James Allen Bighorn, 66, died at Saint Vincent Hospital in Billings on Sunday, May 12, 2024. He was born in Poplar on July 5, 1957, to Florence Mae Weinberger (Bighorn) and Ernest Clark Bighorn Sr. He was the baby of the family and he joined siblings Ernie, Jackie, Crystal, Sybil and Alda. He attended school in Brockton and graduated in 1976. He enlisted in the Navy in 1977 and was honorably discharged in 1982. During this time, he married Feryl Greufe and they had one son, Luke Bighorn. They eventually divorced, but remained good friends. After being honorably discharged from the Navy, he moved back to Poplar for a while and then moved to Minneapolis, Minn., where he worked for the Billy Graham organization. He worked for Billy Graham for seven years and, upon the death of his mother, Florence, he moved home to Poplar for a couple of years. He then worked as an over-the-road truck driver for Allied Van Lines and lived in Daytona, Fla., for a while. He then started his 25-year career in law enforcement. He worked for the Fort Peck Tribes as a police officer, prosecutor and DARE officer. He also worked at Rocky Boy and New Town, N.D., as a criminal investigator. At the time of his death, he was employed at the Thundering Buffalo Wellness Center as a security guard. He loved the Denver Broncos and cheered them on through the good and bad times. Throughout the years, he made his home with various family members: Maebelle Archambeau, Keith and Sunee Erickson, Iva and Ron

Gary F. Martin, 87, died May 15, 2024, at his home in Glasgow. He was born June 4, 1936, to parents Francis L. Martin and Velva Mae (Major) Martin in Williston, N.D. He was the oldest of six brothers: Robert, Thomas, Dennis, Lyle, Douglas and William. He attended Williston, N.D., schools and graduated in 1954. He was a member of the 1953 state football winning team, the 1954 state runner- up basketball team and played and excelled in American Legion Baseball. He attended Minot State College before entering the U.S. Army in 1955. He trained in Fort Chaffee, Ark., and Fort Sill, Okla., before shipping to Germany. He served in Germany until 1957 when he was called home to Williston, N.D., when his mother died at the age of 42. Six weeks later, his father died, also at age 42. At 20 years old, he was left with six younger brothers ages 18 to 18 months. He was honorably discharged at Fort Riley, Kan., in August 1957. While home for his father’s funeral, he met Judi Scarr who was a student at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn. In 1958, she began teaching in Grenora, N.D. They married in 1959. The fall of 1959, she obtained a teaching position in the Dickinson, N.D., school system. He entered Dickinson State College in 1959. He graduated from Dickinson State in 1961. He and Judi began teaching in Golva, N.D., in 1961. He was a teacher, high school principal and varsity coach. He coached the Golva Tigers to their first-ever regional basketball tournament where they were defeated by the Mandaree Warriors, the eventual state champion. In 1962, they moved to Culbertson where he taught and coached winning championships in football and basketball. In 1966, he received his master’s degree in school administration at Montana State University - Bozeman. He was named superintendent of the Culbertson School System that same year and served as their superintendent until 1972. Their daughter, Lisa Lynn (1964), and son, Robert Gary (1968), were born in Culbertson.