Allen Lee Bunk, 71, died Jan. 10, 2022, at Mountain View Hospital in Las Vegas, Nev. He was born in Glasgow to Henry and Lydia Bunk on May 29, 1950, the youngest of six children. Despite having been born with a heart valve defect that significantly impacted his health, his drive and work ethic allowed him to persevere and leave a lasting impression with everyone he encountered. After graduating from Nashua High School in 1968, he attended DeVry Institute in Phoenix, Ariz. His love for Montana, family and farming brought him back to Montana where he worked as a custom combiner. In Spearman, Texas, he eventually met Rita Cook. They were married on Dec. 16, 1971, and were blessed to celebrate 50 years together last month. After marrying, they returned to Montana where he worked for 17 years as a mechanic for Jim Hill at the Nashua Conoco station. He could never deny his true love for farming. He worked his family farm on the side for many years and eventually bought the family farm. After his body could no longer handle the physical demands, he retired from the farm and mechanical work and was blessed with a job at the Department of Revenue as a state real estate appraiser. He spent the next 25 years learning the ins and outs and, through his own ingenuity, he opened his own business, Appraisal Services LLC. He loved the challenge and uniqueness of this job and eventually began training and working alongside his son, Corey Bunk. He enjoyed working the long, hard hours in his so-called “retirement” and wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. He always dreamed of living in Quartzite, Ariz., when he retired. He was grateful to have spent the last five winters there and loved every minute of the warm sunshine and cherished the opportunities to add new friendships to the many lifelong friendships he had already established over the years. During their time there, he and Rita found another family of friends known as their “Quartzite family.” Together, they spent holidays, birthdays and countless hours visiting and taking trips through the desert. He had a servant’s heart and was devoted to improving the lives of the people around him and in Valley County. He was a member of the Nashua Lions Club, served two terms on the Nashua Town Council, two terms as mayor and was one of the original founding fathers of the Dry Prairie Rural Water board where he served for 20 years. He enjoyed gardening, panning for gold, rock hunting and teaching lapidary classes, but his fondest memories were of spending time with his family and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, Rita; son, Corey Bunk; daughter, Crystal Cornwell; six grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Linda Lou and Bernice Nickels; brother, Clyde, Raymond and Calvin. Due to COVID, private family services were held.

Jeffery Scott Thorpe, 58, died in his home in Culbertson Jan. 18, 2022. He was born to Edward and Idella Thorpe on May 16, 1963, in Bemidji, Minn. He lived with his parents, older brother Dana and older sister Cindy in Kelliher, Minn. He and his siblings and parents lived on a farm in Kelliher, Minn., where he was very active on the farm. He played four years football for the Kelliher Dragons in high school. He also loved to hunt, fish and was a pretty avid reader. He loved talking politics and was a WWII history buff. After he graduated high school in 1981, he went to vo-tech in Alexander, Minn., for small engine and marine. Shortly after he graduated there, he met Candy Tisland at a dance hall outside of Kelliher and the rest is history. They got married June 15, 1985, lived in Minnesota until 1989 when they moved to Kalispell, not long after their daughter and first child Tasha was born in 1988. They went fishing in Red Lake often when they first married. He taught his daughter to fish and she still loves it to this day. His son, Zachary, was born in 1993. There were a couple more moves — to Columbia Falls, then Scobey in 1994 where he started working at Nemont. In December 1996, they moved to Culbertson where he retired from Nemont Telephone Co. in June 2021. When Zach was little and in Boy Scouts, Jeff loved helping him out, especially with the box car derbies and making the cars. He loved his family and his dogs, especially Kodybug, his “little” doxie. When he was in a train accident in 2011, Kody “unofficially” became “his dog” and they did everything and went everywhere together. Zach and Jeff also shared a passion for fixing vehicles and riding their Harley Davidsons on trips together, like their recent one to South Dakota. Most weekends in the summer they were “wrenching” on things or out riding. He was really excited when his first grandchild was born in 2020. Working with a company as long as he did, he created some lifelong friendships that he truly cherished and was incredibly appreciative for. There are quite a few and they’re also like family to him. He is survived by his wife, Candy Thorpe; daughter, Tasha Thorpe; son, Zach Thorpe; granddaughter; brother, Dana Thorpe; and sister, Cindy Weigle. It was his wish to be scattered with Kodybug when the time comes in western Montana “so that they can be free together.” A memorial service was held Tuesday, Jan. 25, at Fulkerson- Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Sidney with Pastor Richard Evans officiating.

Tyra Rose Scott, 35, of Poplar died Jan. 12, 2022, at the Poplar Hospital. She was born on Dec. 22, 1986, in Poplar to Pauline Red Star and Reginald Scott. Over the years, she worked several jobs including work at the Fort Peck Tribes in the commodities center, at Fort Peck Community College as the filing clerk, at NEMHS in housekeeping, at the Tribes as a guard and cook, at the Boys and Girls Club, at Nancy’s Housekeeping and delivering food for Brockton and Fort Kipp during the summer. Her hobbies included visiting family and friends, taking country cruises with her children and listening to music. Her children are Tylisha Red Eagle and Brandon Red Star of Poplar. Her siblings are Laurel Menz, Michael Menz, Sheila Huertas, Marian Scott, Nancy Scott and Tricia Red Star. She was preceded in death by her sister, April Scott. Her funeral service was held Saturday, Jan. 22, at the Poplar Cultural Center. Interment was at the St. Ann’s Cemetery in Poplar. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel of Wolf Point was entrusted with the arrangements.