BILLINGSS GAZETTE Friday, October 4, 2002

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Alma Pankratz Billman

HARLEM - Alma Pankratz Billman, 88, longtime resident of Livingston, passed away Sept. 30, 2002, in Havre, due to natural causes.

Funeral services will be Saturday, Oct. 5, at 2 p.m., in the Harlem United Methodist Church, with burial following in the Harlem Cemetery. Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.

Mrs. Billman is survived by one daughter, Bonnie Hakert Konamauri of Soloman Island, South Pacific; sisters, Betty Derbyshire of Havre, Ann Kuebler of Saco, Stella Breitmeier of Harlem; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews.

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GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE Friday, October 4, 2002

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Alma Billman

HARLEM -- Alma (Pankratz) Billman, 88, a homemaker, died of natural causes Monday at a Havre care center.

Her funeral is 2 p.m. Saturday at United Methodist Church, with burial in Harlem Cemetery. Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook is in charge of arrangements.

Survivors include a daughter, Bonnie Hakert Konamauri of Soloman Island, South Pacific; sisters Betty Derbyshire of Havre, Ann Kuebler of Saco and Stella Breitmeier of Harlem; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

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HAVRE DAILY NEWS Friday, October 4, 2002

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ALMA BILLMAN

HARLEM - Alma Billman, 88, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2002, at a Havre care center of natural causes.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Saturday in the United Methodist Church with burial following in Harlem Cemetery.

Alma was born on April 18, 1914, in Vida to Robert and Elizabeth (Schock) Pankratz. She worked for Bell Telephone as a lineman.

On Dec. 11, 1937, she married Bernard Billman in Wolf Point. He was employed by Bell Telephone as a lineman. For the first 10 years of their marriage they lived in nearly every area in Montana. The last 20 years of his employment they lived in Billings. After retirement, they moved to Livingston. He died in 1971.

Alma lived at the long-term care unit at Northern Montana Hospital in Havre since 1986. She was very appreciative of her care at the care center and considered the staff part of her family.

She was preceded in death by her husband; an infant daughter; her parents; sister, Bertha Vian; brothers, Reinhold Pankratz, David Herbert Pankratz, Walter John Pankratz, Edmond Robert Pankratz and Samuel William Pankratz.

Survivors include her daughter, Bonnie Hakert Konamauri in the Solomon Islands; sisters, Betty Derbyshire of Havre, Ann Kuebler of Saco, Stella Breitmeier of Harlem; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.

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THE BLAINE CO. JOURNAL NEWS-OPINION Wednesday, October 9, 2002

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Alma Billman

Alma (Pankratz) Billman, 88, died of natural causes on September 30, 2002, at the Northern Montana Care Center in Havre. Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 5, in the Harlem Methodist Church with burial following in the Harlem Cemetery. Arrangements were by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.

Alma was born on April 18, 1914, in Vida, MT, the second of ten children born to Robert and Elizabeth (Schock) Pankratz. She completed an 8th grade education at the Schillinger country school and was baptized a member of the German Baptist Church. Singing was something that Alma always loved, and she was a member of the family quar1 tet that included her father, her brother Reinhold and her sister Ann.

Alma went to Wolf Point to work as a telephone operator and that’s where she met Bernard Billman, a lineman at Bell Telephone. On December 11, 1937, Alma and Bernie were married in Wolf Point and two daughters were born to this union. Their first daughter lived for only a couple of days, but their seèond daughter Bonnie Mae, who was born in Helena, thrived.

During their first ten years of marriage, Bernie’s work took them to many different towns in Montana, then for the next 20 years the family lived in Billings. Bernie loved to fish and Alma loved to go with him, often fixing picnic lunches. She also enjoyed embroidery and crocheting, and she loved to dance.

In 1965 Bernie retired and they moved to Livingston. Bernie passed away in 1971 and Alma continued to live in Livingston until 1986. Most of her adult life she suffered from a mental condition that later prevented her from living alone. In July of 1986 she moved to Havre where she resided in the Northern Montana Long Term Care Facility, then moved to the new Northern Montana Care Center.

She liked to have her hair fixed, her nails done and her room neat and tidy. She had a great love for her country and insisted that the U.S. flag be in the dining room. She often walked the halls, sometimes singing, and she remained mobile until the last few days before she died in her sleep.

Survivors include her daughter, Bonnie Konamauri of the Solomon Islands; three sisters, Ann Kuebler of Saco, Betty Derbyshire of Havre, and Stella Breitmeier of Harlem; four grandchildren; five great grandchildren; plus many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband; one daughter; five brothers; and one sister.

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