John Roderick Boulds, 75, of Poplar died May 17, 2026, in Poplar. He was born in Polson on Jan. 15, 1951, to Raymond and Jeanne Boulds. He was the first-born son and the third of 11 children. He grew up in Poplar and attended Poplar High School, where he played football and wrestled, graduating in 1969. He spent the next two years working construction and odd jobs in the community before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1971. He later transferred to the U.S. Navy, where he served honorably during the Vietnam era from 1971 to 1975 aboard the USS Independence (CV-62) as an AX3 aviation antisubmarine warfare technician. He received the National Defense Service Medal and the Navy Good Conduct Medal. His Atlantic Fleet service took him through the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, visiting Italy, Turkey, Greece and ports along the U.S. East Coast. During those years, he became an avid photographer and documented the many places he visited during his travels. Following his military service, he briefly attended Montana State University in Bozeman before moving to Big Sky, where he worked as a chef. He spoke proudly of his cooking and skiing days in Big Sky. After a life-altering automobile accident,he returned home to Poplar, where he worked at the family drugstore until its closing in 2007. In his later years, he took up running and competed in road races, placing first or in the top bracket for his age

Dennis Lee Erickson, 73, of Vida died May 19, 2026. He was born in Wolf Point to Kermit and Della (Sandburg) Erickson on Sept. 27, 1952. He joined two older sisters, Diana and Pauline, and they were later joined by another sister, Darla. He grew up in Vida. From an early age, his love of sports was evident. Basketball and baseball began for him during his elementary years. While he would practice and shoot around at the Vida school gym, his cousin Rocky Erickson would record play-by-play in his tape recorder. After completing his eighth-grade year at Vida Elementary, he continued his schooling at Circle High School. While in Circle, he participated in football, basketball and track. His competitiveness and his desire to do the best he could afforded him the opportunity to continue playing basketball on a college level. After graduating from high school in 1971, he went to Dawson Community College to play basketball and the next year he went on to play at Havre. In 1973, a plane crash left his dad injured, so he returned to take over the family farm. Shortly after returning, he and Marlys Gackle, his high school sweetheart, were married on Nov. 17, 1973. They began their life together in Vida and would make it their home for the 52 years that they were married. They had a son, Brady, in 1975 and a daughter, Brielle, in 1979. Over the years, time was set aside for family trips to various places around the country. He loved farming and seeing the crops grow. He kept a close eye on their progress and would often drive around to check on them. He was joined in farming by Brady full time after he graduated from college. He still made time for sports. He coached Vida basketball teams, participated in softball and drove the Circle bus for athletic and extracurricular events. Cheering for his own children as they competed and eventually supporting his grandchildren in all their endeavors brought a new meaning to his love of sports and school activities. He enjoyed following the