Godfrey “Jack” Rogers, 89, of Billings, retired from Sweetheart Bakery, died Friday, Sept. 28, 2012.

He was born Feb. 20, 1923, in Beulah, N.D., a son of George and Martha Rogers. He served in the Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in 1944.

He had worked for Lloyd Lockren, Dick Popelka, Old Milwaukee and Sweetheart Bakery. He had received care from Rocky Mountain Hospice and Dr. Frank Michels.

Survivors include sons, George Rogers, Donnie Rogers and Ronald Rogers; a daughter, Shirley Owens; 13 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandson due in November.

Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Arrangements are by Cremation & Funeral Gallery.

Continue reading: Godfrey ‘Jack’ Rogers

Jeanette Marcella Knote, 88, of Billings, known for her cooking, died Sept. 29, 2012.

She was born in Maddock, N.D., on Nov. 7, 1923, to Helmer and Matilda Olson. She married Donald Knote on Sept. 26, 1942, in Maddock. He died in 2005.

She was known for her lefse, chocolate chip cookies, Swedish meatballs and cheese hot dogs.

Survivors include five children, Junice Wooten, LeRoy Knote, Russell Knote and Richard “Moe” Knote of Billings and Robert Knote of Dickinson, N.D.; nine grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; 10 great-great- grandchildren; and siblings Mavis Ambers, Marlys Chrissis and Noran “Stanley” Olson, all of North Dakota.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at Peace Lutheran Church in Billings. Burial of ashes will follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Arrangements are in the care of Dahl Funeral Chapel.

Nicholas Degel Jr., 87, who founded Degel Oil Co. in Glendive and started a Dairy Queen in Billings, died in Billings on Sept. 20, 2012.
He was born Dec. 8, 1924, the second of four sons of Nicholas and Katherine Degel, who were German-speaking immigrants from Hungary who settled in Glendive. His mother died when he was 5 years old.
He married Marilyn Ries on June 19, 1946, in Minneapolis. She died in 2001. They were longtime residents of Glendive.
In 1967 he moved his family of 13 children to Billings and started a Dairy Queen and café business until his retirement in 1991.
He was a longtime member of Holy Rosary Parish, St. Pius Parish, and was involved in community affairs through Kiwanis International. He attended weekly Mass as long as was possible. He was a Fourth Degree Member of the Knights of Columbus.
Survivors include 13 children: Mary Sue McNamara of Sacramento, Calif., Nicholas Degel of Orlando, Fla., Thomas Degel of Great Falls, James Degel of Seattle, Rosemary Tallon of Sacramento, Calif., Cynthia Matthey of Spokane, Wash., Jennifer Harn of Billings, Joanne Lowry of Sacramento,  Adrienne Bjorndal of Billings, Jacqueline Degel of Redmond, Wash., Jeanne Winnick of Billings, Elizabeth Wynegar of Billings and Theodore Degel of Singer Island, Fla.; 35 grandchildren; and 37 great-grandchildren.
A vigil service will be held at Dahl Funeral Chapel, 10 Yellowstone Ave. at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5. Services will be at 11 a.m. Oct. 6 at St. Pius X Catholic Church.

Cliff Seavey, 81, a home builder and cabinet maker, died Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, at Advanced Care Hospital of Montana in Billings.

He was born to Paul and Dorothy (Ashmore) Seavey on May 3, 1931, in Smithland, Iowa, the oldest of the couple’s three children.

After graduating from Central High School in Sioux City, Iowa, he served in the Army. On Feb. 14, 1956, he married Kay Munger. The couple lived in Butte for a year while he worked as a miner, then in Loomis, Calif., for 50 years, where he worked as a professional home builder and cabinet maker. They moved to Red Lodge in 2008 and then to Billings in February of this year.

Survivors include his wife, Kay Seavey of Billings; a sister, Ramona Puls of Hoskins, Neb.; and Kristi Miller of New Dim, Minn., and Lori Schneider of Fallbrook, Calif.

Arrangements were by Dahl Funeral Chapel.

Frederick Paul Huppert, 87, a contractor who worked with his sons building golf courses around the country, died Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012, while attending the homecoming football game at Billings Central Catholic High School, where his three sons and grandsons played football.

He was born Sept. 24, 1924, in Ismay to Fred and Mary (Foy) Huppert. He grew up in Mildred and worked on the family farm and ranch until the age of 17. His father died when he was 9 years old.

He built 30 to 40 houses in the Billings area, including the family home, before becoming a heavy earthwork contractor for residential and commercial projects. In his later years he worked with his three sons building golf courses around the country. He worked until the age of 84.

He married Josephine Marie Cunningham on June 16, 1952, at Sacred Heart Church in Miles City. He was a charter member of St. Pius X Catholic Church, a Third Degree member of Council 1259 and a Fourth Degree member of the Father Pauwleyn Assembly of the Knights of Columbus.

Survivors include his wife; a sister, Marietta Huppert of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth; children, MaryJo Gabiola of Emmett, Idaho, Fred Huppert of Billings, Greg Huppert, Celeen Woodbury of Whidbey Island, Wash., Nancy Huppert of Billings and Kevin Huppert of Billings; 10 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Continue reading: Frederick P. Huppert

Sally Georgia Grinsteiner, 64, of Billings, a certified drafter, died Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012.

She was born July 2, 1948, in Billings to Selma Elizabeth (Peterson) Grinsteiner and George Adam Klupp Jr. She graduated from West High School in 1966. She later attended vo-tech school to become a certified drafter. She had a passion for painting.

Survivors include children, Dion, Brandy Jones, Farah Moullet and Harley Moullet, and eight grandsons.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at Cremation & Funeral Gallery.

Caroline Iverson Ackerman, 94, a retired journalism professor who had been aviation editor for Life magazine, died Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012, in Billings.

She was born Caroline Emilie Iverson on March 6, 1918, in Milwaukee to Jacob Engval and Ella Dorothea (Schmidt) Iverson. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1939 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and education. She worked as a classified advertising and business feature writer at the Milwaukee Journal, then applied for free flying lessons sponsored by the U.S. government. Rejected initially because she was a woman, she was called back when the school failed to meet its quota of males. She received a pilot’s license in 1940.

After receiving certification as a Civil Aeronautics Administration Ground School instructor in the U.S. Civilian Pilot Training program, she taught at the University of Wisconsin, Carroll College and the Milwaukee School of Engineering. She also took advanced lessons in open cockpit and acrobatic flying. In 1941, she and one of her students made a flight to Alaska, a first in a 65-horsepower, two-seater airplane.

In 1942, Life magazine recruited her as an aviation researcher, developing picture stories, covering stories with photographers and writing captions. She was promoted to aviation editor at the age of 26, and continued in that position for the duration of World War II. She flew B-26, B-24 and B-17 bombers, as well as the first B-29 to come off the line in Wichita, Kan., during tours of military bases.

In 1947, she was released from her job after the soldiers returned from the war. She was hired by Shell Oil Co. in the company’s first program for public relations for women. She worked under the pseudonym “Carol Lane, Women’s Travel Director” and spoke to women’s groups about travel. She also wrote a syndicated weekly column, “Tips on Touring,” and appeared on radio and TV shows as a “travel expert.”

Continue reading: Caroline Iverson Ackerman

Benjamin “Ben” Stiffarm, “Baas Thay” (Comes Over the Hill), 85, an elder of the A Ahinin Nation of Fort Belknap, died Sept. 18, 2012, of leukemia.

He was born in Hays on July 18, 1927, to Phoebe (Bell) and Alfonses Stiffarm. He served in the Army from Aug. 16, 1945, to Jan. 22, 1947, and was honorably discharged. He married Ida Della Robideau on Nov. 7, 1951, in Butte. They had lived in Oakland, Calif., and Seattle, Wash., for more than 40 years, then moved to Spokane, Wash., for 10 years and returned to Billings in 1999.

Mr. Stiffarm graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from Evergreen State College in Washington state in 1978. He had worked for more than 50 years throughout the Pacific Northwest in leadership roles promoting the rights of American Indian people and communities.

He was a founding member of the Seattle Indian Health Board, Chief Seattle Club and United Indians of All Tribes. He supported the American Indian Movement occupation of Wounded Knee and worked with the federal and state governments and tribal nations on American Indian issues.

Survivors include his wife.

Continue reading: Benjamin ‘Ben’ Stiffarm

Ezekiel “Zeke” Alexander Foottit, just over 3 months old, died in his sleep the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 21, 2012.

He was born June 13, 2012.

Survivors include his parents, Mark and Tricia Foottit; grandparents, Mike and Patti Noble; great-grandmother, Erma Kaeding; paternal grandparents, Marcie and Steve Foottit; and great-grandmother, Hazel Foottit.

Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, at Holy Cross Cemetery. The procession will leave Cremation & Funeral Gallery at 9:30 a.m.

Donations may be made to the Ramsey Keller Memorial, 4456 Laredo Place, Billings, MT 59106, www.kisses2heaven.com, or any Yellowstone Bank branch.

Marine Corporal Humberto Bruno Two Bulls, Indian name “Cedar,” also known as Dondi and Dos Toros, 21, of the 1st Armored Reconnaissance Battalion at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, Calif., died Sept. 16, 2012.

He was born to Frankie William Two Bulls Sr. (Lorna) of Fort Smith and Kristie Delao (Shawn) of Billings on Dec. 27, 1991. He was adopted and raised by his paternal grandparents, Mary Faith Eaglefeathers Bailey and the late Robert Bailey Sr. He was raised in Busby on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.

In 2000, he moved to Billings and graduated from Senior High School in 2009. He entered the Marine Corps that same year.

Survivors include great-grandparents, Robert and Beverly McRae; grandparents, Ilo and Mark Wandering Medicine of Birney, Kathleen Belly Mule and Margaret Delao-Hager of Billings; mother, Kristy Delao; adopted brother, Joshua G. Glenn; paternal siblings, Autumn Rose Madrigal, Jamie Blaine Soseith, Brittney, Charnae, Frank Jr. and Ilene Two Bulls, Sharelle Jade and Eddy Martinez, Katlin “KK” Americanhorse and Trista Martinez Eagleman; and maternal siblings, Todeanna, Tasha and Mikayla.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, at Dahl Funeral Chapel. Burial with military honors will be in Mountview Cemetery following the service.