Kevin Henry Seitz died on Sunday, May 1, 2022, at his home in Culbertson. He was born in Billings on Oct. 14, 1958, to Henry Herman and Arlys Jean Seitz. He grew up in Broadview, helping with the family farm which is where his love for farming and agriculture started. He attended Northern Montana College in Havre, where he received a farm and ranch management degree as well as a business administration degree. It is also where he met Rhonda Anderson (Seitz). They started their family in Billings. After moving around for a few years, they settled in Nezperce, Idaho, where all four children grew up and graduated from Nezperce High School. His job as a soil conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Services then took him to Williston, N.D., which allowed him to pursue his passion at a higher level. He and his wife resided in Culbertson, where he lived full time until his death. He was a road warrior. He spent many years driving (or following) his four children around to various sporting activities. There were countless hours spent in the gym coaching and practicing with his children. He never missed one of their games if he could help it. He coached many of his children’s basketball teams, making an impact not only on his own children for his love of the sport, but also made a difference to so many of his children’s friends. He continued to be a mentor to the youth of his community. He led by example and was a role model to his children. He taught them how to work hard, treat people with respect, and most importantly, that family is the most important thing in life. He enjoyed many things including being a member of the Nezperce Lions Club, hunting, fishing, gardening, basketball and refereeing, but spending time with his family was what he enjoyed most. He had the gift of gab. “Stranger” was not in his vocabulary. He could strike up a conversation with anyone. He is survived by his wife, Rhonda of Culbertson/Nezperce; son, Nathan Seitz of Grangeville, Idaho; three daughters, Melissa Strerath of Lewiston, Idaho, Michelle Cannon of Moscow, Idaho, and Kelsie Seitz of Lewiston, Idaho; numerous grandchildren; brothers, Jim Seitz of Acton and Dave Seitz of Billings; and sister Trish Kellogg of Camas, Wash. He was preceded in death by his twin brother, Keith Seitz. A funeral service was held Saturday, May 7, at Smiths Billings West End Chapel.

Lyle Knudsen, 81, of Bainville, Mont., passed away on Thursday, May 5, 2022, at the Billings Clinic in Billings, Mont. Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home of Williston, N.D., is assisting the family. Friends may sign the register and give their condolences at www.fulkersons.com. Lyle’s funeral service will be held on Sunday, May 15, 2022, at 2 p.m. (MST) at the Bainville School in Bainville, Mont. Pastor Lane Vannatta will officiate. Lyle will be laid to rest in Bainville Cemetery in Bainville, Mont. Visitation will be held at the Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home Chapel in Williston on Friday, May 13, 2022, from 12 to 4 p.m. (CST) and one hour prior to the service time on Sunday. The funeral service will be livestreamed. You can view Lyle’s service directly on his obituary page on Fulkerson Stevenson’s website at www. fulkersons.com. Lyle Hartvig Knudsen was born on Feb. 20, 1941, to Hartvig and Hazel Knudsen. His father passed away when Lyle was just five years old. He was raised on the family farm just north of Bainville along with his siblings Gerald, Wayne, Naoma, Beulah and Orabelle. Faith and family helped them through those tough times. Lyle attended Bainville School and graduated in 1959. After high school, he worked as a farmhand and, in 1961, his sister Beulah introduced him to a coworker named Mary Madson. They were a perfect match and, in 1962, they were married in Ronan, Mont. They farmed north of Lanark and started a family. In that same year, Lyle joined the Montana National Guard. He was honorably discharged in 1968 with the rank of E-5. He proved to be a good role model as his three boys all joined the National Guard when they got older. In 1970, Lyle moved his family to Ronan, Mont., where he worked as a shop foreman for a Chrysler dealership. Eastern Montana called them back to Bainville in the mid ‘70s where Lyle started Knudsen Repair Center where the Welcome Stop is presently located. Lyle decided to get into the oil business in the ‘80s and started Knudsen Contract Pumping. Along with his sons, Lyle worked many years in the oilfield and also worked as a school bus mechanic and bus driver for the Bainville School. Lyle was mechanically minded and because of that

Kevin Henry Seitz died on Sunday, May 1, 2022, at his home in Culbertson. He was born in Billings on Oct. 14, 1958, to Henry Herman and Arlys Jean Seitz. He grew up in Broadview, helping with the family farm which is where his love for farming and agriculture started. He attended Northern Montana College in Havre, where he received a farm and ranch management degree as well as a business administration degree. It is also where he met Rhonda Anderson (Seitz). They started their family in Billings. After moving around for a few years, they settled in Nezperce, Idaho, where all four children grew up and graduated from Nezperce High School. His job as a soil conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Services then took him to Williston, N.D., which allowed him to pursue his passion at a higher level. He and his wife resided in Culbertson, where he lived full time until his death. He was a road warrior. He spent many years driving (or following) his four children around to various sporting activities. There were countless hours spent in the gym coaching and practicing with his children. He never missed one of their games if he could help it. He coached many of his children’s basketball teams, making an impact not only on his own children for his love of the sport, but also made a difference to so many of his children’s friends. He continued to be a mentor to the youth of his community. He led by example and was a role model to his children. He taught them how to work hard, treat people with respect, and most importantly, that family is the most important thing in life. He enjoyed many things

Shirley Wallander, 85, of Billings, previously of Froid, died Thursday, April 21, 2022, at her home. She was born Oct. 25, 1936, in Medicine Lake to Lu and Melvin Tronson. She graduated from Medicine Lake High School in 1955. On Jan. 3, 1957, she married Gregory Wallander in Sidney and they spent 65 years together. She enjoyed children, especially babies, and was a foster parent for several infants. All of her grandchildren have many fond memories of time they spent with her. She worked as a secretary/ bookkeeper for a short time, but her favorite role in life was being a homemaker. She was an excellent cook and also enjoyed her flower gardens. While living in Froid, she was a member of the Roosevelt County Library board, the Froid Womens Club and was a member of the Froid Congregational Church. She

Reuben Carl Damm passed away unexpectedly April 28, 2022. Reuben was born Nov. 1, 1939, the third of six children of Alexander and Mollie Damm. He was born at the family home near Froid, Mont., and attended Culbertson Public Schools, graduating in 1958. He served honorably as a member of the Montana National Guard while obtaining his teaching credentials and bachelor’s degree from Northern Montana College (now MSU-Northern). He taught school in Plentywood, Hysham and then Harlowton where he met Joann White whom he married in 1966. Their daughter, Anna Karenina Damm, was born in 1968 while both worked in the Granite County School District. In 1971, he completed a master’s degree in education. Beginning in 1975, Reuben worked at White Pine Sash in Missoula. In 1981, he and Joann divorced. He then met Beth Runge at the Solo Stars Square Dance group in Lolo, and they married on Oct. 30, 1982. After over a decade at White Pine, Reuben returned to UM for his special education teaching certification. In 1987, Reuben and Beth moved to Arco, Idaho, where he taught for over a decade, and they served the community as members of the Arco Baptist Church. In 2005, Reuben and Beth returned to Montana. Though retired, he did not slow down. He worked tirelessly, serving the Columbus Community Congregation UCC and the Museum of the Beartooths. He loved fishing and studying the history of Montana, and his life in Columbus offered

Robert Orene Bahls, 77, formerly of Lambert, died April 20, 2022, at the nursing home in Wibaux. Nicknamed Butch by his mother, he was born Aug. 24, 1944, in Sidney, the son of Robert and Edna (Burgess) Bahls. He was raised on a farm north of Lambert, went to a country school at 3 Buttes which is still standing today. When the weather was nice, Bobby and his sister, Elaine “Laney”, would ride horses to school. He liked old cars, trucks and telling jokes, but he especially liked John Deere tractors. He would attend many auction sales collecting tractors. He could always be found working on a John Deere. He participated in many parades either on horseback, tractors or in cars. He also enjoyed entering and driving in tractor pulls around the area. He was a member of the Culbertson Threshing Bee for many years and served as president of the association for a while. He would get on the radio Buy & Sell and advertise his tractors for sale. On Sept. 7, 1985, he married Lorean Curnutt. When he left the farm and

Amedie F. ‘Bud’ Iwen, 84, of Helena died April 4, 2022, at Touchmark in Helena. He was born March 11, 1938, in Froid to Ada and Austin Iwen, the seventh of nine children. He and his wife, Mary Helen, met at Wolf Point High School and married June 16, 1959. They had five children. He was raised in Wolf Point and graduated from Wolf Point High School in 1956. He continued his education at Jamestown College in North Dakota, transferring to Carroll College and graduating in 1960 with a B.A. degree in English. He was bureau chief at United Press International and a broadcaster on radio and TV. He was employed by Carroll College for three different positions and was a season ticket holder for both football and basketball for many years. People may remember his voice from announcing local games. He was honored to be named the Montana Sportscaster of the Year in 1964 and 1968. He finished out his career at Shodair Hospital as foundation director. He and Mary Helen are members of St. Helena Cathedral Parish and he was parish council president in 1974. Many friendships began at the cathedral and his involvement with the Helena

Carol Jean Michels went to the Lord March 22, 2022, surrounded by her husband, most of her children and grandson Tucker at St. Vincent's Hospital in Billings, Mont. Carol was born May 14, 1945, to Jens and Marie Jensen in Plentywood, Mont. She was the last of six, following Ellen, June, Johnny, Shirley and Lillian. She married Gary Ereth in January of 1961 and, together, they had Craig, Wanda, Sandra, Timothy and Tasha. They lived in many places together, including southern California, Arizona, Wyoming, western Montana and Medicine Lake before moving to Carol’s family farm west of Medicine Lake, Mont. They eventually divorced. Carol and Jeff Michels blended their families into one in the early 1990s, living together on the family farm raising their two youngest daughters, Tasha and Danielle. They were later married in March of 2011. Together, they owned C& J Automotive, where they worked together for many years. Carol was known by many for her excellent cooking due to her time working in area cafes and clubs. She also worked as a cook at Medicine Lake Schools for a time. Her kids really loved being able to see her during the day. Later, she owned Carol’s Cafe in Froid, Mont., where she shared her culinary skills with whomever was lucky enough to stumble upon it. The pizza there was very popular. We were all blessed by her love of baking cookies, cakes and breads. She had many other skills, and her family and others benefited from them. She was an accomplished seamstress, sewing many of the suits and dresses for her older sons’ and daughters’ proms, special performances and sweetheart balls, as well as chic coats for her younger daughters. She even sewed clothing for others as a way to earn extra income in the early years. Upholstery became another skill she mastered, owning an upholstery shop in Medicine Lake in the early 2000s. Carol loved flowers and planted them to enliven the outside living spaces at her country home. She especially liked visiting the area nurseries to find just the right varieties. Her artistic side found expression in painting as well. She painted landscapes and wildlife, and some of these grace the walls of her home. Mom was interested in many things, having once taken a course in small engine repair. She was a car buff and got a kick out of driving her Mustangs, of which she owned three over the years. Reading was another favorite pastime, in which she finally got to indulge in her later years. She shared her books generously and was blessed by Hope’s book shelf at the Honker Pit. Family was very important to Mom, and she took care of her own mother until it was no longer safe for her to do so. She then took a job at Sheridan Memorial Nursing Home to be close to her and continue caring for her. Carol was blessed with many grandkids and, even though she didn’t get to spend a lot of time with each of them, she loved them all. One of her grandsons, Tucker, had a close bond with his grandma. They shared a love of cars, rock music and long visits at the farm. Motor Magic was the big annual family gathering for many years. The stock car and drag races were some of her favorites. Several family members joined her and Jeff making this a time to look forward to. Concerts at the Minot State Fair were also a highlight of the year. Mom really enjoyed the rock venues, attending Def Leopard and Lynyrd Skynyrd to name a couple. Hair Nation was a favorite setting on her vehicle’s radio. Carol is survived by her loving husband, Jeff; and her children, Craig (Yong-Nam) Ereth of Minot, N.D., Wanda (Tim) Spaabeck of Fairview, Mont., Sandra (Demcy) Davidson of Detroit Lakes, Minn., Tim (Hope) Ereth of Medicine Lake, Mont., Tasha (Stephen) Roness of Medicine Lake, Mont., and Danielle (Jordan) Stratton of Williston, N.D. She was blessed with numerous grandchildren, S’Tayyarr, Zephyrique, Conan, Hezekiah, Travis, Chance, Laken, Haelee, Chelby, Oly, Tamara, Vernie, Amanda, Tristan, Kennedy, Tucker, Dayvin, Everett, Locklyn, JD, Weston, Nolyn, Ethan and Brooklyn. Great-grandchildren include Shaylene, Yelena, Bentley, Savonne, Brielle, Owen, Kingston, Kadence, Kyri, Kirby, Adyn and Hadley. One remaining sister, Shirley Rasmussen of Culbertson, also survives her. She was preceded in death by her parents, Marie and Jens; brother, John; and sisters, Ellen, June and Lillian. To plant memorial trees in memory of Carol Jean Michels, please visit https:// www.fulkersonsplentywood. com/obituary/carol-michels/ gifts?campaign=obituaryInline- gifts-textLink-obitText to visit our Sympathy Store. A memorial service will be held at the Medicine Lake Fire Hall on April 1, 2022, starting at 10 a.m. Following the memorial service, fellowship will continue at the Honker Pit. (Paid Obituary)

Marvin Oliver Barstad, 84, died Saturday, March 26, 2022. He was born June 4, 1937, in Glasgow to Ingvar and Myrtle (Paulson) Barstad. He was proud to be a lifelong resident of the Glasgow community. He fouynd Georgia Krall in Culbertson and they were married on Aug. 12, 1962, and raised three sons. He hired on with the Great Northern Railroad at the age of 17. On March 9, 2000, Conductor Barstad was authorized to discard his timetable, rule book, safety shoes, railroad watch and pager after 45 years of unblemished service with the GN, BN and BNSF railroads. He was devoted to his family and, in particular, loved cheering on his many children and grandchildren in their sports and other school activities. He enjoyed long distance running, fishing and golfing with friends. He supported the Glasgow area community through the church, Sunday morning AA group and sustainment of public fitness facilities. He is survived by his wife, Georgia; brother, Harvey; sons, Charles, Robert and Bruce; nine grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters. He was preceded in death by his brother, Milton. The family will receive friends on Sunday, April 3, from 3 until 5 p.m. at Bell Mortuary in Glasgow to share stories and celebrate his life. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, April 4, at the First Lutheran Church in Glasgow with Pastor Scott Kiehn officiating. Military honors will be presented after the service. A family burial will be held at Highland Cemetery.

Marvin Oliver Barstad, 84, died Saturday, March 26, 2022. He was born June 4, 1937, in Glasgow to Ingvar and Myrtle (Paulson) Barstad. He was proud to be a lifelong resident of the Glasgow community. He fouynd Georgia Krall in Culbertson and they were married on Aug. 12, 1962, and raised three sons. He hired on with the Great Northern Railroad at the age of 17. On March 9, 2000, Conductor Barstad was authorized to discard his timetable, rule book, safety shoes, railroad watch and pager after 45 years of unblemished service with the GN, BN and BNSF railroads. He was devoted to his family and, in particular, loved cheering on his many children and grandchildren in their sports and other school activities. He enjoyed long distance running, fishing and golfing with friends. He supported the Glasgow area community through the church, Sunday morning AA group and sustainment of public fitness facilities. He is survived by his wife, Georgia; brother, Harvey; sons, Charles, Robert and Bruce; nine grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters. He was preceded in death by his brother, Milton. The family will receive friends on Sunday, April 3, from 3 until 5 p.m. at Bell Mortuary in Glasgow to share stories and celebrate his life. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, April 4, at the First Lutheran Church in Glasgow with Pastor Scott Kiehn officiating. Military honors will be presented after the service. A family burial will be held at Highland Cemetery.