OBITUARIES

Richard "Fritzie" Brown, 87, a World War II Marine Corps veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart, died of natural causes Thursday, Nov. 11, 2004 at a Browning nursing home.

A wake and rosary were held at Old Eagle Shield. His funeral was Tuesday at Little Flower Parish. Burial followed in Willow Creek Cemetery. Day Funeral Home handled arrangements.

Brown was born July 27, 1917 in Great Falls and raised in Browning. He played basketball in high school. On July 18, 1936, he married Helen Conway in Cut Bank. She died in 1992.

He proudly served in the U.S. Marine Corps from Dec. 14, 1943 to Nov. 9, 1945. He served in the Hawaiian Islands area and at Iwo Jima, VI.

Brown owned and operated his own dump trucks. He was an ambulance driver for IHS and a field man for Blackfeet Credit. He had worked at various jobs including as a game warden and a bus driver. He worked in the shipyards in the Seattle area and also worked for Boeing. He raised cattle on his ranch in Seville. He was a member of Little Flower Parish.

Brown was proud his grandfather, Richard "Dick" Croff was the very first Native American Sheriff in Glacier County.

He enjoyed watching sports and loved watching his grandkids, nephews and friends rodeo.

Survivors include a daughter, Helen Augare of Browning; an adopted daughter, Tony Brown of Browning; a son, Charles "Butch" Brown of Browning; James Beau Glaze Jr. of Spokane, Wash., Ronnie Blackman, Doug Blackman, Stewart Blackman and "Lil Stu" Brown, all of Browning, whom he raised; and sisters Geneva "Wizzie" Bird of Cut Bank and Aurice Show, Leona "Deeds" Racine and Betty Ann Hall, all of Browning.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Conway Brown; and a daughter, Marlene Glaze.

Geneva Marie Bird

Geneva Marie "Wizzy" Bird, 85, of Cut Bank, a retired community healthcare representative, died of cancer Sunday, Nov. 14, 2004 at a Cut Bank hospital.

Rosary is 7 p.m. today (Wednesday) at Seville Bingo Center. Funeral Mass is 2 p.m. Thursday at St. Margaret's Catholic Church in Cut Bank, with burial in Crown Hill Cemetery. Day Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Wizzy was born Sept. 26, 1919, in Browning where she was raised and educated, graduating from Browning High School. She married Sam Bird Jr. on Oct. 8, 1939, in Cut Bank; he died Feb. 22, 2000. She was a homemaker until 1960. In 1963, she became a community heath care representative on the Blackfeet Reservation, retiring in 1978.

She was a member of St. Margaret's Parish. She enjoyed family events, church, rodeo, basketball, dancing and playing cards. Her favorite thing in life was spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Survivors include daughters Elaine "Sis" Guardipee, Margaret "Margie" Bird and Barbara "Babs" Bird, all of Cut Bank; sons Leo "Beaver" Bird of Wickenburg, Ariz., John Bird of Tucson, Ariz., Richard "Dick" Bird, Ron Bird, Dale Bird, Sam Bird III and Dan Bird, all of Cut Bank; sisters Aurice Show, Leona Racine and Betty Ann Hall, all of Browning; a brother Kenny Goss of Browning; 27 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Sam Bird Jr., her father, Leo Brown, her mother, Eva Croff Brown, a sister Margaret Brown Wagner and a brother, Richard "Fritz" Brown.

Leo Bull Child, Sr.

Leo John Bull Child, Sr., 58, died of natural causes Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2004 at the Browning Hospital.

Rosary Service was held Sunday at the Glacier Homes Community Center. Funeral Mass was held Monday, Nov. 15, at Little Flower Catholic Church in Browning with Father Ed Kohler officiating. Burial followed in Willow Creek Cemetery. Pondera Funeral Home handled the arrangements.

Survivors include his wife, Betty Ann (Little Dog) Bull Child of Browning; sons, Leo John Bull Child, Jr. of Browning, Melvin C. Long Time Sleeping of Ethete, Wyo., Arnold Long Time Sleeping of Browning; daughter, Charlene Long Time Sleeping Mancha of Browning; brothers, Joseph C. Bull Child, Alvin Bull Child, Francis E. Bull Child Sr., Fred Bull Child, Harold Bull Child; sisters, Elizabeth F. Bull Child Blackman, Mona J. Bull Child all of Browning; seven Grandchildren; and several nephews and nieces.

He was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Owen Bull Child and mother, Theola (Night Gun) Bull Child, and one brother, David Bull Child.

Loretta Roundine

Loretta (New Breast) Roundine, 75, of Browning, a nursing assistant, died of natural causes Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2004 at a Great Falls hospital.

A wake was held at her home. Rosary was recited Monday at Little Flower Parish. Funeral Mass was Tuesday at St. Anne's Catholic Church, with burial in St. Anne's Cemetery. Day Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Roundine was born Jan. 15, 1929 in Big Badger. She married David Roundine. He later died. She waited tables and cooked, then worked as a certified nurse's assistant at Blackfeet Nursing Home for 33 years.

She was a spiritual woman who belonged to the Horn Society, the Slickfoot Society, Crazy Dog Society, Medicine Pipe Bundle and Beaver Bundle. She practiced all her Indian ways.

An avid stickgame player, she enjoyed card games and jigsaw puzzles, playing bingo and attending powwows.

Survivors, all of Browning, include daughters La Vern Prairie Chicken, Ethel "Cookie" Costello, Carol Garrow, Mary Ellen Roundine, Laurie Vielle and Rena Barnaby; sons Harold St. Goddard, Jimmy St. Goddard, David "Pumpkin" Roundine and Hoovey La Plant; a sister, Cecile Doore; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, David Roundine, Sr.; and a son, Glen St. Goddard.

Phyllis Vaile

Phyllis Mazie (Edwards) Vaile, 54, a former schoolteacher, died of liver failure Thursday, Nov. 11, 2004 at a Great Falls hospital.

Rosary is 7 p.m. Thursday at Glacier Homes Community Center. Funeral Mass is 11 a.m. Friday at Little Flower Parish in Browning, with burial in St. Anne's Catholic Cemetery. Day Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Vaile was born Jan. 14, 1951 in Browning. She received her bachelor's degree in education from Northern Montana College. In August of 1995, she married Jimmy Vaile.

She worked for School District 1, Browning High School as a physical education teacher. She also served as vice principal for a half year at Browning High School.

She was a member of Little Flower Parish. She enjoyed beading, riding horses and taking car rides. She was an excellent seamstress and liked to make Pendleton coats, vests, dance outfits and moccasins.

Survivors include her husband, Jimmy Vaile of Great Falls; her mother, Elizabeth Bushie of Great Falls; daughters Nicole Duncan, Norma Martin and Veronica Hamlet, all of Arizona and Elizabeth Archambault of Great Falls; sons Grinnell "Sonny" Duncan of Arizona and Donivan Archambault Jr. of Fort Belknap; a sister, Mary Ann Heavy Runner Denny of Great Falls; a stepsister, Laurie Randall of Cut Bank; a brother, Ed Boushie of Wolf Point; a stepbrother, Louis Randall of Olympia, Wash.; and six grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by two sisters, Karen Marceau and LaNore Heavy Runner; and a brother, Grinnell Edwards.

Jean Paul Wippert

Jean Paul Wippert, 79, of Browning, died Wednesday, April 24, 2002, of natural causes. Funeral services were held at Little Flower Parish in Browning on April 29.

She was born Dec. 8, 1922, to Josephine La Barge Paul and Edward Paul of Browning. She and Hunter Wippert were married on Sept. 12, 1942. They spent much of their married life together on Seville where he worked as a water master for the Bureau of Indian Affairs Irrigation project. She worked as a nurse for more than 25 years in Glacier County as well as in Fort Washakie, Wyo., and St. Ignatius. She and her husband farmed and ranched on Seville where they raised 11 children. In 1985, they retired to Browning to be near family and friends. She was an active member of the Little Flower Parish in Browning.

Wippert is survived by two sisters, Velma (Tiny) Smith of Cut Bank and Noreen (Bea) Martin of Browning; 11 children, Herb Gilham of Browning, John Wippert of Billings, Quentin Gilham of Billings, Merlin Gilham of Cut Bank, Barbara Aubert of Browning, Donna White of Browning, Mary Blue of Browning, Mike Gilham of Babb, JoAnn Grant of Browning, Terry White of East Glacier and Kerry Kay McKay of Billings; 29 grandchildren; 20 great- grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her husband in 1995; her parents; four sisters, Eloise "Ellie" Gilham, Alfreda McClusky, Leona Conway and Dorothy Paul; and five brothers, Clarence Paul, George Paul, Lloyd Paul, Roger Paul and Buzzy Paul.

Violet Fern (Rogers) Souther

Violet Fern (Rogers) Souther, age 88, of Helena died of natural causes Sunday, April 25, 2004, at Cooney Convalescent Home in Helena.

She was born August 30, 1915, in Bowbells, North Dakota, to Charles and Anna Rogers.  Mom grew up during the hard years of the Depression.  Her mother died when Mom was 14, and she had to leave school after the eighth grade to help support her family. In January 1937, she met her one and only love, Orville Wilford Souther and married him August 30 of that year.  They waited until five minutes after midnight so they could be wed on her 22nd birthday. Orville sold a load of hay for $2.50 so he could buy the marriage license.

They farmed near Columbus/Lignite, North Dakota, until 1950, then moved to Montana, where Orville went to work for Mom's brother Clint on his farm.  He later began a career in the oilfields and they lived near Oilmont and in Conrad, then in Shelby.  When they retired, they moved to Libby, where they resided until moving to Cut Bank in 1990.

Mom worked hard and raised five children, along with opening her home to numerous family members and foster children. Their home was always open and friendly to anyone who came to visit.  Mom always made sure they had a home-cooked meal. She was very generous and kept foster kids, especially during the summer.   After more than 55 years of marriage, Dad passed away in 1993.

Mom resided in Cut Bank with her daughter Judy until entering the Glacier County Nursing Home in Cut Bank. In May 2000, she moved to Cooney Convalescent Center in Helena to be near Judy, who had moved there.

Mom always said she was a "tough old German" and proved it by overcoming a hard early life, working hard all her life and doing it all with very few complaints, even about multiple hip fractures.

She loved her sons-in-law, Don and Mick, and especially enjoyed ice fishing with Don.  We will always value the lessons we learned from her and be grateful for the loving care she gave to us, and her kindness to everyone.  We love you and will miss you always.

In addition to her husband, two brothers, a sister and a grandson, Brian, preceded Violet in death.

Survivors include daughters Judith Ann (Souther) Boutin of Helena and Nancy Violet (Souther) Nassett of Henning, Minnesota; sons Leonard Orville Souther, Roger William Souther and Jim Benjamin Souther, all of the Seattle area; 13 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

Her funeral was Thursday, April 29, at Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Cut Bank, with burial in Crown Hill Cemetery.  Day Funeral Home of Cut Bank is handling arrangements.  Independent Record, 1 May 2004

Iris Bungay

Iris Russell Bungay, 56, died at Glacier County Medical Center on May 23, 2001, of lung cancer.

Funeral services were held Tuesday at First Presbyterian Church with burial in Hillside Cemetery at Conrad.

Born Jan. 11, 1945, in Great Falls, she graduated from Conrad High School in 1963. She also graduated from Great Falls Vo-tech.

On Sept. 5, 1964, she and Bruce Robert Bungay were married in Conrad. They divorced in 1989.

Bungay worked for Community Home Oxygen in Great Falls and was a respiratory therapist at Glacier County Medical Center for 13 years until she became ill.

She was a Cub Scout den leader, 4-H volunteer and belonged to the Eastern Star and Wishing Well Foundation. She enjoyed gardening, flowers, making dolls, collecting bells and spoons, spending time with her grandkids and her medical friends, Glacier Park, watching animals, playing cards and children.

Survivors include her father, Jim Russell of Ledger; sons and wives, Troy and Debbie Bungay of Kalispell, Corey and Kelli Bungay of Lincoln, Neb., and Daniel and Kristy Bungay of Cut Bank; a sister, Juanita Karr of Elko, Nev.; and three grandchildren, Kennedy Bungay, Devyn Bungay and Tawny Rae Bungay.

She was preceded in death by her mother, LaVerne Russell; and a brother, Jack Russell.

Day Funeral Home handled arrangements

Karen

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