April 26th, 2017

​Gloria Baker
Gloria Baker, born December 22, 1927.
Gloria passed away peacefully on April 18, 2017 at the Deer Lodge Care Center.
Gloria was born to Bill and Ada Johns in Ames, Iowa. Later in life she and her family moved to Spirit Lake, Iowa, where she retired from Crystal Tips Mfg. and enjoyed gardening and life. She then relocated to Deer Lodge to be closer to her daughter Cathy.
She is preceeded in death by her parents Bill and Ada Johns, sister Mary, and husband of 63 years Dean Baker.
She is survived by her daughter Cathy Crouch (Mark), sons Allan Baker and George Baker.
Graveside services will be held April 28 at 2 p.m. at Hillcrest Cemetery.

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​Ralph Arnold Hagemo
Ralph Arnold Hagemo, age 86, peacefully passed away at his home in Missoula, surrounded by his family on Monday, April 17, 2017. 
He was born on September 26, 1930 in Huron, S. D. to Arnold and Loretta (Cords) Hagemo. Ralph was attending school in Butte when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1946. In 1949, he went on to work for the Milwaukee Railroad where he worked in the mechanical department and retired as a Mechanical Foreman in 1983. 
On October 7, 1950, he married the love of his life, Alma “Mardell” Bear. Together they had five children. Ralph and Mardell enjoyed music, dancing, and spending time with their family. 
Ralph’s special interests included fixing up cars, playing cribbage, camping, fishing, and occasionally drinking whiskey. Although, nothing compared to the love he had for his family. 
He is survived by his beloved wife of 67 years, Mardell; sisters, Darlene and Dorathy; brother-in-law Billy (Donna); children, Ted (Sherrie), Kathy (Dennie), Monte (Debbie), Sandy (Don), and Lori (Terry); 10 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. A special thanks to all the wonderful nurses from Partners in Home Care Hospice. A graveside service will be held at the Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery on Friday, May 12, 2017 at 3 p.m.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Partners in Home Care - Hospice at www.partnersinhomecare.org/Donations. 

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​Mary Tempel Gormley
Mary Tempel Gormley, 96, was born to Edward and Mary Tempel in Chester on September 17, 1920. She attended schools in Chester and Joplin and received her RN degree from the Deaconess School of Nursing in Great Falls in 1942. 
Mary entered the Army Nurse Corp in 1942 and was stationed in Los Angeles and then overseas in England for two years as a First Lieutenant during World War II. While there, Mary met her husband, Bob, who was also a U.S. Army officer.  When she returned from the war, Mary worked for a time at the Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle. 
She returned to Great Falls where they were married in 1946.  Mary and Bob returned to LaCrosse, Wis. (Bob’s home state) where they resided for five years, while he finished college and later taught in Racine. 
Mary and Bob moved to Missoula and then to Choteau in 1951, where Bob was an Elementary Principal and School District Superintendent.  He died in December 2000.
Mary was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Choteau, where she taught Sunday School and served on other committees. Mary was a member of Faith Circle for many years. She also spent several years as a Cub Scout and Girl Scout Leader.
Her special interests included Rosemaling, in which she was quite skilled, as well as travel, exercise and golf. Her greatest joy was her family and the memories made together.
Mary was the Director of Nursing at the Teton Nursing Home in Choteau for 12 years. Mary and Bob spent winters in California and Arizona during their retirement. She later moved into the Skyline Lodge, spending seven years there with many friends. In 2015, Mary moved to Big Sky Senior Living in Butte to be near her daughter and son-in-law. She died on Good Friday, April 14, 2017 in Butte.
She is survived by two children and their spouses – Grant and Anne Gormley of Pierre, S. D. and Gwen and Joe Brott of Deer Lodge. Five grandchildren – Joseph Gormley, Ellen and Jesse Hopper, Lukas and Gina Brott, Isaak and Jenna Brott, and Katherine and Dino Musielewicz. Great-grandchildren include Evelyn Hopper, Georgiana Hopper, Johanna Brott, Weston Brott, Silas Brott, Ryleigh Brott, Ethan Brott and Beckett Musielewicz. She is also survived by her brother, Bill and Marcia Tempel, sisters-in-law Elvina Tempel, Lorraine Tempel and Ann Tempel as well as many nieces, nephews and especially her niece, Linda Moore who brought her great joy.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband, parents, her sister, Helen Hodges, and brothers Ed, John, Ted, Bert and Ben Tempel, brother-in-law Bill Hodges, sisters-in-law Joyce Tempel and Leone Tempel.
The funeral services were held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 22, 2017 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Choteau. Burial took place at the Choteau Cemetery where Mary was placed next to Bob in the Veterans section. 
Memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church or sent to Mary’s family at 110 Claggett St., Deer Lodge, MT 59722.

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​Darleen Joy Combs
Darleen Joy Combs passed away April 18, 2017.  She was born on June 25, 1931 at home on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Roosevelt County.  She was the second child of Jay and Ethleen Combs.  The family eventually moved to Nashua, where she graduated from high school in 1949.
On February 24, 1951, Darleen married Louis D. Larson, also from Nashua.  They had three daughters, Coleen (born in Glasgow), Lindy (born in Pomona, Calif.), and Carlyn (born in San Diego, Calif.).  In 1966, while living in Walla Walla, Wash., they divorced.
Darleen moved to Helena.  After graduating from Helena Business College in 1967, she took employment with the State of Montana at the Department of Unemployment as a secretary and later at the Department of Institutions as a bookkeeper.
In 1973, Darleen moved to Ellensburg, Wash.  She took employment with the Ellensburg School District as a bookkeeper and was instrumental in computerizing their system.  She married Charles (Chuck) Gust in 1977.  They built a beautiful house in the country from a floor plan she designed.  She helped raise Chuck’s two children, Jeff and Julie.  They divorced in 1988.
That same year Darleen moved to Deer Lodge.  She took employment with the State of Montana at the Title and Registration Bureau until retiring in 1993.
Darleen loved make-up, jewelry, clothes, sewing and altering clothes, and shopping at thrift stores.  She enjoyed remodeling and decorating her homes with just the right piece in just the right color.  She was a very good cook and flower gardener. Darleen gave much to, and received much from her pets throughout her life.
After suffering a stroke in November of 2011, she moved to the Rocky Mountain Healthcare Community in Helena.  Darleen wanted to be in Helena, as it always seemed like home to her.
She was preceded in death by her parents Jay and Ethleen Combs, brothers Bill Combs and Dean Combs, and her sister Doris Cason.
Survivors include brother Marion (Butch) Combs (Mae) of Longview, Wash.; daughters Coleen Done (Jim) of Seeley Lake, Lindy Lease (Milton) of Deer Lodge, and Carlyn Larson of Great Falls; step-daughter Julie Gordon of Ellensburg, Wash., and stepson Jeff Gust (Korrine) of Lake Stevens, Wash.; grandchildren Sam Done, Beth LoConte (Justin), Paul Lease, Darla Dexter (John), and Wade Lease (Cindi); great-grandchildren Elizabeth Done, Dusty Dexter, Will Dexter, Damon LoConte and Dacia LoConte; and several nieces and nephews.
No services will be held.

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