Marvin Wesley Penner, 82, of Williston, N.D., went to be with the Lord on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at Bethel Nursing Home in Williston, N.D. Marvin and his twin brother were born on Feb. 1, 1940, on his parent’s farm in York County, Neb., to Gehard F. and Marie (Wall) Penner. They were the youngest of five boys. He was raised on the farm and graduated from Henderson High School. After high school, he completed college at Grace College of the Bible and obtained a master of theology from Grace Seminary. He married Sue McCauley in October of 1964. Together, they raised three children. He was a loving husband and father. Marvin spent many years as a pastor, shepherding a number of small congregations in Minnesota and Montana. Not only did he enjoy sharing the good news, he also enjoyed teaching others to read it in the original Greek. Marvin also was employed as County Tax Assessor for Roosevelt County for a number of years. The irony of being a tax collector as well as a pastor was not lost on him. A couple of special events during his time of ministry include a trip to Addis Ababa Ethiopia to teach in a Bible school for a semester, as well as a trip to tour Israel to see and experience the land of Jesus. Marvin was a lifelong student of the Grace of God, a passion that culminated in the writing and publishing of a book entitled The Manifold Grace of God. Using the story of the Prodigal Son as the backdrop, he explained and expounded upon the grace that God offers to all. Marvin enjoyed listening to music and preaching in the lower German language of his childhood. He also was constantly tinkering and fixing up home/car/gadgets. Along with Sue, he enjoyed traveling to visit family and friends. Marvin is survived by his wife, Sue Penner; daughter, Michelle (Dan) Charron from Ontario; sons, Kevin (Joanne) Penner from North Dakota, Jeffrey (Akiyo) Penner from Missouri; brother, Melvin (Anita) Penner from British Columbia; grandchildren, Kaitlin, Samantha, Jessica, Rebecca, Miranda, Adande, Stephen, Ryker, Emily, Marisa and Daniel; and great-grandchild, Ariella. He was preceded in death by his parents, Gehard and Marie; and brothers, Walter, Arthur and Henry. Marvin’s funeral service was held on Monday, March 14, 2022, at 2 p.m. at the Liberty Evangelical Free Church in Williston, N.D. Pastor Brian Martin officiated. Marvin was laid to rest in Riverview Cemetery in Williston, N.D. Visitation was held at the Liberty Evangelical Free Church from 12 p.m. until service time on Monday. Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home of Williston is assisting the family. Friends may sign the register and give their condolences at www.fulkersons. com. The funeral service was livestreamed and could be viewed directly on his obituary page on Fulkerson’s website www.fulkersons.com. (Paid Obituary)

Pat Wilkinson was born Patricia (Patsy) Lou Callaghan to Walter and Fern (Brooks) Callaghan on Jan. 29, 1930, in the Barnard/Westport, S.D., area. She lived on a farm with her parents and brother, Tommy, and she enjoyed a life of fun and work with an extended family of many cousins, aunts and uncles. Her mother died when Pat was 15 while Tommy was overseas in the Navy. She lived and kept house and helped her dad with chores and field work until she graduated from high school and left for college at Mount Marty in Yankton, S.D., for several years, she returned home each summer to held her Dad. Her first teaching position was in McIntosh, S.D., followed by positions in Baker, Mont., and Glendive, Mont. While teaching in Glendive, she met and married Bruce Wilkinson, who had come home from Texas to work in the oil well service company. Shortly after their marriage, the couple moved to Wolf Point, Mont., where their first child, Tacy, was born. Since Pat was teaching in Vida and Bruce was working oil wells in that area, they moved to Vida for five years. Their second daughter, Therese, was born while they lived there. Finally, they bought a farm in northern McCone County. It was there that their last three children were born, Shaun, Kileen and Patrick. Bruce and Pat Wilkinson lived there the rest of their lives. During that time, Pat taught at Frontier, Northside and Southside Elementary Schools until she retired in 1995. After her retirement from elementary teaching, she taught education classes at Fort Peck Community College for 15 years. Pat retired in 2010 — culminating a teaching career of 54 years. Pat had a full and happy life enjoying her family, entertaining friends, and all of the farm animals and pets. She enjoyed crafts and volunteering for many community activities. She was devoted to her Catholic faith and took responsibility in all of the ministries in that church. Pat also spent several years teaching CCD in Wolf Point and the various towns where she had taught school. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bruce, in 2010; parents; and brother, Tommy. She is survived by her children, Tacy Strand, Therese Long (Doug Long), Shaun Wilkinson (Teri Wilkinson), Kileen Hagadone (Rusty Hagadone) and Patrick Wilkinson (Brandi Wilkinson); step-children, Connie Brasher and Larry Wilkinson; goddaughter, Dezi Adams; grandchildren, Erin Sabale (Vijeta Sabale), Teddi Anderson, Demi Wilkinson, Chandler Wilkinson, Nick Strand (Mahra Strand), Tyrell Wilkinson, Jordyn Wilkinson, Dalton Hagadone, Samantha Hagadone (Clay Kelsey) and Anamarie Long; and great-grandchildren, Macy Wilkinson, Camden Wilkinson, Mila Strand, Aarini Sabale and Brayleigh Kelsey. Her memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 19, at 10 a.m. at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Inurnment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery. (Paid Obituary)

Kenneth Lynn Olsen Sr., 65, of Poplar died Thursday, March 3, 2022, at his home. The son of Raquel Ann Young and Lewis Youngman Jr., he was born Sept. 4, 1956 and raised in Poplar. He was known by many who knew him because of his kind heart and crazy sense of humor. He gave many crazy nicknames. He also liked to fish, play horseshoes, play machines and, most of all, he liked attending pow-wows. If he wasn’t doing any of that, he loved music and always had big loud speakers jamming music at home or taking a cruise. He is survived by his children and grandchildren, Lynda and kids (Kendra, Gavyn and Leon), Jenny and kids, Tyson and Keli, Marlin and kids, Corvette and Maliah, Kenny Jr. and kids and his baby girl, Shoni Walking Eagle; children he raised as his own, Loudaon Ironbear and Roletta Laundreaux; two adopted sons, Loren Bighorn and Ralph Hamilton; sisters, Julia Young and Jonelle Menz White; adopted sisters, Verlynn and Wilma Longee; brothers, Robert O, Keith, Ervin Olson, Curtis and Lester Menz; and grandchildren too numerous to mention. He was preceded in death by his son, Leon Troy Olson; brother, Levi Olson; and granddaughters, Kenzley Olson and Charlynn Carpentier. His funeral was held Monday, March 14, at the Poplar Cultural Center. Interment followed at the Poplar City Cemetery. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with arrangements.

Phillip “Choya” Smoker, Jr., 43, of Frazer died Monday night, March 7, 2022, at his family home. He was born July 10, 1978, in Wolf Point to Phillip and Rosalie Smoker. He was the third of eight children. He was the only son and loved that fact. He was a middle child and, because he was the only boy, his sisters catered to him. He attended and graduated from Frazer School with honors and was the valedictorian of his class of 1996. He played many sports in his high school career and excelled at basketball. He also participated in cross country and track. In his younger years, he enjoyed hunting with his father, Phillip Sr. He danced traditional in his youth and enjoyed attending pow-wows with his family. He loved to cook and try out new recipes. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1997 but, because he developed asthma, he received a medical discharge. He attended DeVry College in Phoenix, Ariz., and majored in computer graphics science. After a year, he came home and attended college off and on at Fork Peck Community College. Before he could finish, he was in a car accident that affected him and lost use of his left arm. He was very intelligent and loved to learn new things. He would research about anything and visit about what he learned. He liked to share his knowledge. He enjoyed family gatherings and loved his family as he was happy to see them all when they’d come to visit. He had a nickname for everyone who meant something to him. He liked to joke around and make everyone laugh. He had many friends and he loved to visit with his family and friends. He would load up his friends or sisters and go for a cruise either the small town of Frazer or Wolf Point. He enjoyed his cars he would hook up his radio system and bass. He loved to listen to music. He also loved watching TV or movies with his mom. He is survived by his mother, Rosalie Smoker; and sisters, Sonya Smoker, Tiana Smoker, Sheena Smoker, Teera Smoker, Rhea Smoker and Donell Smoker. He was preceded in death with his sister, Lonell Smoker. Funeral services were held Tuesday, March 15, at the Frazer Community Hall. Interment followed at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with arrangements.

Harvey W. Kuntz, 77, of Billings, formerly of Circle, died March 5, 2022, at his home in Billings. He was born May 17, 1944, in Dickinson, N.D., to Monica and John Kuntz. He and Monica, along with their seven children, moved to Circle in 1959 to operate the Husky Station. In 1962, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the United States Navy to serve his country. A portion of his four years of service aboard the U.S.S. John W. Thomason DD-760 was spent with his brother, Squeak. Many a story has been told about their time together. Following his years of service, he returned to Circle to find employment and eventually part ownership of the Husky Station. One day, he saw Patsy walking home from the Tastee Freeze and engaged her in conversation — thus began their 52 years of wedded bliss. To this union, six children were born. When not working at the station, he and the family spent endless enjoyable hours at the lake house at Rock Creek catching “carp” and just enjoying one another. After their children graduated, he and Patsy Ann made the decision to move to Billings. He was a family man, who enjoyed spending time with his family above all else. It was very evident that his grandchildren meant the world to him and spending time with them may have been his favorite. He was a very kind-hearted man, whose inner warmth and sparkle in his eyes would make any stranger feel welcome. It’s been said that “he would talk as long as someone would listen” and maybe even beyond at times. He was preceded in death by daughters, Londa and Brenda; son, John; granddaughter, Chaela; and brothers, Leonard and Perry. He is survived by his wife, Patsy Ann of Billings; son, Travis Kuntz of Kinsey; daughters, Jennifer Sperry of Newbury Park, Calif., and Amber Massey of Katy, Texas; and son, Hunter; eight grandchildren; sisters, Toots Haynie, Bonnie Gardner and Sandee Dean; and brother, Ray Kuntz. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 2, at 12:30 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church of Circle, followed by a military burial at the Riverview Cemetery.