Ruth Elaine Lund Stedtfeld was born in Lundville, Mont., on April 28, 1930. She closed the door on this side and entered the House of the Lord on March 17, 2021. Her name, Ruth, makes up a large portion of the word truth; she had a way of discerning truth in life’s matters. Including an engagement year, Ruth and her husband Dick were married for 70 years. They had four daughters, Laura, Aprille, Wendy and Alison. Laura notes that anything good that ever happened to her in her life involved her mom. Aprille remembers that when she would come to her Mom with problems, her mom would ask, “What does God have to say to you?” And then she would direct her to her relationship with God through the Word. Wendy says that her mom nurtured her faith in God and love for the church. She taught her how to enjoy avocados, make delicious meals and, by example, live a physically active life. Alison said that they watched I Dream of Jeannie together and that Mom was her best friend and always will be. She also recalled that Mom relied on a combination of her favorite Bible verses when things weren’t going well: “We lift up our hearts unto our hands unto thee O Lord, from whence cometh our help.” After high school, Ruth worked as a dental assistant in Wolf Point and later was accepted at the School of Dental Hygiene at the University of Minnesota, but marriage replaced career goals on June 1, 1952. Her personal touch made a home out of a house. She sewed many of her daughter’s dresses, made nutritious meals and decorated with style. Ruth earned a “Ph.T” (Pushing hubby Through) conferred at a special banquet at Pacific Lutheran University, where Dick graduated in 1960. Later, in 1984, she achieved a bachelor’s degree in art and literature from Wartburg College in Iowa where Dick was a professor. After retirement, they purchased a cabin in the Bear Paw Mountains near the Bible Camp where they had met in 1944. They put 21 years into restoration efforts of the cabin and then moved to Great Falls in 2008. Ruth’s eyes were a lovely blue; she liked the love song I Only Have Eyes For You and the old hymn Open Mine Eyes. Dick recalls, “A long time ago, Ruthie Lund and I became sweethearts and so it shall remain forevermore.” Memorials in Ruth’s name may be made to First Lutheran Church in Glasgow or Wolf Point. Condolences for the family may be shared online at www.OConnorFuneralHome. com. (Paid Obituary)

Kyle Welty, 50, died Aug. 18, 2020, in Loveland, Colo. He was the youngest child born to Dr. Alan Welty, DDS and Joy Welty and grew up in Corunna, Mich., on the Welty farm. He showed his first chicken in the Shiawassee County Fair at age 10 when he plucked the resident rooster from the hen house, entered him and won Grand Champion Cock. He went on to show sheep, chicken and even baked goods at the fair as both a member of 4-H and FFA. He also followed his siblings into the water, competing in swimming and holding records at Corunna High School (Class of 1988). He graduated from University of Montana with a bachelor of science in education and minor in geology. There he followed another family tradition of playing rugby with both the University of Montana Jester and the Missoula Maggots. He earned a master’s degree in geology from the Montana State University in Bozeman. He taught high school science in Wolf Point, Harrison and Rifle, Colo., before pivoting to geologist working as a mud logger for natural gas exploration. He created his own consulting company, Hollowtop Geological Services, with the motto of “If it can’t be grown, it must be mined.” His loves were his dogs and his 1959 Edsel. He hunted, skied (until his knees gave out) and bicycled. He was an avid card player of Cribbage and Euchre. He enjoyed craft beers and had a standing Wednesday night Euchre game at his favorite brewhouse, Grimm Brothers, in Loveland, Colo. He is survived by his mother, Joy; brothers, Kurt and Kris; and sister, Beth Dreyfuss.

Thomas Edward Firemoon, 58, died April 5, 2021, in Billings. He was born on July 18, 1962, in Poplar to Lyle Firemoon and Leta Fourstar Firemoon, the youngest boy of all the siblings. Throughout his childhood, his family lived in many places, but eventually settled on the Fort Peck Reservation. During his school years, he enjoyed playing basketball and had many great stories to tell about when he played. He graduated from Lustre Christian High School in 1980 and always rooted for the Lustre Lions. He worked at the A& S Industries, amongst other places, before going into the military. In 1986, he entered the United States Navy and was stationed in San Diego, Calif., serving on the USS Constellation CV 64 (“The Connie”). While aboard the aircraft carrier, he ran the ship’s store, did some cooking and would run twice a day to train for the Olympics. He did not talk much about his service because he took the military oath to heart and now has taken it to his grave. He did tell of a fire on the aircraft carrier in August 1988 that he fought alongside his shipmates. He spent three years in active duty before being honorably discharged and moved to Navy Reserve. Being a Navy veteran was one of his proudest accomplishments. In 1992, he married Marva Chapman. With this union, Buddy and Sunee were put in his life and he raised them as his own. They went on to have Sirr, Justiss and Presley. Throughout the years, he moved the family to many different cities for his jobs. This included Billings; Missoula; San Diego, Calif.; and Williston, N.D. He and Marva later divorced. He graduated with a fouryear business administration degree from University of Montana and was in the master’s program at UofM for business administration at the time of his death. He was proud of his college experience and wished to eventually get his doctorate. He worked in management and higher-level jobs at many places throughout his life, such as Trader’s State Bank in Poplar, Flying J in Billings, a temp agency in San Diego, bookkeeping for school district offices in San Diego, Williston and Poplar, assistant manager at Walmart in Williston and Miles City, counselor at Spotted Bull and other programs of the Fort Peck Tribes. Some of his enjoyments included drinking tea and coffee; playing cards, especially Rummy, or board games. He loved reading, spending time with his family, tuning into online church services every chance he got and watching the Lakers games. He enjoyed coaching basketball as well. He coached teams from ages elementary to college during his life, with the Buffalo Chasers being the last team he coached. He is survived by his children, Buddy Smith, Sunee Erickson, Sirr Firemoon, Justiss Toavs and Presley Sears; four grandchildren; sisters, Velda Stewart, Ingrid Firemoon, Lyla Law and Joy Reddig. He was preceded in death by brothers, Jr, Vincent and Dawson; and sister, Melda. Funeral services were held Monday, April 12, at the Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point. Interment followed at Greenwood Cemetery. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel of Wolf Point was entrusted with the arrangements.

Nelson Gene Grandchamp, 69, of Wolf Point died April 9, 2021, at Billings Clinic. He was born Jan. 16, 1952, in Poplar to Joseph Grandchamp and Elizabeth Johnson. He received his education in Glasgow Public Schools. He enlisted in the Marines in 1972 and was honorably discharged in 1978. He then served in the National Guard in Glasgow with the rank of an E-5 for numerous years. He married Jeffery Young and to this union Chad, Josh and Aron were born. He later married Brandy Brunckhorst and to this union Elizabeth and Ian were born. He was a “Jack of all trades”: he went to plumbing school, he ranched, worked in the oil fields in Texas and Louisiana and was a cook at various establishments. In 1996, he moved to Wolf Point. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and driving the back roads with a bottle of Black Velvet and a gun in hand in case he found his ultimate buck. On his travels, he would stop to visit family and friends. He was preceded in death by his brother, Bobby Joe; sisters, Babe, Sandy, Judy and Helen; and grandson, Liam Dolan. He is survived by his daughter, Elizabeth Dunn; sons, Chad Dolan, Josh Dolan, Aron Dolan and Ian Grandchamp; 13 grandchildren; siblings, Cheryl Packineau, Carol Seinknecht, Tina Freese and Melvin “Benny” Grandchamp. A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, April 16, at the Wolf Point Community Hall.

Leonard Dale Wettlin Jr., 50, of Wolf Point died April 1, 2021. He was born to Leonard Dale Wettlin Sr. and Deborah Louise Brunelle Wettlin on Jan. 15, 1971, in Glasgow. He enjoyed family gatherings, fishing, camping and playing guitar, but mostly he enjoyed being around his family. He often went around checking on everyone. It made him happy to know everyone was okay even if he wasn’t. He brought laughter and conversation anytime he was around. He is survived by his sister Melissa Wettlin of Dunseith, N.D.; brothers, Joshua Wettlin of San Antonio, Texas, and Nathan Lindsey of Portland, Ore., and adopted sister, Joel-Rae Ferguson of Poplar. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel of Wolf Point was entrusted with the arrangements.

Gregory Fred Hofman, 73, died Feb. 17, 2021, in Mesa, Ariz. He was born June 4, 1947, in Williston, N.D., to Fred and Dorothy Hofman of McCabe. He was baptized and confirmed in Ebenezer Lutheran Church. He attended McCabe Elementary School and attended high school in Culbertson. While in high school, he was active in FFA, played football and was on the 1965 District 2C Championship team for the Culbertson Cowboys. On April 18, 1970, he married Judy Lyseng of Froid. They celebrated their golden anniversary on April 18, 2020. He served in the Montana National Guard and retired after 21 years of service to his country. He served as the chief of police for the town of Culbertson and was the manager at Petrolane before working at Continental Grain east of Culbertson. He then worked for the State of Montana as a G.V.W. compliance officer at the Culbertson scale for more than 20 years before retiring. He was an EMT with the Culbertson ambulance service for 25 years. He was a member of the Culbertson fire department for 15 years and was involved with the Scouting program in Culbertson for over 25 years. He was an active member of the FFA alumni and drove a number of trips to the national FFA convention in Kansas City, Mo. He even served a term as the state president for the Montana FFA Alumni Association. He raised cattle and helped his children with their FFA projects at the family farm in McCabe. He also spent many years operating the game clock for Culbertson high school basketball games. He enjoyed bowling, hunting and camping with the family. He and Judy began splitting time at the farm in McCabe and Mesa, Ariz., in 2012. They made many new friends and he enjoyed playing shuffle board while escaping the cold winter weather back in Montana. He is survived by his wife, Judy; son, Fred Hofman of Norris; daughter, Terri Ann Merrill of Culbertson; sister, Cheryl Arthur of Culbertson; brothers, Dean Hofman of Worden, Ill., and Jerry Hofman of Bakersville, Calif.; four grandchildren; and one great-grandson. He was preceded in death by his son, Theodore Gregory Hofman. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 24, at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in McCabe with Pastor Greg Holler-Dinsmore officiating.

Jasmine Samone Bridges, 25, died April 7, 2021. She was bornAug. 19, 1995, in Poplar to Derek Bridges and Deanna First. As a young girl, she was very shy, but always had a smile on her face. She and her grandmother Claire made trips to Butte to see Claire’s sister Karla and mother JoAnn, and later to Rapid City, S.D., where she loved to play on the waterslide in the park. She always looked forward to going on car rides. She attended school in Poplar, where up to the second grade she had every word in every book memorized but couldn’t read. When she did learn, she loved to read and read many books. She loved to shop for make up and clothes. She loved to listen to music on her phone or CDs and had many friends whom she hung out with. She loved to come to the farm to go for a walk with Papa Donovan or just to hang out for a peaceful day. She is survived by her children, Maximus “Max,” Rion and Olivia; parents, Derek Bridges and Deanna First; sister, Kailey Bridges; and grandparents, Donovan and Claire Bridges. Viewing will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 15, at the Assembly of God Church in Poplar. Her funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 15, at the Assembly of God Church. Interment will be at the Poplar City Cemetery. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with arrangements.

Sharon Lee (Swanson) Dschaak, 65, of Wolf Point died Friday April 9, 2021. Born in Wolf Point on Sept. 18, 1955, to Eugene and Isabel Swanson, her early years set the tone for the rest of her life. She was very involved in the community, as a member of the Eastern Stars, high school athletics and working at the city pool as a lifeguard. She carried on the passions for community involvement through her adult life, being involved in both civic and the church, as well as excelling in the field of nursing, impacting many people’s lives in everything she did. While in college at North Dakota State College Williston pursuing her nursing segree, she met Eldon Dschaak. They married Aug. 9, 1975, in Wolf Point and spent the next two years briefly in Grand Forks and Worthington, N.D. From there, the calling to come back home was strong. With the birth of their first son, Christopher Michael, in 1976, they ventured back to Wolf Point where they have called home since 1977. Soon after arriving in Wolf Point, daughter Candace Lee was born in 1979 and son Chad David was born in 1983. She started her Wolf Point career working at the Faith Lutheran Home. From there, she was employed by Dr. Coyner, then Dr. Listerud before NEMHS took over the clinic. She spent her entire career helping others, holding many titles and managing different departments. From rewriting the Infectious Control and Risk Management protocols, managing Listerud’s Rural Health Clinic, managing and working as a licensed EMT, running education for NEMHS, teaching countless nurse’s aides, her love for nursing impacted many lives during her 39-year career. Her passion for healthcare and emergency services inspired her daughter Candace to become a RN and her son Christopher to be a volunteer fireman and EMT. Her passions didn't stop at work. During the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, she was heavily involved with the Jaycees, holding every office including state president. She sat on the State Board of Nursing for two terms and was appointed to an unprecedented third to fill a vacated spot. Her house was full of Pinochle and Bunco parties, and she and Eldon bowled for many years in Sunday couples league. She created stained glass masterpieces, and her gardens bloomed beautiful every year, full of vegetables and colorful flowers. Her biggest passion was food. She was an amazing cake baker and decorator, creating countless birthday, anniversary and wedding cakes. The house smelled constantly of cake baking and frosting as she worked at the kitchen table. Her children had the honor of Sharon making the cakes for not only their birthdays, but at their weddings. Home-cooked meals were her specialty, and the constant stream of food shows on TV her entertainment. Her passion for food was felt by many, but Chad followed it the most, working as a chef for many years. She was very active in the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and Choir. She sang and cantered over the years and enjoyed sharing her beautiful voice. She and Eldon made two memorable trips overseas with the church, one to Rome where she was able to sing in St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican, and the other with a group that toured India. Sharon is survived by her Husband of 45 years, Eldon, 3 children, Christopher, Candace( Matt Rock), Chad(Ren Dschaak) and 7 Grandchildren. Her funeral mass was held Tuesday, April 13, at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Wolf Point. Cremation will follow services. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with arrangements.