Jerri Lynn Smoker Frislie, “One who gives many painted horses” or “Her many painted horses,” 69, died Dec. 23, 2024, at Trinity Hospital in Wolf Point. She was born Oct. 12, 1955, to Kenneth and Theresa (Steele) Smoker. She was joined by brother Kenneth Jr., sister Karen Rose and brother John Rocky. She and her siblings grew up in Poplar, but lived in San Francisco, Calif., and Havre for a brief time. She attended Poplar High School, graduating in 1974. She ran cross country and made it to the state level competition. After high school, she joined the United States Coast Guard during Vietnam and proudly served her country for four years. She attended Mohegan and Thomas Nelson Community Colleges on the East Coast. She met and married fellow Coast Guardsman Harold Bashay Jr. in 1975 to 1981. They had two children Harold Kenneth “Mikey” Bashay III and Yvonne Marie Bashay. After moving back home, she married Terry Boyd Sr. in 1982. From this 11-year marriage, they had two sons, Terry Lee Boyd Jr. and Brian Scott Boyd. They farmed and ranched. She attended Fort Peck Community College. She worked for the Wotanin Wowapi, Environmental Protection Program, Fort Peck Tribal Courts and the Fort Peck Tribal Chairman’s Office. She also taught catechism and confirmation classes at St. Thomas in Brockton and Our Lady of Lourdes in Poplar. She began her career with the United States Postal Service in 1984. She worked in various locations including Poplar, Plentywood, Circle, Nashua, Colstrip, Lame Deer, Forsyth and Wolf Point. She worked her way from clerk to postmaster in her 35 years with the USPS. She met and married Roger Frislie in 2006. They were together until his death in 2015. After her retirement, she took up beading, sewing and crafting Native American regalia. She would often travel to Billings to see her son Terry and would occasionally travel to Las Vegas, Nev., and Dallas,

Eileen Dillon Rigsby, 87, of Wolf Point died Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. She was born Feb. 27, 1937, to Clarence and Beatrice (Gagne) Dillon in Wolf Point. She grew up there helping on her parents’ farm and later graduating from high school in Wolf Point. She met Ralph Rigsby, a handsome young seismographer from Texas who was working in the area. They were married in Glasgow on July 2, 1954. They welcomed a son, Kent, in December 1955 and a daughter, Karleen, in October 1967. She was a wonderful cook and also loved to bake special goodies and desserts for friends and family. She was well known for her planters of petunias that many people enjoyed as they drove by the Rigsby home. Over the years, she and Ralph loved to attend their children’s, grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s sporting events. They were active board members of the Wolf Point Museum and a major part of the process for the annual

Karen Lynn Hayes (Corey), 80, died Dec. 24, 2024, at Community Hospital in Missoula. She was born July 21, 1944, to parents Lyle Corey and Agnes (Krein) in Reno, Nev. She grew up and graduated from Scobey High School in 1962. Upon graduation from high school, she attended cosmetology school in Billings before marrying David Hayes and settling down to start a family. They had three children, Brent, Margo and Mike. They raised their children in Cut Bank. She discovered her love of flowers and crafts in Cut Bank. She used her design skills for many years as a floral designer at the Cut Bank Greenhouse where she developed lifelong friendships. She co-owned the successful business Something Special focused on floral arrangements and crafts. She nurtured beautiful gardens wherever she lived. She transformed many vacant spaces into colorful works of art. She spent many hours among her flower beds admiring the plants, pulling weeds and casting seeds wherever there was visible dirt. She also loved sewing and crafts. She became a talented lifelong seamstress after making her sister Kelli’s wedding dress and sewing many clothes for her daughter Margo. She soon added ceramics to her artistic skills. She was never without a sewing or cross-stitch project or crafting one of her dolls which she sold at local crafts outlets. She made the bold decision to attend college later in life. She created a rivalry with her MSU Bobcat children by enrolling in the University of Montana where she graduated with honors with a bachelor of social work in 2002.

Chad Edward Nelligan, 37, died Dec. 28, 2024, at the Billings Clinic. He was born on July 31, 1987, to Tina Nelligan and Kevin Adams. He lived in Frazer for most of his life and attended Frazer High School, where he played basketball and graduated in 2005. He also attended Job Corps. He loved spending time with family and going hunting with his adopted parents, Adeline Rose Smoker-White and Robert E. White. During his high school years, he dated Latoya TurnToes. They would do everything together. They had two children, Allyn TurnToes and Angel Nelligan. He enjoyed spending time with his children and waking up in the morning to make a big breakfast for his family. He loved to fish with family and friends. He would always make time to call and check up on his mother. He had a kind heart and was always surrounded