All Obituaries

STEVENSVILLE – Jesse James Nielson, 47, of Stevensville passed away Saturday, April 4, 2020 from cancer.  He was born February 26, 1973 in American Fork, UT the son of Bud and Renee Nielson. Jesse attended high school in Utah.  He married Brandie Nielson on June 2, 2012 in Darby.  Jesse worked as an autobody technician for many years.  He also worked as a fencer and welder.  Jesse served as an EMT and a fireman in Darby.  He loved swimming, shooting guns...

CORVALLIS - Thomas Gregory Hardy, Sr., of Corvallis, Mont., died on Saturday, April 4, 2020 at Community Hospital in Missoula. Tom was born in San Jose, California in 1936 to McVal Smith Hardy and Roberta Mary Mangum. His early childhood was spent in Watsonville and Arcadia, Calif., while his high school years were in Waverly, Penn. He met Sally Caldwell while they were seniors at Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, Penn., and the two were married in June of 1955. The couple raised five children...

Audubon, MN - Todd Haldorson, 81, passed away peacefully on April 2, 2020, in hospice care at Marcus Daly Hospital in Hamilton, Montana.  He was born on October 14, 1938, the son of Olaf and Constance Haldorson. Todd was born in Perham, Minnesota and raised in Fairview, Montana.  He spent his summers working for his Uncle Jon on a dairy farm in Audubon, Minnesota.  Upon graduation from Fairview High School in Fairview, Montana, Todd started working for the railroad and worked...

Marzita (Loomis) Sundet died peacefully in her Darby Montana home at 7:15 PM April 2, 2020 from complications associated with a stroke. She was born during the depression in Great Falls, Montana.  She shared an impoverished childhood with 6 siblings.  She is survived by 3: Harold Dean Loomis from Deer Lodge, MT; Alta Miller from Dewey, MT; and Bucky Loomis from Butte, MT. As a child she was very bright and had a thirst for leaning.  She became the first person in her family...

Betty Ellis Hodge, 91 of Corvallis passed away Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at the Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital in Hamilton. A full obituary will be posted in the next few days.

Riley Kristine Lewis, 30, joined her sister in heaven on March 29, 2020, in Yuma, Arizona, after succumbing to injuries occurred during an automobile accident. She was born February 8, 1990, in Hamilton Montana. Riley’s passion from the first time she could walk was horses. She received her first pair of boots at the age of 3 and a half years old, and lived in them, wearing them everyday until they no longer fit. As the youngest of four children Riley was packed around by her older...

HAMILTON - On Thursday, March 26, 2020, Billie Annette Basnaw, loving mother and grandmother passed away at the age of 72.  She was born February 24, 1948 in Hamilton to William and Loretta (Harrison) Smith of Darby.  Ann attended school in Darby and married Jack W. Copenhaver, together they had two children, Jackie and Guy Copenhaver.  Ann was widowed at an early age and later married Walter A. Basnaw who had a daughter, Pam Basnaw (Goodwin) from a previous marriage. Together...

Theodore “Ted” Garrard, 91 of Victor passed away March 25, 2020 at the Marcus Daly Hospice Center in Hamilton. Ted was born May 5, 1928 in Victor, Montana to the late John W. Garrard and Margaret C. Garrard.  He attended Victor Schools, and later joined the US Army from 1951 to 1953 and was served in the Korean War. Ted was employed at Rocky Mountain Laboratory from 1954 and until he retired in 1983.  He married Gladysmae Hiatt on September 17, 1956.  He...

John “Bill” Wilmer Sperry passed away Friday, March 20, 2020, just two weeks after his 101st birthday. Bill was born on March 6, 1919, to William Van and Sadie Ann (Yotter) Sperry in Clover, Idaho. Bill fought in WWII from 1942-1945. He was in the 4th Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group. He was the ordnance supply technician and camera repairman. He was involved in several battles and companies such as: Air Offensive Europe, Air combat Balkans, Rhineland, Tunisia, Sicily,...

Pinesdale - Lyman Dee Jessop’s first move was on October 1, 1937. He surrendered his King in check mate on March 19, 2020. Lyman Dee was born to Joseph Lyman Jessop and Maleta Porter in Salt Lake City. He lived the wonderful life of a poor kid in a huge family in Utah. His love of learning led him to become a graduate of the University of Utah in 1960, and so became a life-long Ute. In 1969, he moved to Montana and became the principal of Pines Academy and served in that capacity for...