Gary Dean Doornek, age 60, of Livingston, Mont., and Yuma, Ariz., passed away on Jan. 11, 2024, at his home in Yuma, Ariz., surrounded by friends and family after a battle with cancer. Gary was born Dec. 17, 1963, in Wolf Point, Mont., to Myron and Alice (Good) Doornek. He was raised on the family farm south of Poplar. Gary graduated from Wolf Point High School in 1982. He owned and operated Modern Music and vending in Wolf Point for a few years, then moved to Nevada and started a landscaping business. He eventually moved to Livingston where he owned and operated Artistic Landscaping. For several years, he spent the winters in Yuma, Ariz. Gary was a member of The Sons of The American Legion Squadron # 23. He was always so generous to help individuals out. He donated lots of time and money to help out veterans and veteran functions. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, as well as spending time with friends and family. Gary was a guy that would give you the shirt off of his back to help ya out. He will be loved and missed greatly by many.

Jason Leroy “Meat” Birdtail Jr., Wambdi Inyanke, Running Eagle, 35, died Jan. 13, 2024 in Great Falls. He was born May 18, 1988 the eldest son of Faith Eagleman and Jason Birdtail Sr. He attended high school as a Wild Cat at Harlem High School, where he participated in sports and was known to love basketball. When he was younger, he traveled to many powwows with family and friends, where he was a top contender in the grass dance category, taking home first- and second-place honors. Many memories were created through family trips to powwows and ceremonies across Montana, Canada, North Dakota and South Dakota. He loved to hangout and joke around with his friends and relatives, especially his brothers, Hippo and JohnMel. He was particularly proud of his daughter Amar’e. He is survived by his daughter, Amar’e Jean Birdtail; parents, Faith (Jason Sr.) Birdtail; brothers, John Birdtail and Wallace “Hippo” Birdtail; grandparents, Emerson Birdtail Sr., Delberta Eagleman, Wallene and Maymee Bear; John and Diana Allen;

Willard Toavs, 82, died Jan. 15, 2024, in Billings. A visitation will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 25, at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point. A family graveside will take place at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 26, at the Bethel Mennonite Church Cemetery. A memorial service will follow at 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 26, at the Gospel Fellowship Church in Wolf Point. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with the arrangements.

Roseann Shields, 82, of Wolf Point died Jan. 11, 2024, in Wolf Point. She was born Aug. 20, 1941, in Poplar to Fred Shields Sr. and Frances Smith-Shields. She graduated from Poplar High School in Poplar, then went onto Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kansas, where she received her degree in business administration. She kept a journal by her bedside where she still wrote in shorthand. After she left Haskell in the mid 1960s, she started her career as a secretary at the Boeing Company airlines in southern California. In the late 1960s, she then went to Reno, Nev., where she met her husband. From that marriage, she had two sons, Michael and Kenneth Heathman. She started her new career as a black jack dealer in Reno, Nev. She was amazing