January 07th, 2015

Aspyn Jayne Weston
Aspyn Jayne Weston was born still on October 3, 2014 at 4:36 p.m. She lived contently in her mother’s womb, kicking and posing for ultrasound pictures until she was called to live with Jesus at 20 weeks.  She was born to Malinda Jane Weston McKinnon at Community Hospital of Missoula. 
Aspyn is preceded in death by her grandfather Jerry Wayne Weston of Butte.  She joins her brothers/sisters baby Chris McKinnon (2000), and baby Sam Weston Toquero (2012) who are resting with Jesus and his angels. 
She is survived by her mother, Malinda Jane Weston McKinnon, her big sister Jordyn Raye McKinnon, her big brother Ashyr Wayne McKinnon, and half-brothers/sisters.  Also mourning Aspyn are her grandmother, Brenda Weston of Butte, aunts and uncles Amanda and Nelson Bohrer of Deer Lodge, Bonnie and Dennis O’Donnell of Butte, and Shelby Stroup of Butte, godparents Tami (Molendyke) Fowler and Jeremiah Fowler of Deer Lodge, and numerous cousins. 
Cremation has taken place. Funeral services will be held at the Depot Church in Deer Lodge on Saturday January 10, 2015 at 7 p.m. 

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Freda Mae Dunsworth Indreland
Freda Mae Dunsworth Indreland, loving mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, was called home Sunday morning December 28, 2014, while in Butte, at the Mariposa Memory Care Unit of Big Sky Senior Living Center.  She had been residing there since February of 2014.
Freda Mae was born June 5, 1939, in Manter, Kans., in the back of a sheepherder’s wagon during a dust storm to loving and proud parents Ruby and Freddy Dunsworth.  That adventurous beginning predicted her life.
She attended school in La Junta, Colo., with the Class of 1957.  However, on July 17, 1955 she married Rasmus Indreland.  Raising four children she followed R.E. around the country during his service in the U. S. Air Force and afterwards working for government agencies.  She went back to school and finished in Moscow, Idaho in 1966.
Freda Mae and R.E. finally “took roots” in Deer Lodge in the early 1970s, at which time she informed R.E. that she was not moving anymore, “I’m done!”  Freda opened a store on Main Street in Deer Lodge named for herself, “Freda Mae’s.”  She sold clothes, and some hand crafting supplies.  She also did custom alterations, tailoring and sewing services.
Freda was an exceptional seamstress and excelled in many handcrafts, and willing to learn new ones.  She also taught numerous friends and family members how to do the different crafts that she could do.  Many friends and family have her creations.  She truly loved to sew and create.  She especially loved it on the only machine she would use, an antique Singer Treadle sewing machine.
Freda Mae went back to Colorado to live for a short time with brother Leroy and sister Thelma from January 2012 to December 2012.  In December she moved back to Montana to stay with her daughter and son-in-law, Lois and Jim Frazer.
She is preceded in death by the “Old Boy” (Rasmus Indreland) as well as daughters, Sarah Ann and Lori Louis.
She is survived by brother, Leroy Dunsworth, of Springfield, Colo., as well as sisters Thelma and Louise, both of Colo.; daughter, Lois Frazer (Jim) of Whitehall, and son, R.E. (Ella) Indreland of Butte; numerous nephews, nieces, 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Services were held January 2, 2015, at 11 a.m. at the Deer Lodge Assembly of God Church.  A reception followed.  Internment was in the Community Cemetery in Lennep, on Saturday, January 3, 2015.

Ralph Lee Allen
Ralph Lee Allen, 77, of Ovando, died on December 24, at his home in Missoula. He died at peace and in comfort, of complications due to pulmonary fibrosis. Ralph was born in Twin Falls, Idaho on May 11, 1937 to Clyde and Roma Allen.  He graduated from Filer High School in 1955 and then served four years in the U.S. Coast Guard. A good portion of those years was spent on the ice breaker, “The Northwind” clearing paths in the ice for the Navy from the Arctic to the Antarctic Oceans.  Ralph was very proud of his military service.  
In 1959 he went to Carroll College in Helena, graduating in 1961 with degrees in biology and chemistry.  He received his Master’s degree in biology in 1963 from Oregon State University. For the next four years Ralph taught high school science and was awarded the Distinguished Science Educator of Montana in 1966.  Ralph completed his Ph.D. in biology and science teaching in 1970 from The University of Oregon. 
Ralph served as a professor of biology and science education at the University of Montana from 1970-1979.  He took a break from the University to serve as Superintendent of Schools in Pelican, Alaska.  His years in Alaska were marked with adventure and learning.  These years renewed Ralph’s commitment to education in general and particularly environmental education and education for Native peoples.  In 1990, Ralph returned to The University of Montana and his science education teaching position, finishing out his career there in 1999.  For the last 15 years of his life, Ralph enjoyed his family and his grandchildren, a little bit of traveling, and horseback riding on his Ovando Ranch, the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, and The Blackfoot Valley.  He loved having friends over for dinners, cross-country ski trips, and getting Christmas trees with the sled and team.  Friends were drawn to Ralph and the infectious joy of his spirit.  The mischievous and delightful twinkle in his eye was there to the very end.  He loved and was loved deeply. His commitment to education and environmental awareness never waned.  The Library at the Montana Natural History Center was named “The Ralph Lee Allen Library” in his honor.  
Ralph is survived by his wife Marian McKenna Allen, his three children, son Ben Allen, (Lisa Straight) of New York, and his daughters, Beth Mow, (Mark Mow) of Juneau, Alaska, and Laura Lee Hoffman, (Joel Hoffman) of Talkeetna, Alaska; three sisters, Rita Mae Donovan, (Walter Donovan) of Boise, Idaho, Margret Harris, (Ken Harris) of Portland, Ore., and Nadine Miller, (Tom Miller) of Spokane, Wash. and three grandchildren.  A fourth grandchild is expected in the spring. Ralph’s interests and support went to the Montana Environmental Information Center, The Montana Natural History Center, and The Natural Resources Defense Council.  
Memorial services and a life celebration are planned for the spring.  

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