Vera Paulson, age 97, passed away on Aug. 23, 2022, at the Eastern Montana Veteran’s Home in Glendive, Mont. Vera, the fourth of six children born to Andrew and Johanna Christopherson, was born on May 7, 1925, in Poplar, Mont. She grew up on the family farm and attended Longview School through the eighth grade. She continued staying on the farm until her marriage to John Paulson on Dec. 11, 1960. Following their marriage, they made their home in Wolf Point, Mont. John worked for Roosevelt County Road Department and Vera worked at the Sherman Hotel restaurant as a waitress. John passed away in 1980 from cancer. Vera continued waitressing until retiring at the age of 70. Vera’s passion were her beautiful flowers in her yard. She welcomed friends, neighbors and family for a treat of ice cream or baked goodies. She enjoyed her many visits from nieces, nephews and all little ones as much as we all enjoyed her. Vera was preceded in death by her parents; husband, John; siblings, Olive Murphy (Vance), Irene Vraa (Orrie), Paul Christopherson, Elsie Tolan (Victor) and Russell Christopherson (Ann); nephews, Dennis Tolan and Bruce Christopherson; and niece, Karen Lavoy. She is survived by nieces, Darlene Ellertson (Rich) of Great Falls, Mont., Lenora Stephenson (Larry) of Circle, Mont., and Elaine Moen (Phil) of Havre, Mont.; nephews, Duane Vraa (Ann) of Shelby, Mont., and Darryl Tolan (Noreen) of Glendive, Mont.; niece-in-law, Peggy Tolan of Omaha, Neb.; and numerous extended families. A graveside service will be held on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, at 11 a.m. at the Greenwood Cemetery in Wolf Point. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www. stevensonandsons.com. Should friends desire, memorials may be made to a charity of one’s choice. A special thank you to the Eastern Montana Veterans Home, hospice program, medical facilities and Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home for Vera’s wonderful care. (Paid Obituary)

Hazel L. Pickthorn Toavs, 95, died July 27, 2022. She was born April 5, 1927, to Lewis and Elsie Pickthorn in Bainville. She had three brothers, Chet, Lyle, Gayle, and one sister, Gloria. She attended grade school in Bainville, then moved to Wolf Point where she met and married Frank Toavs in 1947. They had two sons, Garry and Michael. In 1949, they moved to Saint Ignatius where they ranched until retirement in 1986. On the ranch they raised cattle chickens and had a trout pond. She enjoyed gardening and had blue ribbon flower and vegetable gardens as well as orchards. On their ranch, they were self-sufficient long before being self-sufficient was cool. She was a strong Christian woman. Her faith was important to her. She was very active in the churches they attended in Saint Ignatius, Ronan, Arlee and Bigfork. ShHe was involved in women’s ministry. Most recently, she attended Adventure Church in Kalispell. After retiring from ranching, they moved to Bigfork and resided there since. After Frank’s death seven years ago, she remained in their home until recently. She was an avid reader and continued gardening and caring for her own lawn even up to this summer. She enjoyed spending time with her family, especially the “littles.” She is survived by eight grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and 21 great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her two brothers, sister, and husband, Frank.

Jeremy Keiser, “ Amáȟbiya Hokšína” (Cloud Boy), 41, of Frazer died Aug. 31, 2022. He was born in Wolf Point on Sept. 22, 1980, to Jody Fern Howard and Wilbur Fred Keiser. He grew up in Frazer, where he was raised by his great-grandparents Wilson and Josephine Jackson. They made such an impact on his life and he talked about them both years after their deaths. His great-grandfather gave him the nickname Shadow because he would follow him everywhere like a shadow. He was also known as Drake and Keiz. He was an all-star baseball player in his youth. He had the fastest pitch in the league. Any player who swung against him was struck out. No one could hit the ball when he was pitching for the Wolf Point and Glasgow leagues. His teammates looked up to him and admired him. He was also a wonderful basketball player and football player and excelled at everything he did. He would even box when he could to show off his talent. Throughout the years, hunting was his passion. He never passed up a hunting trip. He would always be seen riding around with friends and family. He worked numerous jobs, including auto mechanics, in Great Falls, Minot, N.D., and Billings, before moving back home to Frazer. After moving back to Frazer, he met Stevie McClammy whom he had baby Adaline with. They later separated, but remained friends. He spent his last years with Alexis “Lexi” Bigleggins at his special aunt/mother Brandy Long’s home. He will be remembered for his sense of humor, strength and his smile. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Jessica Rue Keiser. He is survived by his daughters, Marjorie and Adaline Keiser and Tiffany Kuglin of Great Falls; son, Jaden Thomas of Great Falls; brothers, Cory Keiser, Hoyt Keiser, Cletus Keiser, Raymond Keiser and Raymond Johnston Sr.; sisters, Mercedes Keiser and Jerzee Bigleggins; and grandparents, Susan (Henry) Laroque, Sharlene (Joseph) Beston Sr., Rosalie Smoker and Roxy MacDonald. Funeral services were held Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 11 a.m. at the Pahin Wakpa Baptist Church in Frazer. Interment was at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Frazer. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with arrangements.

Patricia (Patsy) Laudato, 81, of Penrose, Colo., passed away into the hands of her Lord on June 8, 2022, in Colorado Springs, Colo., with her husband and daughters by her side. She was preceded in death by her parents, Fremont and Marion Green; her children, Michael Laudato and Laurie Reed; and sister-in-law, Tammy Laudato. She was born to Andrew and Marion (St. Germaine) LaRoque on April 30, 1941, in Wolf Point, Mont. After the Battle of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II, Andrew was taken prisoner and died during the Bataan Death March. Patsy became the daughter of Fremont Green upon his marriage to Marion and later became a loving, older sister to Eileen, Tommy, Diane and Donna. She was kind, generous and protecting of them. She attended Immaculate Conception Grade School and Wolf Point High School. She met William Kent (Kenny) Laudato who was stationed at Glasgow Air Base and they were married on Aug. 1, 1960, at Immaculate Conception Church. They were blessed with four children, Debbie, Monica, Laurie and Michael; and her bonus daughter, Margie Messer. Patsy devoted herself to her family, moving and living in several places: Wolf Point, Mont.; Puerto Rico; Great Falls, Mont.; Niskayuna, N.Y.; Bozeman, Mont.; Cañon City, Colo.; and Penrose, Colo. In addition, she spent many summers in Yellowstone National Park. After the death of her daughter Laurie, Patsy and Kenny moved from Bozeman to Belgrade, Mont., to continue the upbringing of Laurie’s children, Kaetlin and Jarhet. They remained in Belgrade until their move to Cañon City, Colo., in August of 2020 and Penrose, Colo., in 2021. Patsy was a stay-at-home wife and mother until she became a bus driver for the Niskayuna school district where she continued to work until the family returned to their Montana roots. Patsy led a very busy life taking care of her family and others. Her faith in God sustained her, especially with the loss of two children, Michael and Laurie. She relied on our Lord during her long and painful battle with rheumatoid arthritis and during the last years of her life. She prayed and read the Bible daily, relying on God for strength. She was an excellent cook, making the most delicious Italian spaghetti sauce, savory dressing, wonderful potato salad and numerous other dishes which she prepared for many family gatherings. She was an exceptional seamstress — sewing, mending and making quilts for her family as well as others. She was a master at putting puzzles together, often adding pieces as she moved about doing other tasks. She created many lovely gifts using her extraordinary embroidery and macrame skills. She loved her family pets, especially her cat, Milo. She really enjoyed her yardwork and all her beautiful flower gardens and was looking forward to creating another beautiful yard at her new home in Penrose. She will be most remembered and missed by family and friends for her great sense of humor and contagious laugh. She is survived by her husband of almost 62 years, Kenny Laudato; daughter Debbie and her husband Will Just of Cañon City, Colo., their two children, Jonathan Rubio (Lakewood, Colo.) and Aaliyah Just (Cañon City, Colo.); daughter Monica and her husband Danny King of Santee, Calif., their two children, Jessica Dorman and husband Jacoby (Santee, Calif.), Rebecca Forrester and husband Stewart (Santee, Calif.); granddaughter Kaetlin Mayange and husband Hassan of Meridian, Idaho; grandson Jarhet Reed of Bozeman, Mont.; daughter Margie Messer of Rexford, N.Y.; sisters, Eileen Karge and husband Carl of Wolf Point, Mont., Diane DeWitt of Wolf Point, Mont., and Donna Marchwick and her husband Tom of Belgrade, Mont.; brother, Tommy Green and wife Denise of Belgrade, Mont.; brother-in-law, Clark Laudato of Sun City, Ariz.; sister-in-law, Sandy Laudato Anderson of Ballston, Spa N.Y.; and five great-grandchildren, Evelyn and Russell Dorman, Amelia Forrester, Zayla and Zahki Mayange; as well as many nieces and nephews. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. at Belgrade Christian Assembly in Belgrade, Mont., on Sept. 6, 2022. Interment of ashes will take place at 12 p.m. on Sept. 8, 2022, at Greenwood Cemetery in Wolf Point, Mont. (Paid Obituary)

Deanna Marie Youpee, 39, surrendered her life to join Jesus on Aug. 22, 2022. She was born June 1, 1983, to Burma Youpee in Poplar, Mont. Deanna was a firstborn and “sassy like her mama!” As a toddler, she would put her hands on her hips and firmly express her opinion. Deanna attended Poplar Head Start and graduated in 1988. She continued her schooling in Poplar until 1993 when, due to unfortunate circumstances, she was placed in foster care with Randy and Joy White. She lived with them on a ranch near Wolf Point, Mont., and attended school at Frontier School near Wolf Point. Later, she was homeschooled until she was enrolled in Wolf Point High School her sophomore year. She did well the next three years. Deanna was very talented in mathematics. In her senior year, her teacher said she was nearly a genius at mathematic calculations and theory. Deanna attended the Assembly of God Church in Wolf Point with her foster family. She loved worship and the “church family,” participating in youth group, acting in plays and helping with Sunday school. She took piano lessons from Betty Serdahl, who played for the worship team. Deanna played well and joined the worship team as pianist for a time. Throughout, she kept in touch with her birth mom and family. In the spring of 2002, Deanna moved to Poplar and attended Fort Peck Community College. She worked as a bookkeeper for A & S Tribal Industries. She also worked as a receptionist in a transitional living facility. While living in Poplar, she married Matthew Loves Him. They later divorced. In June of 2010, Deanna found a loving partner and husband, Delbert Red Star. They moved from Poplar to Wounded Knee, S.D., and then to Rapid City, S.D. Deanna worked at a senior center as a nurse’s aide. She and Delbert had a son, Wayne Ray Red Star, Dec 23, 2011—a delightful Christmas present! Deanna worked for The Banana Bunch Day Children’s Learning Center for several years and liked working with kids. Deanna enjoyed learning and in 2022 earned a diploma in bookkeeping and an associate degree in accounting from Western Dakota Technical College. When Deanna became ill, Delbert took care of her and her mother helped nurse her through her last days. She is survived by her husband, Delbert Ray Red Star; son, Wayne Ray Red Star; and stepdaughter, Imoni Rae Red Star. Also surviving are her mother, Burma Youpee; sister, Talissa Eder; brothers, Dustin and James Eder; foster parents, Randy and Joy White; as well as special cousin, Henry (Hank) Youpee. She was preceded in death by her grandmother Darlene Youpee. Services will be held 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 26, at the Open Bible Church of Rapid City, 2225 E Saint Patrick St, Rapid City, with burial at Mountain View Cemetery in Rapid City. (Paid Obituary)

Vernita Elaine Bear, 62, of Brockton died Aug. 20, 2022. She was born Feb. 17, 1960, to Josephine Spotted Bird and Earlwin Bear in Poplar. She was raised in Brockton, the sixth child of seven. She attended school from grade school to the 11th grade at the Brockton School. She took care of her oldest sibling, Merlin Yellow Owl, until she started her own family of five children and nine grandchildren. She also has 14 great-grandchildren in South Dakota. She loved spending time with family and friends. She also took in a son, Theo Crow, and a granddaughter, Kiera Bear, that she raised like her own. She loved music, visiting, doing crossword books and lottery tickets. She enjoyed going to church, loved cook outs and especially doing birthday parties for her family. She loved her job as a bartender at Buckhorn Bar. She is survived by five children, Melody, Merlino, Waverly, Wayan and Randen Bear; nine grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Merlin Yellow Owl, Gerald Bear Sr., Lyle Bear and Elwayne Rush; sisters, Glenda Crawford, Evelyn “Connie” Bear and Wilma Bear; grandchild, Abrielle Jackson; and great-grandchild, JR Eastman. Funeral services were held Monday, Aug. 29, at the Poplar Cultural Center. Interment followed at Fort Kipp Cemetery. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with arrangements.

Margaret Mary Leggett, , died Monday, Aug. 15, 2022. She was born May 17, 1943, to James and Vina Rose Brunelle in Poplar. She went to Catholic school and graduated from Wolf Point High School. She married Joe Leggett in Great Falls on Oct. 14, 1961. In the service, they traveled the country and were stationed in Brandywine, Va., and Colorado Springs, Colo. They moved back to Wolf Point to make their home and raise a family in 1971. She worked many jobs, including clerk at Ben Franklin and HiWay Market, waitress at the Wolf Point Cafe, The Husky Cafe and Stockman’s Cafe. For a time, she managed a VHS rental store. She (and Joe) mostly enjoyed selling their produce, baked goods and canned goods at the Wolf Point Farmers Market and at the Poplar Activity Center. She easily built friendships and people loved her homemade goodies. Many of her friends and family repeatedly told her she was underpriced on her goods. She simply (stubbornly) replied that people didn’t have much money and she wouldn’t raise her prices. She would give away anything she had, except treasured pictures. She is survived by her daughter, Thelma of Wolf Point, and her son, Joseph of Great Falls; 15 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Joseph Merle Leggett; son, Thomas Leggett; stepfather, Louis LaFloe; and sisters, Claudia Creighton and Celina Severson. Mass of Christian Burial was held on Wednesday, Aug. 24, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Inurnment was at Greenwood Cemetery in Wolf Point. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel has been entrusted with arrangements.

Joel Rae Ferguson, Tasunka Hin Hota Win (Roan Grey Horse Woman), 55, of Poplar died Aug. 15, 2022, at the Poplar Hospital. She was born at Fort Hood, La., on March 15, 1967, to Joseph and Arlene Ferguson. She grew up in Poplar and was a graduate of Poplar High School. She graduated from University of Mary Bismarck and Fort Peck Community College. She held many jobs including Fort Peck Housing, Fort Peck Tribes payroll, Tribal Express, Tande’s and A& S. She also moved to Billings and worked for the Census Bureau, Salvation Army, Transbas and many more that she enjoyed. She also helped open the cold weather shelter this past winter and was happy that she could help her people. She loved spending time with her grandchildren. She spent her last months with her son. She spent her time beading and making dancing outfits for her granddaughters. She loved to bead and sew and always gave things she got done away, hardly ever keeping or making anything for herself. She was always generous and willing to help wherever she could. She loved her Dakota ways and was always ready to go to sweat and was a big supporter of the Three Buffalo Sundance and all her nephews. She was proud to come from the Bad Temper Bear family. She met John House of Crow and enjoyed working with the cattle, going to hand game tournaments and supporting him and the Black Lodge Tigers and her adopted family she gained in Crow. She is survived by her children, Leigh Spotted Bird “Skuya” of Brockton and Grant Ferguson “Sonny” of Poplar; adopted children, Jeffery Flynn, Ashley Weston, Brennon Hajek, Ralph Renz, Robert Ferguson and Miccah Dust; numerous grandchildren; siblings, JD Ferguson of Fargo, N.D., Colleen Ferguson of Poplar, Denise, BJ, Gary, Mike and Felix Kidder, Vermae Smith, Tommy Smith, Duane Smith, Sandra Ownspipe, Stephanie Cloud, Dana Mireau, Amos Cloud Jr, Joseph Cloud, Nina Fetty, Monica Melbourne, Michelle Melbourne, Lorraine Hopkins, Ninette Hamilton, Thomasine Hamilton, Anthony Hamilton, Kelly Ann Grey Bear, Cerise Grey Bear, Mike Olson, Judith Grey Bear, and Jordan Grey Bear, Peggy, JD, Bernice and Cedric Good House Jr. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Lydia Ferguson and Loretta Kidder. Funeral services were held Wednesday, Aug. 24, at 11 a.m. at the Poplar Cultural Center. Interment was at Poplar City Cemetery. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel has been entrusted with arrangements.

Bonita Lee Miller, 74, daughter of the late Lynn and Thelma Miller, died Aug. 15, 2022, at Saint Peter’s Hospital in Helena. She was the longtime owner/ operator of Miller’s Crossing, which she and her siblings sold in 2014. She was born in Wolf Point Nov. 21, 1947. She attended Wolf Point schools, graduating from Wolf Point High School in 1965. A lover of the outdoors, the smell of hay and manure, the crisp air of a mountain meadow or a gurgling stream, she embraced a longing to commune with her natural surroundings. Until heart issues intervened, there was no adventure she was not willing to try. She loved flowers and doted on her gardens when time and health allowed. She appreciated things from her past and the past. Not really a collector, she surrounded herself with artifacts, paintings, distressed furnishing, and myriad items and curios from Montana’s historic legacy. She inherited the legendary cooking skill of her mother and grandmother. She sewed, as well, and in the past few years was designing and creating personalized quilts for family and friends. She was an avid reader and had an affinity for the stories of people. She is survived by her three children, Liane Taylor of Helena, Rod Taylor of Thornton, Colo., and Deric Miller of Helena; five grandchildren; and brothers, Rich Miller of Terry and Mick Miller of The Colony, Texas. Cremation has taken place. A farewell gathering is planned at a future date at her beloved Sheep Creek in eastern Montana, the place she called “the house at the end of the road.”