The Billings Gazette from Billings, Montana • 18

6B Thursday, March 22, 200 1 -mmwu For paid obituary rates and information, call 657-1241 or (800) 543-2505 from 9 a.m, to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday; 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 3 p.ra to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

The deadline is 5 p.m. for next day publication. Stieg B. Whitney ROY, Utah Stieg Beckstrom Whitney, 50, died March 15, 2001, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident near Brigham City. He was born April 28, 1950, in Billings, to George Taggart and Elisabeth Strom Whitney, the oldest of five brothers.

He married Victoria Ann Pierce on April ation therapy. The skiers use a sled equipped with a single ski and two outriggers. The device allows the athletes to compete under their own The games are scheduled 1 1 through Saturday, and include competition in the slalom, giant slalorri, super and downhill. Officials expect 75 skiers from around the-'t country to participate. Energy West apologizes for mailer mistake HELENA The vice president of Energy West Inc.

has apologized for wrongly blaming the state Public Service Commission for a steep increase in the company's rates for natural gas. Carl Lithander BIG HORN Carl Lithander, 26, of Big Horn, died of injuries sustained in a bicycling accident on March 19, 2001, near his home. He was born Oct. 2, 1974, in Billings, a son of Lars Lithander and Sherry Miller. He was a citizen of the world, attending schools in the United States and Latin America, before graduating from high school at the American School Foundation in Mexico City.

He later attended and grad Kathryn R. Repp STORY, Wyo. Kathryn Rosalie Repp, 94, died Friday, March 16, 2001, in Story. Private graveside services will be held in Douglas. Kane Funeral Home of Sheridan is in charge.

Sophie D. McLimans SHERIDAN, Wyo. Sophie D. McLimans, 97, of Sheridan, died Sunday, March 18, 2001, at her home. Memorial services will be at 2 p.m.

Friday, March 23, at Champion Ferries Funeral Home in Sheridan. Mary R. Anderson Mary Anderson, 81, of Billings, died Sunday, March 18, 2001, at her home. Cremation has taken place. Memorial services are planned for a later date.

Michelotti, Sawyers Nordquist has charge of arrangements. Marie Etheridge Marie Etheridge, 87, passed away, Wednesday, March 21, 2001, at Evergreen Billings Health and Rehabilitation Center. The daughter of August and Katherine Gable, Marie was born Sept. 13, 1913, in Lincoln, Neb. The family moved to Montana in 1918 and Marie attended school in Hardin.

She married Chris Wagenman in 1932. He preceded her in death and she married Richard Etheridge in 1965. Survivors include four children, Melvin Wagenman of Shepherd, Margie Sanderson of Libertyville, 111., Robert Wagenman of Shepherd and Chris Wagenman of Oregon; 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grand- children. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Chris Wagenman and Richard Etheridge; and a And, it turns out, the rate increase wasn't all that steep. Sheila Rice, vice president for marketing and author of the erroneous claim, issued an apology on Friday within hours after Public Service Commissioner Bob Anderson denounced the mailer as false and misleading.

"Statements in the bill insert claim that the PSC approved a percent rate increase instead of the company's recommendation for a 14 -percent increase," he said. "That's, false the company made no such recommendation." Energy West included the page mailer in monthly bills for its 26,000 natural gas customers in Great Falls. It said the commission rejected the company's recommen- dation for a lower rate. In fact, the company and the Montana Consumer Counsel pre- sented three rate increase options j. to the PSC.

The lower rates percent and 14.9 percent would have spread the increase over two to three years and included several hundred thousand dollars in "carry- ing costs" that consumers would pay. Late last month, the commission chose the 33 percent rate, which is for only one year. "It gets the rate increase over with faster and gives customers a better price signal for the true mar- ket cost of natural gas," Anderson explained. The 33 percent increase actually is only a slight increase over the company's current rates, since the PSC last December had approved an interim rate increase of 29 percent Rice said Friday she was sorry for the mistake and acknowledged; that she had hoped the PSC would! 2 choose one of the lesser increase BILLINGS Mary Anderson, 81 Marie Etheridge, 87 Louis Korber, 82 STATE AND AREA DEATHS Anaconda: Andrea Fontana, 77; Anne Hill, 81 Big Horn: Carl Lithander, 26 Butte: James Fisher, 86; Jimmy Fraley, 58 Condon: Irene H. Peterson, 89 Conrad: Rachel Lecorno, 81 Glasgow: George C.

Johnson, 89 Great Falls: Edith Evenson, 94; Bernard Schlageck, 80; Anna Gondeiro, 97 Helena: Justine Burr; Priscilla Johnson, 72 Lewistown: Constance Lansing, 64 Sheridan, Sophie D. McLimans, 97 Story, Wyo Kathryn Repp, 94 FORMERLY OF: Billings: Stieg B. Whitney, 50, Roy, Utah George C. Johnson GLASGOW George C. Johnson, 89, of Glasgow, died Tuesday, March 20, 2001, at Valley View Nursing Home.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, March 26, at Opheim Methodist Church. Burial will be in Thoeny Cemetery. Bell Mortuary of Glasgow is in charge. Dahl FUNERAL and CREMATION SERVICE Value without compromise Billings -10 Yellowstone Avenue (406) 248-8807 MCNULTY Rose (Scurlock), 89, died in Nampa, ID.

Graveside burial 10:20 Sat Custer Bozeman-300 Highland Blvd. (406) 586-5298 Red Lodge 708 south McGlllen (406) 446-1800 Caring dignified service lo our community Smith Funeral Chapels and Crematory Serving Billings Area for 105 Years Complete Funeral, Crematory and Cemetery Pre-A rra ngetnen ts with Cremation Niches, Lawn Crypts and Mausoleum. Reception Facility at West Chapel TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS lMJ IN BILLINGS SMITH WEST CHAPEL 304 34TH ST. W. 245-6427 4 Blocks N.

of Central on 34th St. W. KARLIN Lydia Weigum, 95, of Billings Visitations at Smith West Chapel, 304 24th St West on Thursday and Friday until service time. Funeral services p.m. Friday, March 23, at Smith West Chapel, with interment to follow at Terrace Gardens Cemetery.

Memorials: American Heart Assoc. or charity of choice. (323) SMITH DOWNTOWN CHAPEL 120 N. 26th 245-6427 Adjacent Parking SAYLOR Margaret 83, formerly of Billings. Memorial service at 11 am Saturday, March 24, at Smith Downtown ChapeL(324) SMITH FUNERAL CHAPEL LAUREL 315 E.

3rd. 628-6858 SMITH OLCOTT CHAPEL RED LODGE 201 N. Broadway 446-1121 SMITH FUNERAL CHAPEL COLUMBUS 708 E. 2nd Ave. N.

628-6858 Bomb threats plague school district ANACONDA Anaconda schools have been the target of so many phony bomb threats this school year that officials have lost count and two more came in Tuesday. The situation has left police, firefighters, educators and county officials searching for ways to stop the escalating bomb threats that have plagued the district For the last five school days, the threats have been a daily occurrence, Fire Chief Bill Converse said. "To tell you the truth, even I'm losing count," said Converse, the designated incident commander for the school-related threats. "We have to take all of them seriously, without a doubt" Searches were performed again Tuesday after the threats were received, but no devices were discovered. The fire department's overtime budget only has about $200 remaining, and Converse is worried about meeting payroll obligations that mount when his staff responds to the bomb threats.

And with the prospect of a dry summer and busy fire season ahead, money is a major concern. Superintendent Jim Whealon acknowledged that there is no pat answer to solving the problem of bomb threats. Federal regulations are designed to protect students, including suspension or expulsion of individuals involved in intimidation, he said. While a 10-day suspension is a typical consequence for intimidation in the form of a bomb threat, any further action is up to the school board. The board's policy in disciplining students proven to be involved in threats is "fairly broad," Whealon said, leaving room for age-appropriate, individual policies developed by each school.

3 from Montana at ski championships B0ZEMAN Three Montana athletes are competing in the U.S. Disabled Ski Championships at Big Sky Ski Resort this week. Keith Pendill of Livingston, Kevin Connolly of Helena and Beth Livingston of Bozeman intend to compete in the games. All three athletes ski with Bozeman-based Eagle Mount, a volunteer organization that helps the disabled through recre ORGANIZATIONS Open Alcoholics Anonymous Home Group (nonsmoking) 6 a.m., 1801 Broadwater Ave. Early Bird Traditions Group Closed Alcoholics Anonymous (nonsmoking) 6:30 a.m., 26 Wyoming Ave.

Business Network 7 a.m., T.O.P.S. No. MT4, 8:30 a.m., 1935 Ave. T.O.P.S. No.

MT500, 8:30 a.m., Hope United Methodist Church, 244 Wicks Lane Loafers Club NARFE.11:30 a.m., Elks Club Closed 848 Main St Alcoholics Anonymous Group at noon, 848 Main St, Suite 8 Billings Heights Kiwanis at noon at Elmer Pancake House Nurturing Parent Program at noon at YWCA, 909 Wyoming Ave. Closed Alcoholics Anonymous 204 Group at noon, 17 N. 31st St Alcoholics Anonymous at noon at Billings Clinic basement Closed Alcoholics Anonymous Home Group noon, 1801 Broadwater Ave. Closed Alcoholics Anonymous West End Group at noon at 2439 Grand Ave. Caregivers Support Group at noon at Deaconess Conference Center Soroptimists of Billings at noon at Petroleum Club, Sheraton Hotel TLC Toastmasters at noon, Room BR1A, Market Square, N.

Broadway St Stephen's Brown Baggers Open Alcoholics Anonymous (smokeless) at noon, St Stephen's Episcopal Church, 13th St W. and Crawford Drive Closed Downtowners Alcoholics Anonymous noon and 8 p.m., 17 N. -31st St Lions Club at noon at Elks Club Closed Overeaters Anonymous at noon, American Lutheran Church, 5 Lewis Ave. Westend Toastmasters Club 12:10 p.m., Room 6, Billings Job Service Workforce Center, 2121B Rosebud Drive Northern Rockies Cancer Center Support Group 1:30 p.m., 1041 N. 29th St Exploring Parenthood Support Group 4 p.m., Young Families, 1320 Grand Ave.

SHOUT AIDS (Students Helping Others Understand Teen AIDS) 5:30 p.m., 208 N. 29th St, Suite 230 Hope: Survivors of Rape 6 p.m., YWCA, 909 Wyoming Ave. Closed Men's Alcoholics Anonymous 6 p.m., Grace United Methodist Church, Fireside Room, 1935 Ave. Big Sky Optimists Club 6:30 p.m., Boys and Girls Club, 505 Orchard Lane Big Sky Fencing 6:30 p.m., Lincoln Education Center second floor gym, 415 N. 30th St Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program 6:30 p.m., Armed Forces Reserve Center, 2951 Gabel Road Commercial Club 6:30 p.m., Radisson Northern Hotel Southwest Corridor Task Force 6:30 p.m., SouthGate Cop Shop, 80 1, 1989, in Mantua, Utah, and they were later sealed in the Logan LDS Temple on Sept 20, 1990.

He obtained his associate's degree at Northwest College. He was MR. WHITNEY a natural-born teacher who brought history to life through his storytelling abilities. He loved all sports, but particularly loved to umpire baseball and referee basketball. His passion was spending time with family and friends.

He was working for United Studios in West Valley, where he sold family photos. He was a member of the Sandridge LDS Ward in Roy, where he found the members to be loving and accepting. He is survived by his wife, Victoria of Roy; six children, Jared Lynn of Colorado, Jessie Lynn Goode, currently serving an LDS Mission in Bolivia, Jamie Len Driggers(Charles) of Tremonton, Amanda Joye Jukes(Jason) of Clearfield, Kindra Lucille Whitney of Brigham City, Adam Scott Whitney of Roy; two grandchildren, Alexis Shaelyn Whitney and Kylor Aaron Driggers and one grandchild due in August He was preceded in death by his parents; his daughter and son, Annalisa Beth Whitney and Jacob Stieg Whitney; one brother, Kent Beckstrom Whitney. Funeral services will be held at 11 am. Saturday, March 24, in the Allen-Cranney Mortuary Chapel, 420 East 1800 North, North Logan, Utah, where friends may call on Friday evening from 6 to 8 p.m.

and on Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 am. prior to services. Interment will be in the Logan City Cemetery.He will be loved and missed by alL Quilt show set for May Four expert quilters will be coming to Billings for the 2001 Big Sky Quilt Retreat May 9-13 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center. It will include workshops, a quilt show and merchant malL The presenters are: Jane Sassaman, a Chicago quilter, is the author of "Quilted Garden: Design and Make Nature Inspired Quilts." Sassaman's slide show and lecture, "Quilting Under the Influence," deals with the visual ideas influencing her work. She will present workshops on natural design and on exploring individual preferences for specific colors, shapes and symbols.

Hollis Chatelain, an American who has lived most of her adult life in Switzerland and West Africa, has earned national recognition for her dye-painted scenes of African life. She will give workshops on painting images with dye and on using quilting techniques to create depth, texture, tension and shadowing Mary Mashuta, who has taught on the national quilt-making circuit since 1985, has written several books including "Wearable Art for Real People," and "Story Quilts: Telling Your Tale in Fabric and Stripes in Quilts." Her workshops focus on non-limiting color schemes, story quilts, contemporary striped quilts, and on using vintage print fabrics in contemporary ways. Faye Anderson, of Boulder, has written "Applique Designs: My Mother Taught Me to Sew," a book which describes her unique method of needle turn appiique. She will present workshops on opulent hand applique, beaded embellishments, applied special effects and hand applique in the folk manner. The 10th biennial Big Sky Quilt Retreat is sponsored by the Yellowstone Valley Quilter's Guild and Quilt by Association.

The gathering starts with an evening welcome party, May 9, and features a lecture by Sassaman and the quilt show. Workshop sizes are limited to 20 and workshops led by Chatelain are already full. Each workshop is $55 a day and there is a $20 non-refundable registration fee. Separate lecture tickets are available for $5 for the "Quilting Under the Influence" slide lecture. Registration pamphlets are available at Billings sewing and fabric shops.

Pamphlets will also be handed out at a Big Sky Quilt Retreat booth, March 24, at West Park Plaza. For more information on the workshops, or on entering the quilt show, contact Karen Walker, registrar, Big Sky Quilt Retreat, P.O. Box 286, Shepherd, MT 59079, or call her at 947-2947 between 6 and 8 p.m Her e-mail address is jkmjmidrivers.com uated from Pepperdine University with a degree in broadcast jour-n a 1 i Following his graduation, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Papua, New Guinea. He MR. LITHANDER most recently worked as a stone mason in the Whitefish area.

Carl was an avid writer, out-doorsman and snow boarder. Survivors include his mother, Sherry Miller of Big Horn; his father, Lars and stepmother, Diane Lithander of Arizona; his stepfather, Fred Pasquale of California; a sister, Maja Lithander of California; a brother, Augusto Loayza of Washington; his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Miller of Big Horn; his aunts, Cathy Miller of Big Horn and Monica Panachao of Oregon; his uncles, George Miller of Oregon and John Jarvis of Ronan; three stepsisters, Bernadette Jarosz, Tina Klatt and Donna Curcillo of California; and one stepbrother, Mel Pasquale of California Cremation has taken place. Memorial Funeral services will be held 2 p.m.

Friday, March 23, in the Hardin First Congregation Church. Private inurnment will follow at a later date. Bullis Mortuary of Hardin has been entrusted with the arrangements. Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to the Carl Lithander Memorial, First Interstate Bank, Hardin, MT 59034. All memorial funds will be contributed to the Montana Waterfowl Foundatioa Sunset Memorial Gardens Serving Billings families for 50 vears NOW LOCALLY OWNED MANAGED 24 he Assistance In Case of Need Vaults Planning Discounts Veterans Gardens "Markers ranrmrBiEMj.iiiMiiiigiMigiBai Cremation Society of Montana Absarokee Beartooth Columbarium 29 8th St.

Bigs 59101 254-2414 Eliminate Extreme Expense Jerry Nordquist Sharon Brown GORDON Vida, 96, Bigs No memorial will be held. 23 DONLAN Agnes, 62, Bigs Funeral 1 1am Friday at Gallery.23 HANNUM Maurice, memorial 1 1 Thurs-Hope ALLEN Charles, 83, Bigs As requested, no memorial held.23 BENDER Andrew, 66, Bigs As requested, no memorial held.23 KORBER Louis, 82, Bigs Memorial will be held later. 23 LITHANDER Carl. Memorial funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Friday, in the First Congregational Church.

Private inurnment. Memorial: Carl Lithander Memorial, 1st Interstate Bank, Hardin, MT 59034. (323) MEMORIAL PARK Billings. Cremation. grandchild, Kristin Wagenman.

Cremation has taken place. Memorial services will be 1 p.m. Monday, March 26, at Michelotti, Sawyers Nordquist Mortuary. Irene H. Peterson CONDON Irene H.

Peterson, our beloved little Norwegian troll, went to her Valhalla on Sunday, March 18, 2001, due to natural causes. Irene was born on May 23, 1911, to Mons and Kari Haukaas at rural Golva, Golden Valley County, N.D. She and her five sibling sisters, all now deceased, were the product of loving and caring nome- MJ stead parents who taught them life's basic values. Irene was adopted by Thomas and Mary Hudson in 1923 after her natural mother died during the flu epidemic of MRS. PETERSON the early 1920s.

Irene was raised and educated in Beach, N.D., and then attended college at North Dakota State University in Fargo, where she graduated with a first grade professional home economics degree. She went on to teach home economics in New Rockford and Beach. In Beach, she met and married Robert H. Jones in 1938. Irene was a happy, fun-loving woman, and an extremely capable homemak-er, gardener and seamstress.

She would dress up, many times, in appropriate costume for Halloween, Christmas and Easter to entertain children, nursing home residents, or for civic events. After the death of her husband Robert in 1974 and her only son Robert T.E. Jones in 1976, she remained a widow until December of 1982, when she married Vernon F. Peterson. She then moved to Condon with her husband.

She remained very active in Montana and delighted in catching rainbow trout planted in their pond on the property. Her expertise in the kitchen was well known, and she loved creating original and natural dishes like cattail pickles, as well as lambs quarter and dandelion salads. Irene enriched the lives of all who knew her. Irene is survived by her husband and by her four daughters, their husbands and six grandchildren from her first marriage, including Karen (Glen) Brokkhart of Bozeman, Rosemary (Forrest) Hodges of Beach, N.D., Jeanne (Ken) Faiman of Dickinson, N.D., Jule Jones of Beach, N.D., and grandchildren Kasey Jones of Bozeman, Robert Jones and siblings of Glendive, Brent Brookhart of Bozeman, Aaron Faiman of Minneapolis, Chon Erlandson of South Heart, N.D., Lisa Faiman and Kendra Faiman of Fargo. Cremation, at her request, has taken place, and services will be held in Beach at a later date.

Any memorials in Irene's memory can be made to the Boys Ranch of Sentinel Butte, N.D. 58654. 1 1 Hallowed Lane Knights of Columbus 8 p.m., club 1 hall Closed Alcoholics Anonymous i Recovery Group 8 p.m., 103 N. 24th St Open Alcoholics Anonymous (smokeless) 8 p.m., 510 Cook Ave. Open Alcoholics Anonymous West End Group (smokeless) 8 p.m., 2439 Grand Ave.

Al-Anon (smokeless) 8 p.m., Atonement Lutheran Church, Wicks Lane and Lake Elmo Open Sunlight of the Spirit 8 p.m., First Christian Church, 522 N. 29th St. i Progress, Not Perfection Al- Anon 8 p.m., St Andrew Presbyterian Church, 180-24th St. W. Open Gamblers Anonymous 8 p.m., 2604 Phyllis Lane Open Solution Seekers Narcofcs Anonymous (smokeless) 8 p.m., 2024 Third Ave.

N. 1 BIRTHS 1J St Vincent Healthcare: Girls Summer and Christopher Montez, Billings Amber and Nathan Wald, Billing's! Stacey and David Steiger, -l! Billings Amy Staton and Dirk Baze, Billings 3 Boys Wednesday and Gordon Tryan Melinda Figuerda and Alvaro Reynoso FIRE CALLS i -1 6:01 p.m. Tuesday (City) 825 Ave. D. EMS.

8:10 p.m. Tuesday (City) 3405 First Ave. N. EMS. 9:19 p.m.

Tuesday (City) 3075 Ave. C. EMS. 11:11 p.m. Tuesday (City) Montana Avenue and First Street if West Trash fire.

11:45 p.m. Tuesday (City) 4343 Stone St Service assist 1:31 a.m. Wednesday (City) -i 302 Jackson St. EMS. 2:11 a.m.

Wednesday (City) -841 S. 26th St EMS. ley! I I 2:32 a.m. Wednesday (City) 2240 Ninth Ave. N.

EMS. -s 6:26 a.m. Wednesday (City) -3203 Phillip St Structure fire. 7:35 a.m. Wednesday (City) -620 17th St W.

EMS. 9:55 a.m. Wednesday (City) 2114 Brentwood Lane. EMS. 10:04 a.m.

Wednesday (City) -3228 Parkhill Drive. EMS. 11:33 a.m. Wednesday (City) -2001 St Johns Ave. EMS.

1:34 p.m. Wednesday (City) -Exposition Drive and Sixth Avenue North. EMS. 1:55 p.m. Wednesday (City) -318 S.

29th St Trash fire. 3:15 p.m. Wednesday (City) -1924 First Ave. N. EMS.

3:35 p.m. Wednesday (City) -3922 Victory Circle. EMS. 4:17 p.m. Wednesday (City) 2401 Montana Ave.

EMS 5:28 p.m. Wednesday (Lockwood) Island Park Road and Bonnie Lane. Grass fire. MSN Michelotti, Sawyers Nordquist Mortuary and Crematory Serving AU Faiths With Dignity Since 1956 1001 Alderson Avenue 406-252-3417 Pre-need and At-need Funeral Arrangements Cremation Services Complete Cemetery Arrangements SELECTED Independent FUNERAL HOMES SCHAFFER Elliott 88, of Billings. Memorial service, 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 22, Temple Beth Aaron. Memorials to the Elliott J. Schaffer Family-Advised Fund of the Montana Community Foundation, 101 N. Last Chance Gulch, Suite 21L Helena, MT 59601(322) ANDERSON Mary 81 of. Memorial service at a later ETHERIDGE Marie, 87.

Crematioa Memorial service 1 p.m. Monday, Michelotti, Sawyers.