST. IGNATIUS — Helen Benally Espinoza, 65, went to be with the ancestors on May 27, 2007, after passing away at her home from an extended illness.
Helen was born Sept. 6, 1941, to Susan QueQueSah and Joseph RedHorn; she was later adopted and raised by Annie and Louis Pierre.
Helen was both an elder and member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and was one of the few who still spoke her native tongue fluently — something she was quite proud of.
Helen’s greatest pride and joy, though, were her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She enjoyed spending time with them and they enjoyed the stories she told about the many different times of her life, both the good and bad. She was strong-willed. Helen usually got what she wanted. Helen was blessed with a very large extended family, both biological and adopted, whom she loved very much.
She was preceded in death by both sets of parents; her son Michael Benally; daughter Marianne “Wally” Allard Gopher; granddaughters Winter Hoops and Katherine (Cass) Gopher; sisters Viviane RedHorn, Rose Felix, Josephine “Dee” Pierre and Rose Tanner RedHorn, and brothers Billy Antoine and Joseph Pierre; her remaining children, David Benally, Glen J. Gardipe and Rosalie Little Light and family, all of St. Ignatius; 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; sisters, Marian Andrew, Alice Goodman and Francine Antoine, all of Ronan, and Rita Adams of St. Ignatius; brother James “Jimmy” Antoine of Ronan; sister-cousins, Virginia Brockie, Dorothy Woodcock, Shirley Trahan and Mary “Dolly” Linsebigler; her beloved Uncle Alec (Betty) QueQueSah and Aunt Sophie (Gene) Mays, both of Charlo.
Mass was celebrated at Wednesday, May 30, in the St. Ignatius Catholic Mission. Interment was in the St. Ignatius Catholic Cemetery.
Foster-Durgeloh Funeral Home of St. Ignatius was in charge of arrangements.
Edgar Wayne (Wayne) Stanfield
ARLEE — Edgar Wayne Stanfield, 45, went to be with his Lord and Savior, Sunday, May 2, 2007, as the result of a motorcycle accident near Missoula.
Wane was born March 3, 1962, at the Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, Va., to Edgar and Kathleen (Birmingham) Stanfield. Wayne was a graduate of Sacramento High School, Sacramento, Calif., Class of 1980.
He,with his wife and children, moved to Arlee in 1993.
He was a member of the Arlee Volunteer Fire Department, a member of the Plumbers, Pipe & Steamfitters Local 459, of Missoula.
Wayne was a past president of the Arlee Little Guy Wrestling and a past coach of the Arlee baseball team. He was a member of the Kalispell Moose Lodge.
Wayne enjoyed fishing, hunting and loved the freedom of out-of-doors living. He also enjoyed having lots of different kinds of animals around his place.
He is survived by his loving wife, Jane; two sons, Kelly and Shane of Arlee; stepsons, Aaron and Eddie DeVoile, also of Arlee; mother, Kathleen Birmingham of Hot Springs Village, Ark.; half-brothers Edgar “Lee” Allen, Patrick and Kevin Stanfield of Alabama.
Preceding him in death was his father, Edgar Lee Stanfield of Alabama.
Friends are welcome to attend a memorial service at the Sacred Heart Mission Catholic Church, near Arlee High School, Friday, June 1, at 2:30 p.m.
Father Andrew Maddock, S.J., will officiate.
Arrangements and cremation were by Livingston, Malletta & Geraghty Funeral Home of Missoula.
Remembrances may be made to the Little Guy Wrestling of Arlee, Montana.
Roullier memorial plaque dedication is next Tuesday
RONAN — A dedication program will be held for Fred Roullier, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Division of Fire Warehouse Director on Tuesday, June 5, at 10 a.m. at the Division of Fire, on Old Highway 93 next to the Ronan airport.
Fred died in August 2006. A memorial plaque will be dedicated. All are welcome to attend.
Raymond Claire Dunnwebber
CHARLO — Raymond Claire Dunnwebber was born Sept. 4, 1958; died April 30, 1999; was found May 2, 2003.
Born in Great Falls, Raymond moved a great deal during his younger years, settling between Charlo and Arlee as permanent residence. Having graduated from Arlee in 1975 and spending his teen years there, he considered himself an “Arleesian.”
Living life to the fullest, spending time outdoors, exploring roads just to see where they go and driving fast cars were just a few of his enjoyments in life.
He was an accomplished carpenter, being able to turn old into something unusual and beautiful, along with being a long time flooring installer and he had a great talent with ceramic tile.
Raymond was an accomplished moto-cross racer and an excellent mechanic.
He could make combinations work in motors that were not supposed to be possible.
Having a great sense of humor and a very loving heart, he loved having his “people” as a major part of his life. He helped many people out of a tight spot if he could and expected nothing in return.
He will be missed by many.
He is survived by his wife, Wanda Dunnwebber of Charlo; stepsons Christopher Seymour of Belgrade, James Seymour of Charlo; son Richard Ortiz of Spokane; parents Ken and Marian Dunnwebber of Charlo; sister and family, Deb and Rick Wickum, Garrett and Delaney, Chester and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. His favorite uncle was Clarence Taber.
A private service will be held June 19 and Raymond can finally be put to rest.
Thurman H. Trosper
1917-2007
RONAN — Thurman grew up in Ronan. He earned his B.S. degree in Forestry and Range Management from the University of Montana in 1941, and then joined the Marine Corps. He served during World War II in the Pacific on Guadalcanal with the 3rd Defense Battalion, First Division.
After the war he joined the U.S. Forest Service, one of the first Indians to serve in management positions in the Forest Service. After working on the Kootenai and Clearwater National Forests, he was supervisor on the Bitterroot National Forest from May 1955 to December 1959. Later he was Assistant Regional Forester for Personnel Management for the Eastern Region in Milwaukee, Wis.
In 1968, he joined the U.S. Bureau of Outdoor Recreation and in 1970 the National Park Service, where he was Assistant to the Director, in charge of Environmental Affairs. In that position, he was active in successful efforts to save the Everglades from the development of Dade County Airport. After serving the federal government, he retired to his home in Ronan.
Upon retirement from the federal government in 1973, he served for three years as President of the Wilderness Society. He served on the Governing Council of the Wilderness Society from 1965 to 1980.
His advocacy for protection of wilderness included working with others to establish the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness during the 1970s. In 1982, the Tribal Council of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes established the tribal wilderness with Ordinance 79A. Thurman’s advocacy of wilderness led the Montana Wilderness Society to give him an award.
He was active in other environmental activities, particularly in Montana. In 1974, he was elected chairman of a coalition to fight a proposed open-pit coal mine in British Columbia which would threaten the quality of Flathead Lake. The coalition secured $5 million for a baseline study of the Flathead Basin, and Thurman chaired the steering committee. The proposed open-pit coal mine was denied at that time; recently the proposal has arisen again and the United States remains opposed to the coal mine.
He served as the first Chairman of Montana’s Flathead Basin Commission. He was active in building bridges among all those interested in protecting the quality of Flathead Lake, including the Flathead Lakers and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. In 2004, Flathead Lakers’ President Rose Schwennesen presented him an award in recognition of long and dedicated service contributing to the quality of Flathead Lake. He served on the board of the Pacific Rivers Council.
He also served on many boards for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, most particularly as first chairman of the Personnel Board, where he guided the development of the Tribes’ personnel system. He also served on the Shoreline Protection Board and the governing board of Mission Valley Power. In 2004, the Confederated Tribes gave him a Warriors Medal of Valor for his military service.
Thurman was active in other community activities on the Flathead Indian Reservation, working for five years on the Lake County Planning Board. He was also active with the Flathead Resources Organization, Neighbors, and the Montana Human Rights Network on Indian issues. He was on the Advisory Committee for the Dean of the Forestry School at the University of Montana, and also served on a search committee for the dean position.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy; four sons, Ronald, William, David, and Douglas; and five grandchildren.
A celebration of his life will be held at the Longhouse in St. Ignatius, starting at 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 31 (today)
Marjorie Inez Horner
RONAN — Marjorie Inez Horner died Monday, May 21, 2007, at her son’s home west of Ronan.
Marjorie was born to Charles Everett and Anna Willard in Antioch, Neb., on Jan. 16, 1920. She grew up in Henry, Neb., and Torrington, Wyo., areas during the Great Depression.
Eventually she moved to Whitefish, where her father was working on Hungry Horse Dam and became reacquainted with Jim Horner of Ronan, whom she had known as a child in Wyoming.
They were married in December 1950.
She was a housewife and mother to Jack on the ranch west of Ronan until Jim’s death in 1975.
In 1976, she moved to Ronan, where she resided the rest of her years,
She was active in Sew and Sew Club and the Eastern Star and was a surrogate grandmother to several children.
She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Bud Willard; sister, Janet Randal; and her husband, Jim.
She is survived by her son, Jack and Bev Horner; grandchildren, Jodi and Terry Bergh, Jamie and Kristi Horner, Shane, Kelly, Sadi and Tray McMillian; their mother, Eileen; and great-grandson, Tanner Bergh. She is also survived by her brother, Francis Willard; sisters, Iva Galloway, Pat Anderson, Joan Baker; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held May 24, in the Ronan Alliance Church with the Rev. Arnold Steinert officiating. Interment was in Mountain View Cemetery.
The family suggests that memorials be made to the organization of the donors choice.
Shrider-Thompson Funeral & Cremation Service of Ronan assisted with arrangements.
Sharon Diane Keough
GLASGOW — Sharon Diane Keough, 58, formerly of Ronan, died of natural causes May 16, 2007, in he Valley View Nursing Home in Glasgow.
Funeral services were held in the Bell Chapel at Glasgow on May 24. Burial was in Lawndale Cemetery, Opheim. The Bell Mortuary of Glasgow was in charge of arrangements.
Sharon was born Aug. 23, 1948, in Glasgow, the daughter of Clarence “Pete” Keough and Bernice Stowell Keough.
Sharon was reared in Glasgow and then lived several years in Ronan, and had lived in Glasgow the last three years.
She enjoyed music and being around people, knitting and braiding rugs. Sharon liked being around children and teasing people.
She loved working at numerous jobs, and she especially loved participating in the Special Olympics. Sharon was fluent in sign language.
She was preceded in death by a sister, Louise Robbins.
Surviving are three sisters, Ila and (Willie ) Hensler of Missoula, Mavis (Arnie) Robbins of Havre, Velva (Gerald) Sharp of Glasgow; five brothers, Bert (Connie) Keough of Glasgow, Roy (Harriet) Keough of Havre, Earl Keough of Plentywood, Gerald Keough of England, Bob Keough of Glasgow, and many nieces and nephews.