Bartel Walter “Butch” Andresen Jr., 78, of Poplar died at his home on Aug. 10, 2026. He was the son of Bartel “Barney” Andresen, who homesteaded at Poplar in 1915, and Thelma (Herting). He was born on July 28, 1948, in Wolf Point. He will be remembered always for his deep love of family and his boundless generosity. He loved sports, especially baseball, and was an avid skier his entire life. He worked for several years as a professional ski instructor at Arapahoe Basin in Colorado and at Snowbowl ski area near Missoula and was an excellent mogul skier. He was proud to have taught his nieces, nephews and friends to become expert skiers at Bridger Bowl, Showdown and Bear Paw ski areas. He began skiing while attending Montana State University in 1966 and continued skiing every winter, including this past season. He held a pass to Showdown Ski Area, where he spent the winter of 2026 doing what he loved most: skiing with his family. He attended schools in Salem, Ore., and Poplar, graduating from Poplar High School in 1966. He then earned a bachelor of science degree in animal science from Montana State University in 1970, where he was also a proud member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. He furthered his education in the graduate program at Texas A& M University, studying feedlot management. Following his studies, he returned home to the family farm in Poplar. For the next 10 years, after spring-seeding with his father, he would hit the road to run a custom-harvesting crew cutting wheat from Oklahoma to Montana. He dedicated the rest of his life to farming in the Chelsea community. For several years, he hosted student interns from Brazilian agricultural colleges, teaching them American farming practices while helping them improve their English and mechanical skills. They quickly became part of his extended family and, of course, he taught them how to ski (despite there being no ski resorts in Brazil). He had a great love for children. For many years, he supported the Christian Children's Fund to assist with education costs overseas and he was a supporter of Bigger Sky Kids in Wolf Point. Agriculture was the core of his life. He grew certified wheat seed, constantly experimented with new crops and farming methods and was a passionate proponent of conservation tillage. He was a respected guest speaker on the topic across both the U.S. and Canada. He spent many years on the Montana Certified Seed Growers Association Board, an honorary member of the Montana Seed Growers Association, the Montana State University Experiment Station Advisory Board, and the Montana State Extension Advisory Council. He was always willing to try innovative soil conservation and tillage practices, heavily inspired by his father's stories of the Depression. He was preceded in death by his brother, Galen Richard Durkin; and sisters, Leone Walter and Elyse Matejovsky. He is survived by his sister, Alice Whitmer. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Greenwood Cemetery in Wolf Point. A gathering to celebrate his life will be held in Wolf Point following the autumn harvest, with the specific date to be announced in September.

Erika A. Austin, 33, of Fort Peck died at home Friday, July 24, 2026. She was born Jan. 19, 1993, in Glasgow to Kory and Kerry Hentges. She dated Dustin Braaten and they made a home together in Fort Peck. She attended grade school in Glasgow and then the family moved to Billings. She was involved in cross-country, volleyball and basketball while in Billings. The family moved back to Glasgow where she graduated from in 2011 with high honors. She was a Glasgow Scottie cheerleader for three years and played golf for one year. She attended college at Montana State University - Billings and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 2014. She went on to get her master’s degree from Maryville University in accounting in 2021. While in Billings, she took part in the TRIO Upward Bound program through MSUB where she found her love for learning and travel. She worked hard and was proud of her work, she was employed at CHMS, P.C., Northwest Farm Credit Services, United Insurance & Realty and her most rewarding job was when she lived in Bismarck, N.D., and worked for the State of North Dakota.

Jaylen L. Country Red-Dog, 30, died July 26, 2026. He was born on Oct. 27, 1995, to Janelle RedDog and Paul Country. He attended high school, then decided it was not for him and went to get his GED in 2014. He was a hard worker; he always had a job. He worked as a flagger for several companies. One of the happiest moments of his life was when he became a dad to daughter, Sierra. He had numerous friends. He especially enjoyed visiting and hanging out with his high school friends. He enjoyed going to powwows, playing video games and listening to music. He was always down to have a good time. He is survived by his mother, Janelle RedDog of Waseka, Minn.; father, Paul Country of Lincoln,

Aaron Paul Hiller, 55, died July 4, 2026, in Lustre. He was born on April 21, 1971, at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, to Philip and Betty Hiller. As the oldest of five children born into an Air Force family, his childhood took him to many cities, including George Air Force Base and Edwards Air Force Base in California and Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico before eventually settling in Las Vegas, Nev. He earned an associate degree from New Mexico State University in Alamogordo, N.M. Throughout his life, he worked in a variety of fields, including bartending, food service, petroleum logistics management, sales and convenience store management. One of his earliest accomplishments was achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, an honor he carried with pride throughout his life. He attended Philmont Scout Ranch twice, experiences that deepened his appreciation for the outdoors and adventure. Of all his accomplishments, however, he considered being a father to his two boys his greatest blessing. He married Jennifer Rice in June 1999 at St. Joseph Husband of Mary. They had two children, Ethan Hiller in May 2000 and Noah Hiller in April 2002. He gave back to his community by coaching youth baseball and helping where he could with his church, often doing maintenance. He was baptized, confirmed and married in the Roman Catholic Church and, during the last four years of his life, found fellowship and spiritual community among the Mennonites in his Montana community. He found particular comfort in learning about Jesus Christ in the television series The Chosen, deeply connecting with its portrayal of Jesus’ compassion, forgiveness and acceptance of people just as they are. He loved the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing with his dad. He enjoyed watching movies and history documentaries, playing board games, antique shopping in search of hidden treasures and spending hours building LEGO creations with his nieces and nephews. He had a special affection for animals. Family traditions like opening Advent calendars together and celebrating Independence Day with fireworks created lasting memories that will be treasured

Carol Edna Nichols, 68, died Aug. 2, 2026 in Missoula. She was born Nov. 24, 1957, in Culbertson to Aldon and Thelma Nichols. She attended Culbertson elementary school and high school and graduated in 1976. Later in life, she was the theater director at the school. After high school, she joined the National Guard and served alongside her father for several years. She attended Northern Montana College in Havre and received a degree in business. After college, she returned to Culbertson to work for the ASCS office and eventually transferred to Bozeman and Great Falls. She retired from the USDA office in 2019. She had a prestigious 30-year career working for the government, creating bonds with all she met. When she retired, she moved to Apache Junction, Ariz., and became a snowbird traveling between Apache Junction and Great Falls. In 1984, she became a mother and found her true calling in life. Her and her daughter, Elly, were two peas in a pod. In 2008, she became a grandmother — “Maamma.” She and her grandson traveled and saw the world together.

Michael Aaron Vandall, 41, of Wolf Point died Aug. 4, 2026 in Grand Forks, N.D. He was born in Wolf Point on Oct. 15, 1983. He spent his younger years in Wolf Point attending head start before his mother moved the family to Portland, Ore. The family moved back to Wolf Point in 1992. As a child, he was the youngest sibling and would perform his spontaneous “performances”, singing, telling jokes and loving the attention he got from the entire family. He attended schools in Wolf Point, Chemawa and Riverside Indian Schools, then graduated from Kicking Horse Job Corps with his diploma and a degree in facilities management. In 2025, he attended Fort Peck Community College. Following school, he worked various jobs and was notorious for taking care of all his nieces and nephews. His passion was taking them fishing and giving all of them unconditional love. He was known as the “River Monster Assassin,” self-proclaimed, of course. He was always known for his big smile, his offers of help and kindness. He had three daughters. He met Kaytlin Nation in 2007. Not long after that, in 2008, came his first daughter, Layla Marie Vandall. Daughter Vanessa Eileen Fatih Vandall was born in 2011 and, in 201, daughter Briana Lee Vandall was born in 2023. His first grandchild is expected in September.

Ellen Louise Kant, 65, died July 28, 2026. She was born on Aug. 18, 1960, to Wilma and Max Davis. She was also deeply shaped by her grandparents, Clarence and Beatrice Dillon, whose influence remained with her throughout her life. To know Ellen was to know someone who loved fiercely, lived honestly and never hesitated to show up for the people she cared about. Whether she was lending a helping hand, making a meal, planning the details no one else thought about or simply picking up the phone for a long conversation, she had a remarkable way of making people feel loved. Her greatest gift wasn't what she accomplished. It was how she cared for others. Throughout the years, she wore many hats. She was a real estate broker, co-owner and master administrator of Hereford Hills Angus Ranch, Kant’s Karpet Inc., the Hereford Hills Country Store and later as a landman in the oil and gas industry. No matter where life took her, she met every challenge with determination, resilience and an unmatched work ethic. She wasn't afraid of hard work and never backed away from doing what needed to be done. She loved golfing, sunny afternoons by the pool, living the perfect snowbird life with friends at SunLife Resort in Mesa, Ariz., and making memories with the people she loved. She never met a gathering she couldn't make more fun, a holiday she couldn't make more special or a friend she wouldn't gladly welcome into her circle. She was wonderfully authentic. She told you exactly what she thought,

Robert John Nelsen, 81, formerly of Scobey died July 15, 2026, in Missoula. Graveside committal services with military honors will be Saturday, Aug 15, at 11 a.m. at the Daniels County Cemetery.

Robert Elsen, 85, of Wolf Point died Aug. 9, 2026, in Billings. Services will be announced at a later date pending the completion of the arrangements with Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel of Wolf Point.

Jason Darrell “Baller” Brown Sr., 46, died July 24, 2026. He was born Dec. 7, 1979, in Williston, N.D. His parents are Maizie and Arnold Young Bird and Thomas “Pudd” Brown. He was raised in Poplar and graduated from Poplar High School in 1998. He participated and excelled in basketball, cross country and track — hence receiving the nickname “Baller.” He took his sports seriously and did everything to the best of himself. He loved going hunting, and fishing with family and friends and cruising around. He attended Fort Peck Community College where he pursued and received his AAS degree in building trades. He worked in different jobs in the area including fire fighting, carpentry and with the modernization unit with the Fort Peck Housing Program. He was a happy-golucky person, always joking around, laughing and always saying hello with a big smile. He loved playing basketball with his family and friends. He made friends wherever he went. He leaves behind his daughters, Jaidee Brown from Rocky Boy, Cadence and Mya from Poplar; son,