Obituaries

BEND, OREGON — Noted master bead artist, Donna Henderson, passed in Bend, Oregon. She was born in Burlingame, California, June 24, 1959, lived her early years in the Bay Area, and later lived in Los Alamitos, California. She moved to Polson when her parents, James A. Shaffer, Jr. and Frances A. Shaffer relocated to Montana with the family. In Polson Donna attended local schools. She worked on the ship, the Retta Mary, in the summers. It was there she met her husband, James Henderson. Following the death of her mother, she moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, where she attended school and worked, eventually returning to Polson for her wedding with Jim. She studied photography at Northern Ar...

POLSON — Edmond Joseph Violette (Ed) passed away on Aug. 12, 2021, at the age of 90. Ed was born in Deer Lodge on Sept. 25, 1930. He was the youngest of five children. He had three brothers, Sherman, Glenn and Jim and his sister, Iris.  He married Gloria Johnson in Polson in 1950 starting a 66-...

PLAINS — Lifelong local rancher Richard Beller, born on Oct. 18, 1924, in Seattle, Washington, passed away peacefully at home in Plains on Aug. 15, 2021, at age 96.  Richard was born weighing 3 pounds, 13 ounces, in Seattle , Washington, given little chance of survival. He was relinquished by h...

POLSON — Sarah Joan Shortman–Buckman, age 41, left our lives peacefully on Saturday, July 3, 2021, at St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson. She was born on Dec. 23, 1979, at Fort Belknap Hospital in Harlem, Montana, to Glen and Jolene (Shortman) Buckman. Our Sarah began her life in her family&r...

POLSON — Margaret Elaine Hanson of Polson, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Aug. 19, 2021, at Polson Health and Rehabilitation Center. She was born on Oct. 15, 1940, to Walter and Delma (Brott) Zimmerman in Beatrice, Nebraska, grew up on a farm near Jansen, Nebraska, and graduated from Fa...

RONAN — Preston Wayne (PD) Henifin passed on July 30, 2021, in Ronan. He was born on Dec. 31, 1976, at Madigan Army Medical Center in Fort Lewis, Washington. He is survived by the love of his life, his wife Tamara Rae (Camel) Henifin. His is also survived by his parents, Wayne Boyd and Mindy Kay (Rhoad...

RONAN — It is with great sadness that the family of Jack Howard Bishop announces his passing on May 27, 2020, at the age of 81. In 1938 he was born in Oakland, California, to Howard and Dorothy Bishop. Jack became a big brother to Sister Nancy in 1945. Jack served in the U.S. Air Force from 1956-1960. ...

JUDITH GAP — Geoffrey Paul Smith was born in Havre, on July 22, 1959, to the Reverend Warren Paul Smith and Marjorie S. (Smith) Smith. He passed away at his home in Judith Gap on July 31, 2021. Geoff attended Western Montana College in Dillon, earned a teaching degree, and taught from 1986 through 2019...

ST. IGNATUS — Ryan Paul O’Brien, “Ta Mahpiya Magazu” (His Rain Cloud), left this world to be with his creator, family, and friends on Tuesday, July 27, 2021. Ryan was born on March 1, 1984, in Williston, North Dakota, to Shannon O’Brien Murphy. Ryan loved life but more than a...

RONAN — Allen W. Swalling, 84, passed away Aug. 8, 2021, at St. Patrick Hospital, following a long battle with kidney failure and multiple other medical issues. His daughter and son-in-law were at his side. He was born on Dec. 20, 1936, to Oscar and Verna Engle Swalling in Charlo. He graduated as sa...