Barbara Grace Dillon was born on April 13, 1937, in Wolf Point, Mont., to Sylvester and Clyta (Cusker) Dillon, who were homesteaders in Mc-Cone County northeast of Vida. She suffered a stroke in 2017 requiring care at Faith Lutheran Home in Wolf Point, where she died at age 85 on Dec. 2, 2022. Barbara completed one year of college at Northern Montana College in Havre and three years at Montana State College, Bozeman, 195458, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in secondary education, double major in English and home economics. She was a recipient of a Harrison Award, one of 10 senior women selected for contributions to the overall life of the campus. Specifically, this would be for participation in religious activities, Presbyterian and inter-denominational, which at that time were being enriched by the newly established Foreign Club. As a member of Sigma Beta, Chi Omega, Barbara continued with alum groups and reunions, which became increasingly meaningful with each passing decade. After teaching two years at Dundee Junior High School in Illinois, Barbara received an M.A. degree in Christian education from San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Anselmo, Calif., 1960-1962. She worked in that capacity for one year at Kamehameha Schools in Honolulu, Hawaii. At Billings West High 196366, Barbara taught English and coached the competitive speech team whose state record for 64, 65, 66 was second, third and fifth. As a member of Billings Studio Theatre, Barbara played the lead in Marriage-Go-Round, with a Billings Gazette review which stated, “one of the best performance in the history of Billings Studio Theatre.” From 1966 to 1974, Barbara worked as a secretary in San Francisco, Calif., for Bechtel Corp and Scudder, Stevens & Clark. At Bechtel, she was promoted to secretarial coordinator for the refinery and chemical division during the first years of affirmative action and she trained several minority personnel. At Scudder, she was a private secretary for R.J. Dunn, a leading investment counselor, who was the chairman of the Democratic Party in San Francisco the year J.F. Kennedy was elected. Barbara returned to teaching in rural Saskatchewan, Canada, living in a community of 500 for 12 years and teaching herself to play the piano. At age 44, she retired to write. In 1987, she returned to the U.S. to live in Kalispell until 1990 when she bought a home in Billings where she became involved in political issues on a local and state level and continued to write, read, garden and walk her dog. In 2017, she suffered a stroke, resided and was cared for at Faith Home. She will be inurned at Greenwood Cemetery this summer. She is survived by her two sisters, Connie Grayson of Kalispell and Clyta Dillon (Barry) of Wolf Point and Phoenix, Ariz.; her nephews, Scott Grayson, Kalispell area and J.D. Sansaver, Los Angeles, Calif.; and niece, Mikel Sansaver (Kurokawa) of Wolf Point. She was preceded in death by both her parents and several faithful canine companions. (Paid Obituary)

Donald Edward (Curley) Marchwick, 96, passed away peacefully in Butte, Mont., at the Southwest Montana Veterans Home on Dec. 7, 2022. Fortunate to have lived his first 90 years with very few health ailments, recent years were filled with age-related conditions and, a year ago, he moved into the veterans’ home in Butte, where he received excellent continual care. The son of Peter Marchwick and Marie Tlustosch, Curley was born Oct. 13, 1926, in Culbertson, Mont., and grew up in Sidney and Culbertson. Independent from an early age, he left high school to join the U.S. Navy in July 1943, serving in the Asiatic Pacific until World War II ended. In November 1946, he completed his service and returned to Culbertson, where he worked as a truck driver for Great Northern Railroad. There, he met Grace Neikirk of Bainville. They married in Culbertson on Nov. 6, 1948. Curley and Grace embarked upon a vagabond life, moving across Montana and back again, building an active family of five children over 10 years, with each one born in a different city. When the fourth child reached school age in 1962, the family settled in Wolf Point where they spent the next 16 years. Although Curley spent some time in sales (life insurance, mobile homes) and construction, he always returned to long distance truck driving, hauling loads of grain and cattle over the open road. In Wolf Point, he was owner/ operator of the trucking firm Crown Distributors for many years while his kids completed their pre-college education in the Wolf Point school system. With the kids grown and gone, wanderlust again took over. Over the next 20+ years, Curley and Grace moved around Montana to Bozeman, Great Falls, Lincoln, East Helena, Clancy and back to East Helena. Several winters were spent in Arizona until failing health made travel difficult for Grace. After Grace passed away in 2008, Curley remained in East Helena as a home base. Somewhat of an entrepreneur, Curley used his mechanical and marketing skills to “wheel and deal” his way through a life of buying and selling vehicles, equipment and real estate, most of all enjoying the constant interactions with people, resulting in acquaintances spread over the western U.S.A. Curley shared with Grace a lifelong passion for animals, especially dogs. He was never without a couple of dogs and usually included a cat in the household. Curley was never interested in much discipline or training when it came to his dogs, always insisting their constant barking was because he had trained them to be “watch dogs.” Curley was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Grace; his brother, Eugene (Whitey); and grandson, Tanner Moe. He is survived by his five children: Terry (Ra) of Laguna Niguel, Calif., Tom (Donna) of Belgrade, Toni of Roseburg, Ore., Teresa (Scott) Neubauer of Wolf Point and Tamara Moe of Bozeman. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson. Curley is also survived by brothers, Tom of Wyoming, Jim of Bozeman, Jack of Arizona, Jerry Park of Arizona, Larry Park of Park City, Mont., and many nieces and nephews. Honoring Curley’s request, his remains along with those of Grace will be interred together next spring. No services will be held at this time. Memorials may be made to your local animal shelter. (Paid Obituary)

Constance Melvene Youpee, 15, died Thursday evening, Dec. 1, 2022, at her home in Nashua. She was born May 13, 2007, at Poplar Community Hospital to Karen Tuttle (mother) and Charles “Rocky” Youpee Sr. (father). She was born Mother’s Day that year. She attended Poplar Schools until seventh grade, then went to Circle of Nation in Wahpeton, N.D., for eighth grade. She then spent her freshman and sophomore years at Glasgow High School. She loved her family deeply and cherished every moment spent with them, along with all her friends near and far. In and out of school, her hobbies and activities she really enjoyed was driving. She was so excited and proud of herself when she got her license and any chance she got to be the driver. She also enjoyed video games, choir, playing her ukulele and school plays. She was the president of FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America) and Art Club. She had a huge love for art. She also loved animals of all kinds, but especially the family’s dogs. She is survived by her mother, Karen and Travis Tuttle; sisters, Tiona and Theada Jones, Lillian, Taini and Evette Tuttle; brothers, Charles Jr., Quentin and Lennox Youpee, and David Tuttle; and grandparents, Everett Jones, Menford Jones, Connie Fast Horse and Rose Morsette. Her funeral was held Monday, Dece. 12, at the Poplar Cultural Center. Interment followed at Fort Kipp Cemetery. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with the arrangements.