Obituaries

ST. IGNATIUS — William “Wild Bill” Whalen, 83, a long-time resident of St. Ignatius, passed away at St. Luke’s Hospital in Ronan on Feb. 26, 2023.  Bill was the second of seven children born to Charles E. Whalen and Helen E. (Duffy) Whalen on May 23, 1939, in Big Timber, Montana. The family relocated to St. Ignatius in 1948, where he attended school and graduated with the class of 1958.  This cowboy’s passion for life and love of the great outdoors, horses and hard work, took him on career adventures in long-haul trucking, construction, car sales and park management right here at one of his favorite places, which was the Bison Range National Par...

RONAN — Elton Ross Hoyt, passed away on Jan. 23, 2023, at St. Luke Hospital in Ronan. He was born on June 21, 1938, in Polson to Edward E. Hoyt and A. Blanche (Howell) Hoyt. Ross graduated from Polson High School in 1957. He was in the Montana National Guard for seven and a half years. He married Da...

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA — Gladys was born on April 8, 1931, in Polson,  to Lloyd and Magna Harris. She had a brother, Donald, who was four years her senior. Gladys grew up in Polson, graduated from high school in 1949, and attended and received her degree in Home Economics and Music from Montana State U...

CHARLO — At the “young” age of 95, our dear mother Eva Gladys Evans Bauer has joined our dad in the hereafter. Eva passed away on Feb. 9, 2023. She was born on Dec. 23,1927, in D’Aste, Montana. Joining the family of Jesse Rhodes Evans and Lila Belle Clem Evans, eventually having ten s...

POLSON — Mark Kevin Daniels was born in Dearborn, Michigan, on Oct. 14, 1958. He passed away at his home on Jan. 30, 2023, in Polson. He graduated from Forest Hills Central High School in 1976. Mark had a unique sense of humor and a kind heart.  As a young child living in Detroit, Mark showed r...

APPOLLO, PENNSYLVANIA — Longtime resident of Polson and Missoula, Jack Blaine Mercer, 77, died in Apollo, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 8, 2023, due to complications from Parkinson’s Disease. He was in the care of his beloved Roxy, with the help of the local Hospice.   Jack was born in Missoula, ...

POLSON — Kenneth Morris Newgard (Kenny/Snuse), son of Leonard and Solvay (Karlsgodt) Newgard, passed away in his home at the age of 82 on Feb. 9 from pancreatic cancer. He was under the care of his family and hospice. Ken was born on Sept. 23, 1940, in Polson. He was a third generation Newgard in Polso...

RONAN — “Jerry” Geraldine Cordier Powell, 84, of Ronan passed away peacefully in her home with her daughter holding her hand on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, ending her battle with cancer. She was born on Jan. 24, 1939, in St. Ignatius, to Charles Victor Cordier and Pearl Mary Rein Cordier. She wa...

POLSON — Dean August Sauter, age 65, passed away on Jan. 25, 2023. If you listened to local radio, you knew his voice. Dean August got you up in the morning on 750 KERR and stayed with you throughout the day on KIBG The Big 100. He was the program director for the Big 100, creating just the right mix o...

BIG ARM – Elton Ross Hoyt, age 84, passed away on Jan. 23, 2023, at St. Luke Community Hospital in Ronan. He was born on June 21, 1938, in Polson to E. Edward and A. Blanch (Howell) Hoyt.  He graduated from Polson High School in 1957. He was in the National Guard for seven and half years. He ma...