Marvilla Bernadette Stewart-Dawes, “Baalashdeesh” (The Caring One), 63, died Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012.

She was born in Billings on Dec. 26, 1948, to Marvin Stewart Sr. and Sylvia Turnsplenty Gone. She was raised by her late grandparents, Ralph and Rose Turnsplenty Sr.

She was married to the late Claude “Sonny” Dawes Jr., and they had a daughter, Courtney Faith. They made their home in Pryor along with her oldest son, Marvin Woodrow “Woody” Stewart.

Larry Liptac, 74, a sales manager for a chemical company and former owner of Mountain View Supply, died Aug. 16, 2012.

He was born in Spokane, Wash., on Nov. 4, 1937, to Andreas and Verna Liptac. He graduated from North Central High School in 1955 where he was a member of the student council and the football team. He earned a bachelor of science degree in agronomy from Washington State College in 1960. In 1957, he married Joyce Marie Schaub.

After college, Mr. Liptac started as a field representative for chemical companies in the agricultural field. In 1965 he went to work for Velsicol Chemical Corp., where stops included Singapore (sales manager southeast Asia), Toronto (sales manager Canada) and corporate headquarters in Chicago (sales manager of North America).

The family moved to the Billings area in 1976. In 1985, Mr. and Mrs. Liptac bought Mountain View Supply, selling bar and restaurant supplies with partners Stan and Louella Wilson. They remained there until retirement in 2002.

Mr. Liptac coached baseball and hockey teams and was an accomplished wood worker. He restored and drove antique cars and planned tours. Mr. and Mrs. Liptac were members of Goggles and Dusters, Model A Club and the V8 Club. He drove his Model A in many Christmas parades. He was a member of the Elks Club.

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Kenneth Howard Mueller, 72, who had been associate medical examiner for the state of Montana for 30 years, died early Tuesday morning, Aug. 14, 2012, at St. Vincent Healthcare of cardiac arrest.

He was born March 27, 1940, in Harvey, Ill., the eldest son of Walde H. Mueller and Joann Rohrschneider, both of Hustisford, Wis. He graduated from Hustisford (Wis.) High School in 1957 and earned a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Carroll College of Waukesha, Wis., in 1961. He graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1965.

His early post-graduate medical training was in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, but he switched to laboratory medicine, eventually spending much of his time in forensic medicine and pathology.

He served as a medical officer in the Air Force, including a tour as an exchange officer with the Institute of Pathology and Tropical Medicine in Bucks, United Kingdom.

Upon returning to the United States, he studied forensic pathology at the Office of the Medical Examiner of Maryland in Baltimore and the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. After moving to Montana in 1980, he transferred to the Naval Reserve in Billings and eventually Seattle, Wash. He retired from the Navy with the rank of captain.

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Donn Marlin Alexander, 83, of Billings, who was retired from Big West Oil Co., died Monday, Aug. 20, 2012.

He was born Dec. 20, 1928, and raised on the Hi-Line around the Kevin-Oilmont area. He retired from Big West Oil Co. after 23 years.

He had served as a SeaBee in the Navy stationed at Guam.

Survivors include two sons, Robbyn and Derek Alexander, and their families.

Services were Aug. 5 at Cremation & Funeral Gallery.

James Edward Jensvold, 68, who worked at the Colstrip mine for more than 25 years, died Friday, Aug. 10, 2012, at his home in Billings.

The son of Alvin and Emelie Eliasson Jensvold, he was born Jan. 4, 1944, in Portland, Ore., days before his father shipped out to the Pacific during World War II.

He spent his early years on a small farm in Riverside, south of Roundup. He spent school years in Richland, Wash., where he was a Boy Scout and paperboy. He won a trip to Disneyland for signing up a record number of new subscribers to The Oregonian.

In high school he was active in the Future Farmers of America. He graduated from Columbia High School in Richland in 1962.

He attended Columbia Basin College and served in the Marines at Camp Pendleton during the Vietnam War. He worked on construction projects along the West Coast before returning to Montana, where he worked as a large equipment operator at Colstrip mine.

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Dennis “Dave” A. Davis, 57, died of cancer on Monday, Aug. 13, 2012.

Survivors include his wife, Carol; sons, David and Troy; a daughter, Jennifer; three sisters; a brother; and five grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at Tiny’s Tavern at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16.

Cremation has taken place. Michelotti-Sawyers Mortuary has charge of arrangements.

Teresa Delores Brown, 50, died in Henderson, Nev., on July 18, 2012.

She was born in Pendleton, Ore., on Feb. 10, 1962.

Survivors include her mother, Therese Krueger; brothers, Gil, Michael, Steven and Cecil Brown; children, Joshua and Jeremy; and two grandchildren.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, at Cremation & Funeral Gallery.

Daniel McCormack, 58, who worked in the food service industry, wrote songs and played guitar, died Monday, Aug. 6, 2012, of a debilitating illness.

He was born Sept. 17, 1953, in Chicago, Ill., to Archie and Carol (Ackerman) McCormack. As a young adult, he embarked on a long hike up the California coast with friends. He had spent time in Taiwan and England and also had lived in North and South Carolina.

He worked mostly in the food service industry, ending his career at McCormick Café when his illness forced him to give up working. He spent much of his time writing song lyrics and playing his guitar.

Survivors include sisters, Karen Boggio and Kathi Schweigert.

At his request, no services were held. Arrangements were by Cremation & Funeral Gallery.

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Kathleen Mildred Simenson, 82, of Billings, a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012.

She was born Sept. 6, 1929, in Savage to Otto and Mary Lange. She married Curt Simenson in 1949. She was involved in crafts, especially ceramics, and in later years volunteered through the Foster Grandparents program, where she aided the youth of Bench Elementary School and Even Start.

Survivors include sisters, Norma, Shirley and Eileen; a brother, Marvin; and children, Carol Angel, Chrys Crouse, Kaye Dell Shepard and Kevin Simenson.

Services were Aug. 13 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1000 Wicks Lane in Billings. Arrangements were by Cremation & Funeral Gallery.

Meldora Legard, 93, who was involved with the family farm, died Dec. 8, 2012, at St. John’s Transitional Care Center in Billings.

She was born in 1918, the third of eight children born to Gustav and Ansoph Skurdal. She attended schools in Belmont and Lavina and Business College in Billings.

She married Almond Legard in 1939 in Red Lodge. She worked in the family business of raising wheat, oats and barley. She also had a large garden and canned vegetables and raised fish, dogs, chickens and mink.

For the last five years, she had lived at Highgate Senior Living in Billings.

Survivors include sons, Thomas Legard and Gerald Legard; a daughter, Linda Brooks; eight grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Arclista Marick.

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