​Dennis K. Driessen, 75, known to many friends and family as “Trapper,” departed this earthbound plane on Sept 8, in Seattle.
Dennis was born in Salmon, Idaho, Oct 26, 1947, to Frank and Janice Driessen. He spent his formative years in Spokane, among his dad’s family. Upon Frank’s death, Dennis joined his Montana family in Deer Lodge at the age of 11. He loved hunting, fishing and all outdoor endeavors. In high school, he ran trap lines to earn spending money, often hiking miles in the hours before school and on weekends. He joined and loved FFA and once got to travel to Kansas City convention with his local club.
He graduated from Powell County High School in 1966, eventually landing a brakeman job on the Milwaukee Road. He was drafted into the Army in 1967, serving honorably in Vietnam as a medic, enduring the horrors of the Tet Offensive of 1968; he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star, which is the third highest award for the U.S. Army. After service, Dennis returned to his railroad job. He married Shannon Neubauer in 1972, and they had one child, Cory.
He had found his niche while serving as a medic and decided to pursue a degree in prosthetics, which he successfully attained in Memphis. He served a residency and met his final certification requirements, first practicing in New Mexico, eventually landing back in Montana. He and his wife opened an orthotics and prosthetics business in Helena, helping many clients in need of bracework and appendage augmentation. He became frustrated by the lack of support for his clients by the Medicare system, and eventually, the business was sold.
His was a restless soul. He travelled to southeast Asia, finding it a magnet. After his divorce, he moved to Thailand, establishing his place among the other expats and networking. He was always trying new endeavors – smoking his own hams and making bacon, learning to cook Thai dishes, learning to speak and read some Thai (speaking was much easier than reading), making many short journeys on his motorbike, getting into gemstones and making jewelry.
He had landed in SeaTac; just boarded the plane to Spokane to begin his extended in-country visit, when his life force took off. It was an oddly appropriate passing for Trapper, with the gypsy heart and feet of sand.
He was preceded in death by his beloved son, Cory.
He is survived by siblings Darlene Sauber, Mike Whittaker, Pat Rehorn and Mary Kostich, along with nieces, nephews and beloved cousins, and his ex-wife, Shannon.
Pursuant to his belief system, there will be no services or memorial.

​Michele (Shelly), 58, passed away unexpectedly on July 15, 2023, in Napa, Calif., after a sudden illness.
Michele was born Nov. 14, 1964, while in Moetsch, Germany, near Bitburg Air Base. Her parents, Master Sgt. George W. and Shirley R. (Strizich) Brown were stationed in Germany while her father served in the U.S. Air Force. She joined two older sisters. Following her dad’s retirement, the family returned to their native Montana and settled in Deer Lodge. Shelly graduated from Powell County High School in 1984. She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1989 from the University of Montana.
While at UM, Michele developed a love for all things sports. She worked for the athletic department and kept statistics for teams.
This developed her undying love of the SF Giants, Golden State Warriors and of course, the Montana Griz.
In her spare time, when not caring for Colby, she watched or attended various sports events. She often traveled to area colleges to watch the Griz play.
In 1992, Michele was joined on this earth by her beloved son, Colby Brown. She raised him as a single parent until she met and married Alan Williams in 1997. The trio moved to Napa, where they made their home. She separated from Alan in 2021.
In Napa, Michele worked for the Napa County Community Housing in the accounting department for 25 years. She worked there at the time of her death.   
She is preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Mathew and Edith (Launderville) Strizich; paternal grandparents Walter and Etna (Shaffer) Brown; parents Shirley Strizich and George W. Brown; an older brother Michael and numerous aunts and uncles.
She is survived by her son, Colby of Napa; three sisters, Becky Smith (Anaconda), Chris Brown (Yerington, Nev.) and Sandy Hanson (Missoula); paternal aunt Doris (Brown) Matz (Anaconda); maternal aunt Cathy (Strizich) Knutson (Helena); nephews Brandon Brown (Missoula), Nicolas Talbott (Denver), Ryan Talbott (Missoula) and Kaidre Brown (Yerington); three nieces, Alana (Smith) Nickell (Alamogordo, N.M.), Abby Smith (Lewistown) and Olivia Hanson (Missoula); and eight grand nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m., Oct. 10, at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, W. 5th St., Anaconda. Reception immediately follows at Croatian Hall, 809 E. 3rd St., Anaconda.

Howard Stevenson, 75, passed peacefully at his home in Deer Lodge, on August 2, 2023. Howard had suffered with COPD the last few years.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Sandi Gilman Stevenson; son, Howard of Deer Lodge; and granddaughter, Sheyanne Carpenter (Tristan) of Seeley Lake.
Howard is also survived by his stepfather, Orville Fraser of Laurel; sisters, Betty Przybylski of Florida, Valerie Boelter (Tom) of Park City, Lavonne Frank (Pete) and Carol Osmondson (Dan) of Thief River Falls, Minn., Stacey Gable (Dan) of Laurel, Thelma Lofink of Laurel and Rachel Fraser of Billings; brother, Chad Fraser of Deer Lodge; sister-in-law, Ronnie Kitenberg of Deer Lodge; and brother-in-law, Les Gilman of Elko, Nevada; special nephew, Cody Fraser (Rachel) of Billings, and their two children, Taylor and Kane; and, not to forget, numerous cousins, nephews, and nieces.
Howard was preceded in death by his father, Orville Stevenson; and mother, Florence Stevenson Fraser; brothers, Loren Stevenson and Hank Fraser; sisters, Tammy and Faith Fraser.
Born on Dec. 30, 1947, Howard served in the United States Army in Vietnam and in the Army National Guard for 12 years.
He drove truck for the Cominco Mine in Garrison until the close of its operation. He then worked for the Round Mountain Gold Corp. in Round Mountain, Nev., for 18 years.
An avid NASCAR racing fan all his life, his interest was shared by his wife, Sandi. Howard also enjoyed membership in the Drummond American Legion, the Deer Lodge Racing Association and the Moose Lodge.
A Graveside Service with Military Honors will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in the Veteran section of Hillcrest Cemetery in Deer Lodge. There will be another graveside service occurring at the entrance to the gate. Please go up the hill past this service. Howard’s graveside will be to your left. In lieu flowers, please visit www.axelsonfuneralhome.com to offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of Howard.
His family would like to thank Enhabit Hospice and Eden Home Health for their invaluable help in Howard’s last month of care. ​

Bruce Bartlett Benson, 92, of Avon passed away on Sept. 11. Bruce was born April 14, 1931, in Deer Lodge, to his parents, John and Esther, and was the fourth child, joining siblings: Betty, Cliff, Fred and later, Eva.
Bruce attended grade school in Avon and later graduated from Powell County High School in 1949. After graduation, Bruce continued to work on the family’s dairy ranch up until he was drafted to serve his country. He served from Sept. 20, 1951 to June 20, 1953, with 13 of those months being served in Korea as Headquarters Commanding Officer 58th Field Artillery Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division.
After Bruce returned home from Korea, he and his brother, Fred, went into partnership and became third generation owners of the Benson Ranch with their father’s dairy business. They later sold the herd in 1963 and transitioned into stock cattle, which is still in operation today and has been very successful.
On Sept. 20, 1958, Bruce and Pauline (Bignell) were married in Helmville. They were blessed with two daughters, Evelyn and Valerie. Bruce and Pauline were married for 63 years before her passing on Sept. 29, 2021.
In July of 2017, the Benson Ranch was inducted into the Montana Draft Teamster Hall of Fame. Draft horses were used on the Benson Ranch for more than a century, and it was one of the last ranches that utilized the teams up until the mid 1990s. It was a spectacle to watch as it took great skill that was mastered and that had been passed down from generations. The draft horse teams would pull mowers, rake the hay with dump rakes, and bunch and move the hay to the stack with buckrakes. The team would then be pulled off from the beaverslide, hoisting the baskets with loose hay that would be dumped onto the stack.
Bruce was an active member in his community, serving on the school board for Avon Grade School and Powell County High School. Bruce also spearheaded the Avon Stockyard Association where he was elected president in 1982, serving up until his passing. Bruce and Pauline were never a stranger to anyone; they were always welcoming and always had a pot of coffee ready to go along with a conversation.
Bruce is preceded in death by his wife, Pauline; daughter, Valerie; brothers, Cliff and Fred; and sister, Betty.
He is survived by his sister, Eva; daughter, Evelyn; granddaughters, Sarah, Beth (Noah), Leigh (Kevin); and numerous nieces, nephews and other family members.
Viewing will take place from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. with funeral services to begin at 11 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, at the Avon Community Church followed by a graveside burial at the Avon Cemetery with Military Honors. A reception will follow at the Avon Community Clubhouse. Memorials can be made to the Avon Cemetery.
Bruce’s family would also like to give a special thanks to Southwest Montana Veteran’s Home in Butte and Cooney Healthcare and Rehabilitation in Helena for their care for Bruce. Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer a condolence to the family or to share a memory of Bruce. ​

Megan Ann Thompson, 83, of Deer Lodge, died after a brave battle with an acute aortic aneurysm on Aug. 25.
Megan was born March 8, 1940, in Deer Lodge, the eldest of four children born to Ruth Bernice (Souter) and Francis Aloysius Dumont Sr. She grew up in Deer Lodge, attending St. Mary’s Academy through eighth grade (Megan loved the nuns!) and graduating from Powell County High School in 1958.
At Powell County High School, she was a cheerleader and FFA Queen. After graduation, Megan moved to Helena and went to work for the State of Montana Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Megan married James (“Jim”) Edward Thompson of Gold Creek. The wedding took place at Immaculate Conception Parish in Deer Lodge on Dec. 26, 1959.
Megan and Jim began married life at Ft. McClellan in Anniston, Ala., while Jim served in the US Army.
The couple returned to Deer Lodge with their first son, Paul Robert, in December 1960 after Jim’s discharge from the service. Megan and Jim were blessed with three more children: Joan Marie, Neil Edward and Keith Michael.
Megan cherished the years raising her children, and she and Jim had great fun attending all the kids’ sports, plays, concerts and anything else their children participated in. As a family, they also enjoyed hunting, camping and hiking.
Music and art were an integral and important part of Megan’s life. In 1962, Megan joined the newly formed Woman’s Club Chorus – which she participated in for 30 years. She was also 1/3 of the musical comedy trio known as “The Hangtown Gals” along with Barbara Paull and Betty Masters – and the three of them traveled around singing, playing and entertaining for years. Megan also sang in the choir and was the church organist at Immaculate Conception Parish for over 50 years.
In 1969, the Deer Lodge Art Club was formed, and Megan joined within its first year of existence. Megan was an active member of the club for the rest of her life, and she enjoyed the time she spent painting with all of her artist friends. Megan also spent many years on the board of the Powell County Museum and Arts Foundation and worked through that organization to support arts and culture in the Deer Lodge area.
Megan resumed her working career as her children entered high school. This included Deer Lodge Floral (1977-1986), the Western Shopper (1986-1989) and the Silver State Post (1989-1992). Megan traveled to Denver with AmeriCorps and undertook training in adult education. With this training, she established the Powell County Literacy Program with volunteer tutors in 1989. The community need was evident, and in 1992, funding was obtained, and space was provided by the Kohrs Memorial Library for a full-time Literacy program. Megan served as both a tutor and administrator of the program, and she enjoyed helping many area people realize their GED and other educational goals. She retired from the Literacy program in 2006.
Retirement was spent pursuing her interests in art, music and genealogy. She painted, researched family histories, played her piano and banjo, cooked wonderful meals, spent an awful lot of time with her family and friends, and played many hours of pinochle.
Megan is preceded in death by her sister, Karen Dumont Bowers, her parents, and many dear friends and extended family.
Megan is survived by her husband of 63 years, Jim Thompson; her children and grandchildren Paul (Kathy) Thompson, Brian and Cal; Joan (Rich) Sewell, Kristopher, Matthew (Rachel), McCall (Cameron), and Marin; Neil Thompson (Jenn); Keith (Lisa) Thompson, Kassidi and Kelli; great grandchildren Ashton, Haven and Chase Sewell; Leo and Gregory Sewell; and Clay Stauffer. She is also survived by her siblings Janet Cox and Francis A. Dumont Jr. (Susan), all of Deer Lodge; sister-in-law Ann Larson; brothers-in-law Ed Bowers and Tom Thompson; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Megan’s services were held on Saturday, Sept. 2 Megan was laid to rest at Hillcrest Cemetery.
Memorials in honor of Megan are suggested to: (all Deer Lodge, MT 59722): Deer Lodge Art Club (PO Box 864); Immaculate Conception Parish (611 Clark); Powell County Literacy Program (409 Missouri Ave., Suite 101).
The Thompson family would like to extend thanks to the incredible medical professionals at Deer Lodge Medical Center, Community Medical Center and St. Patrick’s Hospital.
Please visit www.axelsonfuneralhome.com to offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of Megan. ​

MaryAnn Burton, 90, of Deer Lodge, died Aug. 29. Services were held Sept. 6 in Sheridan, Wyo. A memorial service will be held in Deer Lodge at a later date. Please visit longfellowfinneganriddle.com to offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of MaryAnn.