Trace Louis Hilburn, four, of Sidney died June 19, 2020. He was born four weeks early on May 4, 2016, in Miles City to parents Trey and Kayla (Mindt) Hilburn. He joined three older brothers, Aaron, Nathan, and Konnar. Being the fourth of five boys, he grew up tough. From the day he was born, he had a mind of his own. Even though he knew how to walk by the age of eight months, he absolutely refused and chose to bear crawl until he was 1½ years old. He was such a charmer, always giving people compliments. He loved his family and had a special place in his heart for his grandparents. When visiting Grandma Carrie and Papa Eddie in Fort Peck, he found terrorizing the minnows in the tank so exciting. He also could be found sneaking into the Lakeridge store convincing his grandparents, aunts, and uncles that he really needed a Zinger, even if that meant denying his parents’ wishes. He treasured fishing the Missouri River with Papa Marty even if all they caught were memories. Moments with Grandma Tina were spent outdoors in the garden, watering flowers or going inside to bake cookies or read books. Hunting, fishing and t-ball were always at the top of his list of favorite activities. He was a mischievous, goofy, sweet little boy who enjoyed life and lit up any room he entered. He attended preschool at Heart Prints & Hand Prints Preschool. He took his learning very seriously, always quizzing to make sure his family was paying attention to what he was teaching them. He had big dreams to accomplish and was set on becoming a doctor. Some of his most cherished toys were his anatomy toys and pretend doctor kit. He is survived by his parents, Trey and Kayla Hilburn; brothers, Aaron, Nathan, Konnar and Tatum; grandparents, Eddie and Carrie Mindt and Marty and Tina Strauser; great-grandparents, Larry and Sharon Mindt, Denise Herman, Don and Margret Ligon. Services were held Friday, June 26, at the Richland County Fairgrounds Event Center in Sidney. Burial was in the Lambert Cemetery in Lambert.

Robert “Bucky” Wesley Charette, 54, of Billings, died June 21, 2020. He was born Jan. 8, 1966, to Alfred and Roberta Charette. He graduated with honors in 1984 from Wolf Point High School. He graduated with an associates degree in automotive technology in 1994 from Billings Vocational Technical Center. He was married to Pear Buckles from 1984 to 1990 and to Elizabeth King from 1990 to 2002. He was employed at Grain Craft as an assistant miller from Jan. 11, 2005, until his death. He had a love for Akitas, fixing cars, helping others and finding deals. He also loved spending time with friends and family, especially his grandchildren, and always looked forward to camping and fishing in Forsythand traveling to concerts. He is survived by brother, Mark Charette; children, Karri Mattick, Austin King and Tawny King; and nine grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Shyleigh Christian. Services were held June 27 in Billings.

Mary Joan “Jo” Bryan, age 89, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of June 27, 2020, in Wolf Point, Mont. Born in St. Joseph, Mo., to Hugh and Marion Whitten on May 9, 1931, Jo spent her younger years traveling with her family as her father’s job as an engineer for the Great Northern Railroad frequently moved them to various places. When Jo turned 11, she was excited to become a big sister to her brother Russ. Jo graduated from Jamestown College in North Dakota with a degree in English. It was during her school years at Jamestown that she was fortunate enough to meet the love of her life, Keith Bryan. Keith and Jo married on March 5, 1951, and went on to raise four children together in their small, cherished town of Wolf Point, Mont. Jo was eager to share that Wolf Point was the first town she lived in for more than two consecutive years. She went on to make Wolf Point her home for 69 years. Jo dedicated her time to raising her children and serving her community. Together, Keith and Jo ran the successful family business of Bryan’s department store. Never one to shy away from a challenge or an opportunity, Jo supported Keith in many successful business ventures throughout their marriage. When their children were old enough to work, Jo and Keith purchased an A& W Root Beer franchise and hired their kids and other local high school students as car hops, cooks, and more. Jo loved to share stories of how the A& W Root Beer was made and the time it took to get the flavor “just right.” Jo was a member of many community organizations and humbly gave back to residents of Wolf Point each and every day. She was a long standing member of Eastern Star, served as the Presbyterian Church secretary for many years, and also served as the secretary for the Riverview Home for children when it was first established. Jo was a strong supporter of the Al Bedoo temple and stood proudly by Keith when he served as Potentate in 1980. Jo enjoyed entertaining and having gatherings in her home and community. She loved cooking and always had a new recipe to share. Her grandchildren will never forget her famous Swedish meatballs at Christmas time that were sent frozen in coffee cans through the mail to their homes. Though she could never tell you the exact recipe, we know they tasted so good because they were made with love. Jo never let bad grammar go uncorrected, or elbows to be on the table at dinner time and knew that good manners were a necessity in life. She could always be found playing cards with anyone who would challenge her to a game. She especially loved playing Bridge and always encouraged playing for money. She was eager to teach new card players the tricks of the games and to help them to learn to play strategically. She would then laugh and encourage another game after she beat you at cards again. After retirement, Jo spent many days on the lake at their home on Fort Peck Lake and enjoyed time at the beach in Mexico and Oceanside, Calif. Jo was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 69 years, Keith Bryan; her parents, Hugh and Marion Whitten; and treasured son-in-law, Jerry Fossen. Survivors include her four children, Mike (Shelley) of Glasgow, Mont., George of Denver, Colo., Jan of Wolf Point, Mont., and Laura Fossen of Whitewood, S.D.; along with six adored grandchildren, Kenny (Sara) Bryan of Glasgow, Mont., Keith (Abby) Higgins of Wolf Point, Mont., Jessica Robles of Wolf Point Mont., Todd Fossen of Spearfish, S.D., Sandra (Patrick) Cass of Sturgis, S.D., and Bryana (Nick) Marsicano of Cañon City, Colo.; seven great-grandchildren Matthew Bryan, Archer Higgins, Mia Thomas, EmmahLeigh and Owen Cass and Avery and Reese Marsicano. Jo is also survived by her brother, Russ Whitten of Tucson, Ariz.; and seven loving nieces. (Paid Obituary)

Leon G. Merculieff, 48, died June 24, 2020, in Poplar. He was born Nov. 19, 1971 to Barbara Joyce Merculieff and Gerald Hollow in Poplar. He grew up in Poplar and Ashland. He enjoyed being outdoors with friends and family. He did odd jobs around town. He is survived by one son, Gerald Merculieff of Billings; sisters, Loya Wind (WarClub), Angela WarClub of Minnesota and Jo Hollow of North Dakota; three brothers, Virgil Merculieff of Poplar, Michael Hollow of North Dakota and Stacy Redditt of South Dakota. Funeral services were held Monday, June 29, at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point. Interment was at St. Ann’s Cemetery. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was in charge of the arrangements.

Olivia Marie Longtree “Wasté Hehaka Wiya” (Good Elk Woman), 44, died June 23, 2020. She was born June 30, 1975, to Robert Longtree and Sherry (TurningBear) Longtree in Poplar. She grew up in Poplar where she attended elementary, middle and high school. She graduated from Flandreau Indian School in 1995. Throughout life, she made big impacts on the lives she touched and, in return, she made many friends. When she wasn’t watching her little brother, she loved to draw, hang with friends, listen to music and drive around. She loved to jingle dress and hit the powwow trails. She loved to make everyone laugh and smile. She was kind, considerate, helpful, caring and giving and had a great sense of humor. She is survived by her mother, Sherry Longtree; brother, Christopher Longtree; and sister, Christina Longtree. She was preceded in death by her brother, Robert Longtree Jr. Funeral services were held Monday, June 29, at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point. Interment was at St. Ann’s Cemetery.

Karen 'Preppie' Lee Turner, 67, died Wednesday, June 24, 2020. She was born Aug. 25, 1952, in Jordan, the second child to Fritz and Lura Turner. She attended grade school in Jordan and attended high school at Mount Ellis for the last two years, graduating in 1970. She worked for several years in Jordan at the hospital before moving to Livingston. She worked at the hospital there until being diagnosed with MS. She moved to Wolf Point in July 1989. She then went on to work for the schools, Youth Dynamics, MD's and NEMHS as a pharmacy tech. One of the milestones in her life was being certified as a pharmacy tech. She was so excited, proud and enjoyed the work. She later moved to Billings to assisted living until her death. Her love for everyone was evident and she never met a stranger, but nothing shone brighter than her love of her family. Her nieces and nephews were much loved by her, as well as any child who was fortunate enough to have met her. She is survived by brothers, Lynn Turner of Bay City, Texas, Darryl Turner of Jordan, Lee and Dee Turner, both of Wolf Point. A memorial service was held Wednesday, July 1, at 2 p.m. at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel. A reception followed at Harry’s Nite Club, south of Wolf Point. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was in charge of the arrangements.

Lloyd Edward Fleming, 86, of Nashua, died Saturday, June 20, 2020, in Billings. He was born Dec. 14, 1933, in Rockhill-Orbisonia, Pa., to Clarence and Adaline Rogers. He received his early education at Rockhill Elementary School, graduated from Orbisonia High School and attended Texas A& M. He married Edna Storkson on Aug. 2, 1959, at the First Lutheran Church in Glasgow. The couple made their home throughout the U.S., since they moved where he was stationed by the Air Force. He enjoyed his time in the Air Force, which was a very large part of his life. He retired from the Air Force in 1979. Following his retirement he and his family moved to Nashua, where he worked as a town cop for a while and then later worked for a number of years as a supervisor for Western Maintenance. He loved listening to country music, watching the news and reading history. He enjoyed boating, waterskiing and camping. He loved driving through the mountains and nature watching. In his younger days, he could be found riding his motorcycle. He did a 100mile “Run For Your Life” at Ellington AFB Sprinter in 1974 for which he received a trophy. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Edna Fleming; daughters, Peggy Fleming of Nashua, Tracy Olsen of Miles City, Wendy Fleming of Wolf Point and Crystal Fleming of Nashua; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; sister, Alice Strohm of Bainbridge, Pa.; and brother, Ronnie Fleming of Orbisonia, Pa. He was preceded in death by a brother, Clarence; and sisters, Dorothy, Mary and Catherine. A graveside service with military honors was held Wednesday, June 24, at Highland Cemetery with Pastor Todd Wright officiating.