Grace Margaret Berberet

Grace Margaret Berberet, a seventy-year resident of the Toston area, died after an illness of several months on June 2, at the age 92. She was born in Glendive, to pioneering parents, Patrick and Jane McGovern, who moved to Montana from Minnesota to claim a homestead farm in 1910. Grace was the third child in a family of six sisters and one brother. She attended grade school and high school in Glendive and went on to receive her lifetime teaching certificate at Western Montana College in 1936. After graduation, she returned to Glendive where she was employed as a teacher until 1938.
The lure of a better paying teaching position in 1938 led her back to western Montana to teach in a one-room school in the small railroad junction town of Lombard, five miles up the Missouri River from Toston. There she met and fell in love with a dashing young Toston rancher named Bill Berberet who acted as chauffer to drive a priest up the treacherous road between Toston and Lombard for Sunday Mass. Grace and Bill were married at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Glendive on December 28, 1940, then took up residency on the Berberet ranch where they raised a family of nine children.
In addition to her family, this woman of quiet resolve and strong commitments devoted her life to servant leadership in the Catholic Church, Farm Bureau, the Republican Party, 4-H, Toston Bridge Club, garden club, and square dancing. Her remarkable energy and selfless good will in assisting others benefited countless youth, the vitality of her church and community, and the civic, religious, educational, and political life of Broadwater County, the Dioceses of Helena, and the State of Montana.
Her church activities included teaching religious education, participating in bible study, serving on the Townsend Holy Cross church council, and presiding over the Helena Deanery of the diocese. Grace served on the board that undertook the renovation of Montana’s third oldest Catholic Church, Saint Joseph of Canton near Townsend, relocated to high ground on the east side of Canyon Ferry Lake following construction of the Canyon Ferry Dam. She worked for many years with several likewise dedicated local community members to preserve this historic church in its original character.
After her marriage and the end of her career as a full-time school teacher, Grace served as the leader of a Toston 4-H Club for a number of years before the needs of her growing family forced her to turn the 4-H leader reins over to Bill. Then, in the 1980’s, Grace and Bill joined the board of the Montana 4-H Foundation where Grace served for seven years before retiring in 1996. She was inducted along with Bill into the Montana 4-H Hall of Fame in 1995. During these years the Foundation experienced highly successful fund raising drives; Grace and Bill played leadership roles in establishing the 4-H Director’s Endowment Fund. All of the Berberet children were active 4-H members.
Bill and Grace were long time members of the Montana Friendship Force citizen exchange program and traveled extensively, including visits to France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Philippines, England, Ireland and the state of Alaska. They were also lay missionaries at an isolated Indian mission in Guatemala established by the Diocese of Helena under the leadership of Rev. James Hazelton, originally from Townsend. They made five trips to Guatemala, spending several weeks each visit. Each time they brought hundreds of pounds of clothing with them for needy children and their families and returned home with large quantities of native weavings and crafts to sell to benefit the mission. In Guatemala, Grace assisted with cooking, sewing, and teaching young mothers sanitary procedures with infant children. Until her death, she continued to donate funds for scholarships for students in Guatemala.
Grace Berberet was engaged in Republican Party politics throughout her married life. Although she never ran for elected office, she actively supported party candidates in local, state, and national elections. For many years she was chair of the Broadwater County Republican party central committee and participated for a final time earlier this year in the Montana Republican party primary presidential caucus in Broadwater County.
Grace was preceded in death by her parents, brother Gerald, sister Lucille, son Steve, and grandson Luke DeMartin. Survivors include her husband Bill of Toston; sons Jerry (Cheryl) of Carroll College and San Diego, Dick (Pat) of Stillwater, Okla., and Bert of Belgrade; and daughters Jane (Bill) Peacock of Cove, Ore., Jeanni (Jerry) Balint of Jackson, Wyo., Barb (Rick) DeMartin of Toston, Meri (Bill) Bond of Newman Lake, Wash., and Trish (Ken) Vazanko of Spokane, Wash. Her commitment to education was reflected in all nine children continuing their education beyond high school, seven earning college degrees, and three earning doctorates. Five of her children attended Carroll College in Helena. She is survived by nineteen grandchildren and seven great grandchildren, as well as her sisters Elaine, Ruth, Helen and Mary all of the Glendive area.
A Rosary will be held 7:00 PM, Friday, June 6, 2008 at Holy Cross Catholic Church with Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 AM, Saturday, June 7, 2008 at Holy Cross Catholic Church. Graveside rites will be held immediately after at Holy Cross Cemetery, followed by a funeral luncheon at the Holy Cross Church social center. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Guatemalan Mission in care of the Diocese of Helena, PO Box 1729, Helena, Montana 59624. Connors Funeral Home assisted the family with the services.

Lela Strout Ultch

Lela Strout Ultch: April 16, 1918- May 19, 2008
Lela was born in Deer Park, Illinois, the only daughter of 4 children born to Grace & E.J. Strout. She grew up on a farm where her duties included keeping the water bucket full in the kitchen, cleaning the chimneys of the kerosene lamps, tending to the (corn) cob bucket for starting the cook stove fire, retrieving the ducks and geese in the evenings, and best of all, taking care of her grandfather who lived with them. She learned about diligence and hard work, small & large kindnesses, faith, and appreciation for God’s creation as she enjoyed it from day to day with her little pony Diddle. Flowers & gardening---working the soil---were life-giving to her, and she often remarked at God’s amazing power to create such wonder “all out of black dirt!”
Lela grew to the lovely lady we know, married Bud Ultch in 1940, raised 3 children on their farm-feedlot operation in Sublette, Ill., then retired to their new home on the Missouri at Townsend, in 1978. They also enjoyed a couple care-free years on a ranch working with friends at Shannon Creek, White Sulphur Springs at that time. Bud passed away in 1986 after which Lela remained in Townsend for another 10 years before moving to Big Timber to be with family there. She was a life member of the Eastern Star, much enjoyed, also demonstrated love-of-country symbolized by the flag, all it stands for. She passed away on a Monday, her family around her, entering the presence of the Lord whom she loved and honored. A funeral was held 20 May, 2008, at Big Timber Evangelical Church with friends and family celebrating some of the highlights of her life, her love of God. Any donations may be made in her name to P.O. Box 306, Big Timber, MT 59011 which will be given to that church’s building fund (flowers/landscape) and to Gideons International.
Left behind are one brother, David B. Strout (and Vi), LaSalle, Ill.; Renee Axtell, daughter, Las Cruces, N.M., and family: granddaughter Camille, great grandchildren Maddie & Gage; granddaughter Jackie (Orlando, Fla.), grandson Joshua, great granddaughter Lilly. William Ultch, son, (and Judy), Peru, Ill. and family: granddaughter Anita (and Justin), Maquon, Ill.; great grandchildren Wyatt and Ellie; grandsons Will (and Becca), Morton, Ill. and Marshall (and Lori), Detroit, Mich.. Cherrlynn Riekert, daughter, (and Roy), Big Timber, and grandson Matthew, Harbin, China. Lela also was (2nd) mom to Douglas Holman, nephew, St. Louis, Mo.; Diana Walker, niece, Austin, Texas; Barbara Arriaga, niece, Ojai, Calif.; Warren Strout, nephew, Whittier, Calif. and George Strout, nephew, Phoenix, Ariz. She sure loved her kids.
“God be with you till we meet again; by His counsels guide, up-hold you, with His sheep securely fold you; God be with you till we meet again. . . “ Did we mention, she loved to sing?

Marjorie Ruth Warren

Marjorie Ruth Warren, 90, residing in Arrowhead estates, Oklahoma, passed away at her residence Monday, June 2, 2008.
Marjorie was born on July 30, 1917 in Great Falls, Montana to Nells and Mary Jane Sparrow Enge. She grew up and attended schools in Great Falls and in 1941, she married Ira Moore, and together they had three children. Ira preceded her in death in 1976 and she later married Newell Warren in Townsend, Montana in 1980 and he preceded her in death in 1999. She was also preceded in death by a son; Clark Moore as well as three brothers and one sister.
Marjorie and Ira moved to a small farm in Vaughn, Montana with their children in 1954, Though Marjorie was a city girl she learned to love the farm. She worked at the post office in Vaughn and retired as the post mistress. She enjoyed gardening and landscaping, planting Myriad trees, flowers, and shrubs which she continued to do wherever she lived. Marjorie belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and was active in their cub scouting program when her sons were young. Marjorie and Ira were foster parents and gave loving stable environments to many youngsters who continued to keep in contact with her even after leaving her home. She was an avid reader, always reading at least two books at a time and because of this, her mind was kept active and her wit was always sharp.
Marjorie is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Robin R. and Eugene Maw of Arrowhead Estates, Oklahoma, son Jay N. Moore of Helena, Montana, brother and sister in law Kenneth and Shirley Enge of Great Falls, Montana, eight grandchildren, twelve great-grand children, one great-great grand child and numerous nieces and nephews.
As per her wishes she will be cremated. There will be no funeral service at this time but later in the summer, the family will hold a memorial service for her in Townsend.