Thomas G. Waller, 75, of Nashua died July 1, 2026, at Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital in Glasgow. Nobody loved life more than Tom Waller. His hearty laugh could be heard long before he could be seen and every day was an adventure. He was born Sept. 5, 1950, the youngest of four and was raised on a farm near Froid, where he attended and graduated from Froid Public School. A brief sojourn to Denver, Colo., and airline school convinced him to return to country life. He fed his passion for animals by raising Maine Anjou cattle and eventually black Angus. He worked summers doing road construction for various companies but mainly Prince Inc. and a man he greatly admired was John Prince of Forsyth. Hunting and fishing were more than hobbies for him. Every day was a good day to go fishing. He loved wildlife of all kinds and knew every Jeopardy question “if” that was the category. His dream of going to Alaska never materialized but one that did was living near Fort Peck Lake. The last 11 years of his life were spent on his boat, fishing with friends and family. A real “Mr. Fix It,” he was good at almost anything he set his mind to. He could fillet fish with the best of them. Cooking, canning, gardening, hunting, trapping and playing darts were some of his interests over the years. He and high school sweetheart Linda raised three children in the country life near Froid: Russ, Shauna (Fettig) and Kyle. He became ill in 2021 and was eventually diagnosed with myeloma. He fought hard with the help of a great care team at FMDH in Glasgow. He was preceded in death by his parents, Halles Waller and Mary Waller; sons, Russell Waller and Kyle Waller; sister, Donna Scheibel and brother, James Waller. He is survived by his wife, Linda of Nashua; daughter, Shauna Fettig of Laurel; two grandchildren; and sister, Sharon Harmon of Scranton, N.D. Cremation has taken place and a celebration of his outdoor way of life will be at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 31, at the Froid Community Center and inurnment will be in Homestead Cemetery.

Ruth Arbutis Yoder Howell, 104, died July 7, 2026. She was born on April 13, 1922, to Ira J and Marie (Hoar) Yoder on her parents’ farm 12 miles north of Brockton. She was the third of six children in the Yoder family. She attended grade school at the Anderson Country School and then went to Brockton public school for eighth and ninth grade. The family then moved to Poplar where she graduated high school in 1940. That fall, she went to North Central Business College in Minneapolis, Minn., graduating in the spring of 1942. After college, Ruth moved to Wolf Point and took a job in the county assessor’s o_ce. A permanent job soon opened up with Montana-Dakota Utilities, where she worked for five years. In September 1947, she married Vern M. Howell of Poplar and they lived in Poplar for the next 13 years. During this time a son, James V. Howell was born. They were very active in the Assembly of God Church where she taught Sunday school and had many fond memories of the young people in her class as well as their other friends there. In 1960, they moved to Denver, Colo., where she worked in secretarial work, retail sales and finally as offi ce manager at the Operation Blessing food and clothing bank that Vern started in Wheat Ridge, Colo. She attended Calvary Temple church for over 40 years where she sang in the choir and taught Sunday school. She and Vern were also very active in Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship. In December 2009, they moved to Billings to be closer to her youngest brother, Delmer. She was preceded in death by her son, Jim, in July 1973; and her husband, Vern, in July 2019. Also preceding her were her brothers Donald and Delmer; and sisters, Hazel Shank and Lucille Janzen. She is survived by one sister, Darlene McCormick. Graveside services were held July 16 at Hillside Cemetery in Culbertson.

Vera Jean Longee, 63, of Poplar died June 29, 2026, at the Poplar Hospital. She was born Aug. 8, 1962, to Samuel R. Longee Sr. and Patricia K. Menz in Culbertson. She grew up in Brockton, where she could be found running between her mother’s house and her grandparents’ home. She attended various elementary schools and graduated from Poplar High School in 1980. She loved to participate in volleyball while in high school. She worked various jobs throughout her life, A& S Industries, H& S Quick Stop and cook at the Poplar School, which she enjoyed the most. She attended Fort Peck Community College where she worked towards a degree in law. She married Greg Gourneau Sr. and, through this union, they had three sons, Greg Jr., Zach and Tyrone. They later divorced. She was a very active lady, hence the nickname “Beez.” She never let any obstacle stop her. She lost the ability to speak, but still served 10 years in the volunteer fire department. During this time in the fire department, she served in different officer roles and won Fireman of the Year. She loved to bake and every family gathering was required that she make her famous buns. She was very handy and had the ability to figure out a problem and fix it. She enjoyed working on different projects around the house, even if she was Shop the Classifieds!

William “Bill” Joseph Bemer, Wanagi Ob Omani Wicasta, 50, of Poplar died May 28, 2026, in Billings. There are many words to describe him — son, brother, Uncle, Coach, student, friend, world traveler, sharp dresser but, first and foremost, he was a child of God. He was born Dec. 12, 1975, to Howard and Carol Bemer, their third and last child. He grew up in Poplar until his family moved

Pam Dee Bighorn, 57, of Brockton died May 6, 2026, at her home. She was born May 31, 1968, in Phoenix, Ariz., to Maurice Sr. and Francile (Lamere) Bighorn. She joined a large family — fifth of seven at first, then eight when James was adopted. With the household consisting of five girls and three boys, she was quite responsible at a young age and could be relied on by her arthritic mother to help with the daily tasks required by such a large family. In her younger years, the family moved to California and Arizona and she attended schools in Missoula and Wisconsin Dells, Wis., (her mother’s hometown), eventually returning to her father’s hometown of Brockton. She graduated as salutatorian and a Lady Warrior from Brockton High School in 1986. She and her lifelong teammates were the first Brockton girls’ team to advance to a divisional championship game, falling one game short of making the state tournament. She worked at A& S Industries during her senior year of high school. She made lifelong friends there with her joking manner and big heart. She was loyal to both friends and family alike. She worked at B& S Quick Stop like her sisters before her. She also worked at Brockton Schools for two dierent stints — once as a cook’s helper and as teacher’s aide and coach for the elementary girls’ basketball and high school girls’ volleyball teams. She provided childcare for a year or two and then home healthcare for her cousin, Jessica Nedrud. She supervised the Boys & Girls Club in Brockton. She worked at the JDC in Poplar for several years. Eventually, she moved over to the adult correction center as a cook. She ended her working days at the American Legion in Poplar. In all these jobs, she touched lives with her generosity of time, caring and giving, and always with a bit of teasing and lots of laughter. She met Allen Buckles and they welcomed their son, Nicholas, in March 1988. A couple of years later, her son, Noah, was born, but died from SIDS in November 1990. She enjoyed many pastimes, like bingo, playing machines and, for a time, all the women gathered daily to work on jigsaw puzzles and visit. She was an avid fan of her son and nephews, nieces and grandchildren, attending many basketball, football games and track meets. She was preceded in death by her sister, Paula Bighorn; and son, Noah Vaughn Frances Bighorn. She is survived by her son, Nicholas David Bighorn of Poplar; four grandchildren; and siblings, Joleen Emerson of Brockton, Maureen Bighorn of Wisconsin, Barry Bighorn Sr. of Fort Kipp, Janice Bighorn of Wisconsin, Maurice Bighorn Jr. and James Burshia, all of Brockton; Funeral services were held Saturday, May 23, at the Brockton Cultural Center. Interment was at the Brockton Riverview Cemetery.

Leslie Deane “Deane” Flagen, 77, died April 11, 2026, at Roosevelt Medical Center in Culbertson. He was born on July 9, 1949, in Williston, N.D., to Forrest and Viola Flagen. He spent much of his childhood on the family farm just west of Froid, where he attended Froid Public Schools and graduated from Froid High School in 1967. During his school years, he enjoyed playing basketball and

Phyllis Jean Johnson, 95, of Plentywood died March 21, 2026. She was born May 14, 1930 to Leora (Fitzer) and Arthur Lester in Plentywood. Her parents' families settled near Welliver and Daleview from Indiana and Illinois in the 1910s. She was the oldest of six children and helped around the place, feeding animals and siblings, tending the farm buildings and house, gardening, cooking, canning