Monte Willman

Funeral Services for Monte Willman, 95, of Westmore will be Saturday, January 3, 2015 at 11:00 a. m. Stevenson Funeral Home, Baker with Pastor Ed Smith officiating. Visitation for Monte will be from 6 p. m. to 8 p. m. Friday, January 2, 2015 at Stevenson Funeral Home. Monte passed away Saturday, December 27, 2014 at Fallon Medical Complex in Baker. Monte Ren’e Newland was born December 31, 1918 at Glasgow, MT to John Whitfield “Whit” and Ida Marie Clemence “Edythe” (LaRocque) Newland. She was the elder sister of Vaughn Whitfield Newland. After living along the south side of the Missouri River northeast of Jordan, MT, for 3 or 4 years the family moved to the “Nation Place” (an earlier homestead) for a couple of years, then further “up on top”, above the river to the ” Ed Howe Place” where they lived until Monte had gone 2 years to high school. They all moved into town for her 3rd and 4th years of high school. Upon graduating from high school, in 1936, Monte worked as an assistant in the Garfield County Clerk and Recorder’s Office for a few months. Attending Commercial College in Great Falls, MT, where she belonged to the Alpha Iota Sorority and played violin in their orchestra. After business college she returned to Jordan to run the Employment Office, where she met John Robert “Jack” Willman. They married in 1938 in Miles City and remained in Jordan for another 3 years. He was the County Timekeeper for the W. P. A. , later moving to Lame Deer where he was Project Forman as well as Timekeeper for Indian Crews on the Cheyenne Reservation. From there they went to Farragut, ID, where they worked on the Farragut Naval Base construction. Monte in the Expediting office and John as laborer, then carpenter. Upon base completion they went to Ephrata, WA to work on an Army Air Base. In 1943 daughter Elizabeth D’Alene was born in Jordan, MT. In 1944 they went to Livingston, MT where John worked on a railway tunnel. They returned to the family homestead near Westmore in Eastern Montana, where they remained for the rest of their lives. In 1951 their daughter Roberta Ren’e was born in Beach, ND. During D’Alene’s high school years in Baker, Monte worked 2 years for Fallon County Attorney Denzil Young and 1 year in the Baker High School Office. Monte raised gardens every year, canning the vegetables, beef and chickens that were raised on the ranch. She made jelly from local wild currants, chokecherries, buffalo berries, plums, also canning juice to make jelly later. She won many blue ribbons at the Falllon County Fair for her jellies and crocheted pillowcases, doilies, etc. Monte was an excellent seamstress, made leather jewelry and centerpieces, drew and painted her own Christmas cards for years and made quilts. She was a member of the 3 in 1 Home Demonstration Club and the Fallon Creek Cowbelles. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren enjoyed visiting their Gram, Great Gram, whether for a day, a week, or all summer. Monte is survived by daughters D’Alene McCants and Roberta Willman of the family home, sister-in-law Norma Newland of Terry, MT: grandchildren Norman and Fred Lamb and Lisa Wade all of Casper, WY: step-grandson Dwayne (Teresa) McCants of Alaska: great-grandsons: Dean (Lexi) Lamb with Danica, and Brandon (Stephanie) Lamb with Kiersten and Jovie all of Casper, WY; Don Brown, Plevna, MT great-granddaughter Trista Brown, Casper, WY; step-great-grandsons: Dakota and Jeremiah McCants and James McCants all of Alaska: and numerous nieces and nephews and their families: and many cousins scattered throughout the US and Canada. Monte was preceded in death by her husband, infant son, parents, brother, sister-in-law “Tudy” Newland, son-in-law Jim McCants, granddaughter-in-law Carla (McMahan) Lamb and step-grandson Daryl McCants.


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Burial Date: January 3, 2015
Funeral Home Baker, MT
Church Stevenson Funeral Home

Funeral Service: Saturday: Stevenson Funeral Home, Baker, MT