Local Obituaries for Families in Beaverhead County
Ellen Bernard
April 5, 2018
Ellen Margaret Frazee Bernard, 94, entered into the gates of heaven on April 5, 2018 at Pioneer Care and Rehab. She was born on March 30, 1924 to Guy and Irene Frazee in Lemhi, Idaho. She was the 1st born followed by two brothers, Kenneth and Ralph.She met the love of her life, Leon Bernard, at a Christmas dance in...
Melvin Salmonsen
April 1, 2018
Melvin (Buck Shot) Salmonsen passed away April 1, 2018. Buck as he was called by his friends, was born in Dillon July 30, 1934 to Elmer and Mary Salmonsen. Buck spent the majority of his youth on the Brown Ranch up Blacktail with Eva and Ansel Brown and Buster and Helen Brown. After graduation from Beaverhead County High School he...
Rella Pelletier
March 31, 2018
Rella Marie Pelletier Dillon- Rella (Michaud) Pelletier, 86, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 31, 2018, at her home in Dillon, MT, surrounded by her loving family. She recently celebrated her 86th birthday, or her 21st, because she was born on Leap year 1932. She joked that she would have liked to have made it to age twenty-two. She was...
James Moses
March 25, 2018
James Michael Moses, 66 of Dillon, Montana passed away at his residence after a lengthy illness. He has battled with ill health since his stroke in 2009. He was born on January 3, 1952 in Richland, Washington to Jack M and Shirley Ann (Buster) Moses. He was blessed with 3 children; Britnee, Toby and Colter from his first marriage to...
Mardell Johnson
March 17, 2018
Mardell Johnson was called home March 17, 2018 to be with the Lord. Mardell was a loving wife, mother and grandmother among other things and will always be remembered as that. While not a Montana native she took to the beauty of this peaceful place and called it her home. Mardell was born July 22, 1949 to Harold and Emma...
Norman Focher
March 17, 2018
Norman Earl Focher, 76, passed away March 17th, 2018. Norman was born on April 2nd, 1941 in Billings MT. to Edward Focher and Vivian Heisler. He was a man of many talents and occupations including farming, ranching, mailman, and owner of multiple businesses. Norman was a recreational pilot, loved the outdoors, and enjoyed hunting and fishing with family and friends....
Patricia Miller
March 14, 2018
Patricia Mae Saling Hunt Miller passed away on March 14, 2018 at Pioneer Rest Home in Dillon, MT. Mom was born on Sept. 9, 1929, in Gresham, OR, to Edmund (Ted) Saling and Georgia Beck Saling. She was raised in Estacada, OR, along with her younger sister Donna (Saling) Bledsoe. She attended school in Estacada until her graduation in 1947....
Johanna Vinson
March 5, 2018
Johanna Vinson passed away March 5th 2018 at Pioneer Care in Dillon, Montana. She was 85. Johanna was born October 2nd, 1932 in Kulmbach, Germany. Losing her father in Italy during WWII, she grew up with her mother and four siblings in the not so pleasant times. At the age of 14, she went to work in a factory in...
Verona Eby
March 3, 2018
Verona May Nettik Eby was born on June 7, 1935 in Dillon, Montana to Edward & Verna Nettik. She attended schools in Dillon, graduating from BCHS in 1953 and attending 1 year at WMC. She most enjoyed her work at the big dipper when she was younger. She grew up with 2 brothers, Ernie (Mary Ellen) and Mickey who made...
Steven Jennings
March 1, 2018
Steve Jennings 1948-2018 Steven Wayne Jennings died peacefully at home on March 1, 2018. Born June 27, 1948 in Missoula where his parents Les and Elaine Jennings attended college after both served in the military during WWII. Steve spent all but 2 years of his childhood in Montana in Butte and Bozeman where he graduated High School in 1966. After...
Kenneth Schoen
February 22, 2018
Kenneth Robert (Bob) Schoen, 78, of Dillon, MT passed away on February 22nd, 2018 in Dillon. Bob was born in Parker, Idaho to Kenneth and Helen Schoen on June 1st, 1939. He went to school at Rupert, Idaho. He married Anna Smith with whom he had 3 daughters and later divorced. He married Carolyn Darfler on August 4th 1978. Bob...
William "Dick" Crockford
February 8, 2018
William Richard “Dick” Crockford of Dillon, Mont., 65, passed away from a heart attack early Thursday, February 8, 2018. He was born May 2, 1952 in Los Angeles to William “Bill” Crockford and Doris Driscoll Crockford. He married Deborah Westby August 17, 1974 in Missoula, Mont. Together, they have three daughters Heather, Rebecca, and Theresa. Many know Dick from his...
Merrill Fitzwater
February 4, 2018
Merrill Wayne Fitzwater Wayne was born Nov. 9, 1918 at Greenville, Ohio the youngest son of Jasper and Elsie (Bretz) Fitzwater. The parents were basically farmers until the father went to work for the Pennsylvania Railroad, first at Bradford, Ohio and then out of Columbus, Ohio. In the early 1930’s Jasper lost the greatest part of his left hand and...
Stuart Fitzgerald
February 4, 2018
Stuart William FitzGerald was born Jan 6, 1929 in Detroit Michigan to James Stuart FitzGerald and Marguerite Elizabeth Milligan. In 1946 he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. Upon graduation from Parris Island boot camp he was shipped to North China in support of the Marshall Plan until 1947. When his enlistment was up, he returned to Detroit where he met...
Shirley Knox
January 19, 2018
Shirley Lee Knox, age 86, passed away peacefully on January 19, 2018 in her home, with her family at her side. Shirley fought her share of health issues in recent years, and the heart full of so much love finally wore out. Shirley was born July 1, 1931 in Wheeling, Missouri to Virgil Lee Brown and Stella Arleen (Trussell) Brown....
John Valach
January 16, 2018
John Francis Valach joined his beloved grandparents in heaven on January 14 after a short illness. John was born on June 16, 1981 to Jim and Lori Valach. He attended Dillon schools and graduated from Beaverhead County High School in 1999. He enrolled at Western Montana College on an art scholarship. John was a talented artist and our home is...
Ella Laden
January 4, 2018
MY STORY: THE HIGHLIGHTS Ella Laden April 7, 1923 – January 4, 2018 The Early Years I was born Ella Frieda in Black Coulee, which lies nestled at the foot of the Bear Paw Mountains, near the place where Chief Joseph had his “Last Stand”. My father and mother, August and Louise Mueller, both came from Germany through Ellis Island,...
Alice Brown
January 2, 2018
Alice Louise Brown passed away peacefully at her home in Lima, MT on January 2nd 2018. It had been a special week for her and her two sons and two daughters and their spouses and granddaughter Megan. They all got to spend time with her and say their good-byes. Even as she was failing, her concern was for the welfare...
Eugene Thomson
December 31, 2017
While receiving the Last Rights from Dillon’s own Father Pascal, Eugene “Shaker” Thomson passed peacefully from this life at his home on December 31. He was surrounded by family—all three children and two grandchildren. While his spirit remained strong, his body grew weak and ultimately failed in his 97th year of life. Shaker was born February 14, 1921 in Anaconda,...
Ron Briggs
December 27, 2017
This world lost an amazing man, H. LaRon Briggs “Ron” 61 proudly of Dillon, Montana went to be with his best friend Jesus Christ in Billings, Montana on December 27, 2017. Ron was born in Dillon, Montana to Harold George and Joan Christenson Briggs on Aug 9th, 1956. He grew up on Briggs Ranch having great adventures with the 17...
