The Billings Gazette from Billings, Montana • 8

The Billings Gazette 8 A Friday, October 28, 1994 OBITUARIES Serbs take flight after stunning loss Joan Marie Birrer LONGVIEW, Texas Joan Marie Birrer, 52, of Longview, Texas, formerly of Billings, died Wednesday morning in Longview after a brief illness. Harold S. Baker COLUMBIA FALLS Harold S. Baker, 74, died Friday, Oct. 21, 1994, at the Montana Veteran's Home in Columbia Falls.

Graveside memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, in the Veterans section of Custer County Cemetery. Bullis-Graves Memorial Chapel of Miles City is in charge. Joanne 'Jody' Scott POWELL, Wyo. Joanne "Jody" Scott, 67, died at her home Thursday afternoon following a long illness.

She was born in Powell, attended schools here and graduated from the Deaconess School of Nursing in Billings in 1948. She married Melvin L. Scott on Aug. 5, 1948. Survivors include her husband of Powell; two sons, Keith and Steve Scott, both of Powell; one daughter, Kathy Scott of Long-view, and four grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 31, at Union Presbyterian Church in Powell. Burial will be in Crown Hill Cemetery. For those who wish, contributions for a scholarship to the nursing program at Northwest College in Powell or to the charity of your choice in memory of "Jody" would be appreciated by the family.

Easton Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Relief workers began sending in food and blankets to the dis-placed one of the largest throngs of Serb refugees to flee at one time since the war began in April 1992. More than 200,000 people have died or disappeared since Bosnia seceded from Yugo- slavia. During the first two years of the war, Serb forces took about two-thirds of Bosnia-Herzegovina, with the Muslim-led government controlling the remainder. The heaviest government of-.

fensive centered around the Serb-held town of Kupres, where gov- eminent army officials said they were closing in from the north and east. U.N. relief workers said Serb civilians were fleeing to safer rebel-held lands. Bosnian Army sources said most of the high ground north and east of Kupres has been captured by government forces. They predicted the town would fall when the high points of land north, northeast and east are taken.

In the attack outside Bihac, the government's most successful of the war, Bosnian army forces captured up to 60 square miles of territory east and southeast of the town, said Lt. Col. Tim Spicer, a peacekeeper spokesman. "It is clear the Bosnian Serbs were caught totally off guard," he said. Serb troops "withdrew in dis-, array," leaving behind tanks and mortars.

Test-tube triplets born to woman, 55 PESCARA, Italy (AP) A 55-year-old woman gave birth to test-tube triplets on Thursday. The woman, whose name and nationality were witheld by Pesca-ra Hospital, had two boys and a girl. Dr. Raffaele Lotti told RAI state television the babies were underweight but healthy. He did not say how much the babies weighed.

The report said the births were the result of fertilizing a donor egg with the woman's husband's sperm. Births by post-menopausal women have created controversy in Italy, which has no laws regulating in vitro fertilization. In July, a 62-year-old Italian woman gave birth to a boy through in vitro fertilization, apparently making her the world's oldest woman to give birth. A bioethics committee has recommended prohibiting births by postmenopausal women over the age 51, but no regulations have been adopted. WORLD IN BRIEF LOCAL DEATHS Gladys H.

Hudson, 80, Billings, formerly of Musselshell Alfred Oliver, 90, Billings AREA DEATHS Lillian Estreich Lackman, 69, Laurel Grant R. Ranum, 90, Miles City, formerly of Knowlton Walter "Mick" R. O'Brien, 89, Lewis-town, formerly of Moore John A. Beitel, 74, Red Lodge I larold S. Baker, 74, Columbia Falls Joanne "Jody" Scott, 67, Powell, Wyo.

Forest Morgan, 80, Riverton, Wyo. NEUHARDT-HAPP FUNERAL HOME Accft PurpM cnw Soecializina In Bob Cremation and Funeral Pre-Arrangement! Large Parking Area Spacious Reception Room 528 Lake Elmo Drive 259-8575 Smith Funeral Chapels Serving Billings Area for 98 Years WE ACCEPT PURPLE CROSS Complete Funeral, Crematory Cemetery Pre-Arrang emeriti with Cremation Niches, Lawn Crypt Mausoleum TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS IN BILLINGS SMITH WEST CHAPEL 304 34TH ST. W. 245-6427 4 Blocks N. ot Central on 34th St.

W. 120 N. 26th DOWNTOWN CHAPEL 2454427 Adjacent Parking POPP Edward, 65, of 304 S. 31st St. Funeral services 11 a.m.

Friday, Oct. 28, at Smiths Downtown Chapel. Cremation to follow servicers) REMMICK Delano W. 53, of Billings. Funeral services, 2 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 28, at Smith Downtown Chapel. Interment in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Memorials: American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 1080, Billings, Mt.

SLUSHER Myrtle 81, Huntley. Funeral services 10 a.m. Oct. 29, at Smith's Downtown Chapel. Interment in Huntley Cemetery.

Memorials: Worden Ambulance Fund or Huntley United Methodist Smith Caahmom LAUREL 1-628-6858 LACKMAN Lillian 69, of Laurel. Visitation starting Saturday. Services, 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, at St.

John's Lutheran Church, Laurel. Interment: Laurel Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to: St. John's Lutheran Church, Big Sky Hospice, 1041 N. 29th Billings, Mt.

59101 or charity of Smith Caahmor COLUMBUS 1-628-6858 OlcottCnapal RED LODGE 1-446-1121 Michelotti, Sawyers Nordquist Mortuary arid Crematory if fa SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) Muslim-led government forces closed in on a front-line town west of Sarajevo on Thursday following a stunning victory over Bosnian Serbs that threatens to shatter fragile peace efforts. The victory could bolster the confidence of the outgunned government army that has fought a mostly losing battle for 2V2 years, making it less likely to compromise in U.N.-brokered negotiations. "Any offensive is counterproductive and certainly does not contribute to improve the lot of the civilian population," said Sergio De Mello, one of the top U.N. envoys in former Yugoslavia. The Bosnian Serb army's chief of staff acknowledged the extent of the defeat near the northwestern town of Bihac.

In a letter to the U.N. peacekeepers, Lt. Gen. Manojlo Milovanovic demanded they "urgently put pressure on the Muslim side to stop the offensive, especially against civilians." The Serbs suffered "immense material damage and losses," Milovanovic said. U.N.

relief workers estimated 7,500 Serb civilians mostly women, children and elderly had fled advancing government forces in two areas: 2,500 from the Kupres area 55 miles west of Sarajevo and the rest from the Bihac enclave in the northwest. Mieuel Obando expires. Keating the international justified." Ex-Ethiopian ADDIS ABABA, has filed war crimes leader Col. Mengistu officials of the Ethiopia until 1991. Special Thursday that Zimbabwe after ago, will be tried other war crimes.

Zimbabwe to extradite Mengistu. Forty-five of have been in the said. Economic MOSCOW presented parliament ambitious economic survived a key government. The failure State Duma, pressure on the Cabinet, which attack in recent Tens of country rallied and the government's Prime Minister lawmakers that sometimes-disruptive push them through bureaucrat, who period of market sounded an entirely The moon over the Pacific, continent. southern Peru of Arequipa, where From Peru, and into the A total eclipse of the feet to 21,000 feet Trains, buses carry thousands Indian villages From the across the colonial continue southeast Falls in Brazil Ocean.

will carry High cloud slopes of the The last 1966. The next said the continuing presence of force beyond then "cannot be officials charged Ethiopia The government charges against longtime Haile Mariam and 72 Marxist military regime that ruled prosecutor Ghirma Wakjira said Mengistu, given political asylum in being ousted in a coup 3'2 years in absentia for genocide and has turned down repeated requests the 73 people charged this week central prison since 1991, Ghirma plan survives vote Russia's prime minister Thursday with his most reform plan yet and then no-confidence vote in his of the no-confidence motion in the parliament's lower house, should ease President Boris Yeltsin to shake up has come under increasing weeks because of rising inflation. thousands of workers across the Thursday to protest a lack of jobs failure to pay many wages. Viktor Chernomyrdin told instead of retreating from market reforms, Russia must faster. The ex-Soviet in January declared that "the romanticism has ended," different theme Thursday.

Russian hijacking ends MOSCOW A hijacker blew himself up with a homemade bomb Thursday after his last hostages escaped when he fell asleep. Firefighters recovered $800,000 in ransom money from the burning plane. The 30-hour hijacking saga was the fifth in the past year in southern Russia, which has become a hotbed of crime and unrest since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. The hijacking began Tuesday night, shortly after the plane took off from Makhachkala, about 960 miles southeast of Moscow, with 22 passengers and five crew members aboard. The hijacker, armed with a grenade and knife, ordered the pilot to return to the southern city, where he demanded $2 million and passage to Iran.

Iran refused to allow the plane to land. All of the passengers were released Wednesday, many after authorities handed over $800,000 in U.S. currency. By early Thursday, the hijacker was alone with two pilots. Mogadishu airport closed MOGADISHU, Somalia Heavy fighting closed Mogadishu's airport Thursday, temporarily stranding a U.N.

fact-finding team. Mortar shells fired by the feuding Abgal and Murusade clans exploded at the seaside airport, damaging the main runway and delaying the departure of seven representatives of the U.N. Security Council. The team was wrapping up a two-day visit to Mogadishu in which it met with Somalia's two principal leaders, bitter rivals Gen. Mohamed Farrah Aidid and Ali Mahdi Mohamed.

Colin Keating of New Zealand, head of the U.N. delegation, said the two faction leaders were told that the United Nations would withdraw its peacekeeping force most of them from India, Pakistan and Egypt by March 31. That is when the mandate of the U.N. mission Joan was born Jan. 23, 1942, in Butte, the daughter of Gerald and Aina Saarela Trimbo Sr.

She graduated from Billings Senior Hieh School in 1960. She later worked as an operator in Billings for 28 years and in Long- JOAN BIRRER view for two years. Joan was a very dedicated employee. She was also a member of the Church of Marshall, Texas. Joan enjoyed decorating cakes, helping friends and animals, and she loved cats.

She was a kind. caring, giving person who put the needs of others first. She is survived by her children, Nick Birrer Jr. of Billings. Teresa Spitzer of Billings, David Birrer of Takoma Park, and Tara Birrer of Longview; grandchildren, Marielle Spitzer and Donovan Wintermyer; her mother, Aina Jarnot; stepfather, Everette Jarnot; twin sister, Jean Sherwin; sisters, Melva Wiederman, Linda Hoffman and Joyce Baker: brothers, Bud Trimbo, Dennis Trimbo and Tom Trimbo; ten nieces; four nephews; and three cats, Stinker, Popeye and Beefus.

She was preceded in death by her father, Gerald Trimbo. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 31, at Dahl Funeral Chapel with interment at Mountview Cemetery. Memorials area suggested to the American Cancer Society.

Dahl Funeral Chapels is in charge of arrangements. Lillian Estreich Lackman LAUREL Lillian Estreich Lackman, 69, of Laurel, died Wednesday, Oct. 26, 1994, at her home surrounded by her family and friends. She was born Aug. 6, 1925, at Laurel, a daughter of Alex and Christina Vogel Estreich.

After graduating from Laurel High School in May of 1943, she went to work for Mr. and Mrs. Sterrett at the local Ben Franklin Store. She married John Lackman Sept. 22, 1946, in Laurel.

Her greatest joy in life was her family, especially Erik and Annie, her grandchildren. The gathering of the family for the Christmas Eve soup supper was the highlight of the holiday season for her. Lillian was an active member of the L.W.M.L.; Good Shepherd Auxiliary and the church choir, and was also a member of the Laurel Golf Club. She was preceded in death by her son, Randy; her brother, Alec, who was a Korean War casualty; and her parents. Lillian is survived by her husband of 48 years, John, of Laurel; one son, Marc Lackman, of Tana-na, Alaska; one daughter, Peggy Olson, and her husband.

Ken, of Laurel: two sisters. Patsy Freeman and her husband, Wayne, of Moses Lake, and Esther Stevens and her husband, John, of Missoula; grandchildren, Erik and Annie Olson of Laurel; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, at St.

John's Lutheran Church, Laurel. Interment will be in the Laurel Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to St. John's Lutheran Church, Big Sky Hospice or charity of choice. Smith-Cashmore Memorial Chapel was in charge of arrangements.

Gladys H. Hudson Gladys H. Hudson, 80, of Billings, formerly of Musselshell, died Wednesday evening, Oct. 26, 1994, at St. Vincent Hospital.

She was born on a homestead north of Billings on July 25. 1914, the daughter of George and Minnie Harris Marsh. She attended rural schools in Yellowstone County and married Merle M. "Buck" Hudson in Malta on Aug. 25.

1934. Together they ranched and raised horses in the Musselshell area. Buck preceded Gladys in death on March 1. 1972. in Billings.

Gladys is survived by two daughters. Mrs. Lynn Lowe and her husband, Robert, of Custer and Mrs. Judy Bird and her husband. Gary, of Musselshell: one son.

Cloyd, and his wife, Mileva. also of Musselshell: one brother. Fred Marsh, and two sisters. Hildred Berkley and Cleo Sysum, all of Billings: seven grandchildren: and nine great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband, Gladys was preceded in death by one son.

Richard "Dickie" Hudson, in 1935. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday. Oct. 31.

at Michelotti. Sawyers Nordquist with interment in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be sent to the charity of one's choice. mm. i'i Andrew 'Andy' O.

Williamson GREYBULL, Wyo. Andrew "Andy" O. Williamson, 87, died Thursday, Oct. 27, 1994, at his home. Visitations will be held from noon to 6 p.m.

on Sunday at the Greybull Funeral Home. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 31, at the Hillside Cemetery in Greybull. At-wood Family is in charge.

Grant R. Ranum MILES CITY Grant R. Ranum, 90, formerly of Knowlton, died Wednesday, Oct. 26, 1994, at the VA Medical Center in Miles City. Services will be held at 3 p.m.

Monday, in the chapel of Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home in Miles City with interment in the Knowlton Cemetery. Walter 'Mick' R. O'Brien LEWISTOWN Walter "Mick" R. O'Brien, 89, formerly of Moore, died Thursday in the Central Montana Skilled Nursing Center in Lewistown of natural causes. Services will be at 11 a.m.

Saturday in the Cloyd Chapel with interment in the Moore Cemetery. Bullis Mortuary Phone 665-1207, Hardin, ML "We Accept Purple Cross" WHITE HIP Funeral Mass for Francis White Hip will be celebrated 10 a.m. Saturday in the Lodge Grass Catholic Church. Rosary wake service 7 p.m. Friday, Wyola Catholic Church.

Interment, Lodge Grass FORD Funeral services for Maxine Wolcott Ford will be held 3 p.m. Saturday in the Bullis Funeral Chapel. Interment, Fairview Chapels 'llEll Thiee Generations of ProlmioMj Cafethrinf Since 1939 Hoipiulity Dooat Available it tiliinfi Dee Udl I DAHL JOHN DAHL JERRY NORDQUIST Fineral or Crcaatioi Pre-Arranicatntl Golden WE ACCEPT PURPLE CROSS BILLINGS 10 YtHkm-stme Biting Montana 59101 (406) BIRRER Joan Marie, 52, of Longview, Texas, formerly of Billings. Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Monday, at the Dahl Funeral Chapel.

Interment, Mountview Cemetery. Reception to follow. Memorials may be made to American Cancer Society, Montana Chapter, 17 N. 26th Mt. CARPENTER Ann 74, of 229 Lexington.

Funeral services will be" held 11 a.m. Friday, at the Dahl Funeral Chapel. Interment, Sunset Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be made to the Shriners Children Hospital, P.O. Box 20673, Billings, MT BEITEL John 74, of Red Lodge.

Funeral services pending at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Red Lodge. Interment in Red Lodge -BOZEMAN- 300HjNidBr.l Bona Unman 40 -RED LODGE 70S South McGaoi (Wl)dL Montana SWIB (408)44ia0a Eclipse embroiled in politics LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) A solar eclipse will plunge an area from southern Peru to Brazil into darkness next week, and thousands of tourists and scientists are coming to Bolivia for a good view. Bolivians boast that the clear skies often found on the altiplano highlands in the Andes make it the perfect place for viewing next Thursday's eclipse. Chile feels otherwise, however, and Bolivian scientists and politicians angrily accuse their western neighbor of trying to steal their show.

"Some Chilean officials in a abusive and malicious manner are making Bolivia disappear from the South American map across which the eclipse will pass," said the National Committee for the Solar Eclipse in a statement. "They want people to believe that Chile will be the privileged area to watch the eclipse and that Bolivia does not exist." A territorial dispute between the two countries dates to the 19th century when Bolivia lost its access to the sea in a war with Chile. Full diplomatic relations have not been restored because of Bolivia's claim to the coast. The issue is not likely to bring a call to arms, but it is an indication that relations between the two countries are still tense. will first cast its shadow on the sun 900 miles west of the South American The shadow will touch the continent in and cross over the desert and the city the eclipse will last 49 seconds.

the shadow will cross northern Chile highlands of Bolivia. will be visible along a distant section Bolivian Andes at an altitude of 13,000 for several minutes. and four-wheel drive vehicles will of visitors to Aymara and Quechua located in the path of the eclipse. altiplano, the shadow will continue city of Potosi. From there it will across northern Paraguay, Iguazu and Argentina and disappear in the Atlantic Cruise ships off the coast of Brazil also eclipse-watchers.

cover and humidity levels on the eastern Andes could affect visibility, however. total eclipse visible in Bolivia was in eclipse will take place in 2113. Rights group blasts Nicaragua 100? Alderson Avenue. Billings, MT 59102 (406) 252-3417 FAX (406) 252-3024 A Full-Service Mortuary and Cremator Pre-N red and At-Need Funeral Arrangement! Cremation Services Serving All Filths With Dignity Srnce 1956 Mortuary Parking Adiacent On-S'te Crematory Member bv Invitation National Selected Morticians Ye Accept Purple Cross HUDSON Gladys 80, of Billings, formerly of Musselshell. Funeral service 1 p.m.

Monday, at Michelotti, Sawyers Nordquist with interment in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Memorials to the charity of one's HAWKINS Thomas of Seattle, WA. Graveside services 1 p.m. Tuesday Mountview 28) OLIVER Alfred, 90, of Billings. Funeral service 11 a.m.

Monday, at Michelotti, Sawyers Nordquist winterment in Mountview SCHNECKLOTH Edwin 79, of Billings. Funeral service 2 p.m. Friday, at Michelotti, Sawyers Nordquist with interment in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Memorials to the American Legion, Yellowstone Post '4, 1540 Broadwater Billings, MT Bravo. memher; nf PrpeiHpnt Vir.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) Nicaragua remains incapable of bringing assassins to justice regardless of whether the victims were Sandinistas, Contra rebels or ordinary civilians, an international human rights group charged Friday. While allowing that the government's "overall responsibility for committing abuses has been less than its critics allege," Human Rights Watch-Americas said, "impunity for violence remains the norm, regardless of the political orientation of the victims." A commission set up to investigate political assassinations has been characterized by negligence and cover-ups. Human Rights Watch charged after analyzing its reports. The commission was formed two years ago to look into killings committed after the civil war between the leftist Sandinistas and the U.S.-funded Contra rebels ended in June 1990. Its members included Roman Catholic Cardinal leta Chamorro's government and a committee of the Organization of American States.

There was no immediate response to the report from the Nicaraguan government. In its report, Human Rights Watch-Americas calls for the government to make changes in both the judicial system and security forces to stress accountability for crimes. Among the report's findings: The Sandinista armed forces and the police were responsible for at least half of the 42 murder cases the commission has investigated since 1993. The cases collectively involved 75 victims. More than half of all Sandinista deaths were the responsibility of former Contra rebels.

Investigations into the deaths of former Con-tras were affected by negligence or cover-ups 76 percent of the time..