Rosalie Marian Pfeifer, 94, of Billings, who worked in accounting for the U.S. Civil Service for 30 years, died April 9, 2012.

She was born Feb. 18, 1918, in Huntley, and raised on the Project along with two brothers and two sisters.

After retirement, she and her sister Helen did volunteer work at St. Vincent Hospital and the Rescue Mission.

Survivors include a nephew, Russ Sherman.

Funeral Mass will be at noon Friday, April 13, at St. Patrick’s Co-Cathedral. Rite of Committal will follow in Huntley Cemetery. Michelotti-Sawyers Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

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The Rev. Kristi R. Foster, 39, chaplain at Rocky Mountain College for the past four years, died Monday, March 26, 2012, after a 10-month battle with colon cancer.

Her husband, Robert Peterson, was her primary caregiver for the nine months of their marriage.

She was born in Tiffin, Ohio, on Nov. 14, 1972, the daughter of the Rev. Dr. Joseph R. and Barbara J. Foster of Frederick, Md., and the second of four children.

She graduated from Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., where she majored in outdoor education, which led her for seven years to serve on the staff at the Frost Valley YMCA Camp in Claryville, N.Y.

She received theological training at Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Grove, Mo., and was ordained into ministry of the United Church at Grace United Church of Christ in Frederick, Md., in 2004.

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Paul Franklin Allen, 82, a golf course pro for many years, died Saturday, March 24, 2012, at his home in Billings.

He was born in Joplin, Mo., on May 6, 1929, to Silas and Hazel Allen. The family soon moved to Giant, Calif., and settled near Richmond Golf Course, where he began working as a caddy at age 10 under Pat Markovitch and, by age 13, was working behind the pro shop counter. He married Bunny (Lila) in 1950 in Reno, Nev.

Mr. Allen was drafted into the Army and served two years in the Korean War. Upon his return, he became the assistant golf and teaching pro at Richmond Country Club. From there, his career took him to Las Vegas, where he worked at the Desert Inn Country Club for Howard Capps, who became one of his mentors. During the birth of his daughter, Paula, he was giving a lesson to Jack Benny, who gave him a dozen roses.

Archie Cochrane of Billings was vacationing in Las Vegas when he met Mr. Allen and recommended him for the head pro position at Highlands Golf Club. In 1955, he became head pro at Hilands golf course. Two years later, he took the head pro position at the newly built Yellowstone Country Club. He retired in 2004.

Survivors include his wife; a son, Ron Allen; daughters, Paula Dillon and Pam Allen; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

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Leona Fryberger, 89, died Thursday, March 22, 2012, at the Billings home where she had lived for 65 years.

She was born Sept. 16, 1922, in the Joliet area to Henry Gratwohl Sr. and Katy Neibauer Gratwohl, and she graduated from Joliet High School in 1940.

During World War II she worked at the USO at Fort Lewis/McCord Field in Tacoma, Wash. There she met and eventually married Donald E. Fryberger of Akron, Ohio. They settled in Billings after the war.

She demonstrated her creativity with flower gardening, floral arranging and other crafts. She was an avid Scrabble player.

She had received care from Dr. Brian Schnitzer and his nurse.

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James “Jim” Althoff, 90, who had worked as a mechanic and truck driver, died March 25, 2012, in Billings.

He was born May 12, 1921, in Powell, Wyo., and went to school in Pompeys Pillar. His family moved to Bridger, where he worked on the family farm and on surrounding farms.

Mr. Althoff ran his own trucking company, which included hauling fuel, freight and vehicles. He married Dolores Lorraine Myervold on July 19, 1958, and lived in Billings and Bridger.

As he drove truck he became mechanically adapted to keep the trucks running and later sold the trucks to work as a mechanic. He worked at many different locations, including helping to build the Alaskan pipeline.

Mr. Althoff was a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers until his death. He retired in 1985 and lived in Bridger, and he and his wife became snowbirds.

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Hewitt A. Jamieson, 92, of Billings, who had been a federal employee for 39 years, died March 20, 2012.

He was born in Ekalaka on Jan. 15, 1920. The family moved to Powell, Wyo., in 1928. He graduated from Powell High School in 1938 and served four years during World War II in an Army Air Corps ordinance section with overseas duty in the Pacific.

He married Geneva Agee in Worland, Wyo., on Dec. 28, 1948.

He attended Carolina Business College in Charlotte, N.C., and returned to Powell to work for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. He worked for the bureau in Cody, Wyo., Casper, Wyo., Hardin, Yellowtail Dam and Huron, S.D.

In 1980, he moved to his brother’s ranch near Eden, Wyo., where he lived for three years before returning to the Powell valley.

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LaVerne Baumgartner, who was the manager of the YMCA café for many years, died Tuesday, March 27, 2012.

She had opened her home for youth activities as a member of Billings Bible Church. She also served in many areas at the Senior Service Center.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Fred Baumgartner.

Survivors include four daughters, Susan Baumgartner, Shirley Hall, Betty Sears and Christine Skelton; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 29, at Faith Evangelical Church, 3145 Sweetwater Drive in Billings. Arrangements are by Cremation & Funeral Gallery.

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Marion F. Fonner, 89, a math teacher for many years, died March 21, 2012.

She was born in Chicago, Ill., on Nov. 21, 1922, to Elsie Bush and William Felgenhauer. She received a bachelor of arts degree from Northwestern University. She married Gerald Fonner on Dec. 28, 1946.

She had lived in Jensen Cottage for 2½ years.

Survivors include sons, Bill of Abington, Pa., and Michael of Washington, Vt.; a daughter, Jerri of Billings; and six grandchildren.

Services were in Chicago on March 24. Arrangements were in the care of Dahl Funeral Chapel

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Eldon Vermandel, 82, of Billings, a longtime rancher, died Saturday, March 24, 2012.

He was born Dec. 6, 1929, in Forsyth to Lee and Hazel Vermandel. He moved to Pryor Creek in 1935 and attended Coburn school. She married Bethene Halverson on Oct. 7, 1949.

Mr. and Mrs. Vermandel worked at Pierce Packing until the spring of 1952, when the family began to help run his father’s ranch. He continued to ranch there for the remainder of his life.

He had received care from RiverStone Hospice.

Survivors include his wife; children, Keith, Kathy and Peggy; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

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Albert “Zeke” Eschler, 70, a mail carrier for 30 years, died Friday, March 16, 2012, after battling interstitial lung disease.

He was born Nov. 13, 1941, to Roy and Mary Eschler. He graduated in 1960 from Powell High School, where he excelled in basketball and track.

On Dec. 1, 1963, he married Linda Heny in Powell, Wyo.

Mr. Eschler joined the Air Force in 1960 and served for eight years. He was stationed in Clovis, N.M.; Grand Forks, N.D.; and Tampa, Fla.; and he spent one year at Cam Rahn Bay during the Vietnam War.

He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. He worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 30 years before retiring.

Continue reading: Albert Roy Eschler