Mildred Wittman, 87

Mildred (Trast) Wittman passed away at 8:45 am on June 5, 2008 of unexpected complications following surgery. She was born in Issaquah, WA, October 31, 1920. She was 87. Her parents were the late Arvo A. Trast and Sirri M. (Talus) Trast.

During her formative years her parents moved many times in Washington and Oregon because her father was a career Coast Guardsman where his duties required frequent base transfers. She spent most of her summers on her grandfather's farm near Arlington, WA.

Mildred graduated from Port Angeles Junior High School in 1935 and Broadway High School, Seattle, WA in 1938. In 1940 she graduated from Edison Vocational School, Seattle, WA majoring in commercial art.

In 1941 she married Paul E. Bradley. They separated in 1948. She then married Herman Wittman of Everett, WA, February 9, 1949. The couple was seven months short of reaching their 60th wedding anniversary when she died.

She had four children. On daughter April P. Bradley who proceeded her in death. Those surviving are Laurie M. Hobbs of Emmett, Idaho, Gregory P. Wittman of Eagle, Idaho, and Mark A. Wittman of Helena, and Bozeman, Montana. Also surviving are her husband Herman, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

In her working years she worked in various locations as the family followed Herm's transfer to new job locations. She was employed at Eastman Kodak in Seattle, WA in sales. In Everett, WA, she worked in photo finishing and negative retouching for a portrait studio. In Billings, she did free lance negative retouching and photo tinting. In Missoula, she returned to her commercial art skills working for The Missoula Mercantile doing layout and copy work for display ads. She later became the advertising department manager at Newberys. Later she accepted a job to manage the audio visual department for Sentinel High School in Missoula. In Farmington, NM she headed the advertisement department for the daily newspaper.

She always found time for her painting, working primarily in water color. She enjoyed square dancing and 'RVing'. She especially enjoyed visiting historic sites, old military installations and ghost towns. She would sometimes paint them. She was always willing to volunteer for community betterment events and organizations. She was very active in PTA and Boy Scouts. After she retired she served a number of years in Kalispell, for the Area Council on Aging. In Helena, she did volunteer work at the Ft. Harrison Military Museum.

Her family and ancestors were Finnish. She enjoyed associating with her Finnish friends at the local Finnish Club. She was also a dedicated worker for NARFE, (National Assoc of Retired and Active Federal Employees) where she held several offices.

A memorial service will be held at the Plymouth Congregational Church at 10:00 AM, Monday, June 16 in Helena. Cremation has taken place under the direction of Big Sky Cremations. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Ft. Harrison Military Museum, PO Box 125, Ft. Harrison, MT 59636. To offer a condolence to Millie's family, or to share a memory, please visit www.bigskyfunerals.com.

Stevenson Miller, 60

Stevenson Rowley Miller left this world on June 3, 2008 after a long and courageous battle with prostate cancer. Steve was born in Minneapolis, MN on March 22, 1948 to Susan and Rowley Miller. Steve grew up in Minnesota attending St. James Military School and graduated St. John's Military Academy in 1966, where he was a top hockey and tennis player. He attended the University of Minnesota, then ventured to the Yukon and Alaska becoming a hunting and fishing guide. Steve moved back to Minnesota, started his own company, Millstone Enterprises that sponsored motocross and powerboat racing.

He raced motocross, was the crew chief in Formula One powerboat racing, crewed for the Formula One racecar circuit, and was the crew chief for the SCCA ice racing circuit. During this time, he met and married his wife of 35 years, Suzie Wagner. Steve and Suzie spent time in Minnesota and on Cayman Brac Island. They moved to Greer's Ferry Lake near Clinton, Arkansas where their first son, Nick, was born in 1983. They moved back to Minnesota where their second son, CW, was born in 1985. Steve continued his adventures in Alaska and in the mid 1980's he became the owner and the captain of the commercial fishing boat F/V Gypsy out of Homer, then Kodiak, Alaska. He continued his commercial fishing through 2007.

When his sons became interested in BMX racing in 1992, he started and sponsored Millstone BMX Racing Team, a national team of 25 riders who traveled around the country together to compete in local and national races. In 1995, Steve took his oldest son, Nick, to Alaska to crew on his boat. In 1996 he took CW to Alaska to crew on the boat. The following year the boys became the entire crew.

They continued to crew every summer with Steve. Steve and his family moved to Bigfork, MT in 1996 and built a log home on Yellow Bay in 1998. Steve was preceded in death by his son CW and his parents. He is survived by his wife Suzie and his son Nick at the family home in Yellow Bay, his sisters Barby Ryan of Billings, MT and her family, Charlotte Forsythe of Minneapolis, MN and her family, Margaret Ward of Wilsall, MT and her family, and by his extended family and many friends.

A unique independent free spirit, Steve was intellectually brilliant, a great problem solver, and could fix anything. He was adventurous, friendly, honest, kind hearted, fun loving and generous. Steve was an outstanding, delightful and devoted husband, father, and friend. He loved spending his time with his family and his many friends.

A gathering of family and friends and those who knew Steve will be held at the Miller home: 18649 East Lakeshore, Bigfork, MT, on Saturday June 28, 2008 from 2 to 5 p.m. (ceremony at 3 p.m.). Memorials in Steve's memory may be made to the Brac Branch of the Humane Society, Box 207, Cayman Brac, KY2-2101, Cayman Islands. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.groganfuneralhome.com.