Frances M. Holman, 79, a longtime Blaine County homemaker and rancher, passed away unexpectedly at the family home on Wednesday, April 22, due to natural causes.
Funeral Mass were Monday, April 27, 2009, at 11 a.m. in St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church with burial following in Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Vigil services were Sunday, April 26, at 7 p.m. in the church. Memorials may be sent to St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church. Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook. Frances was born in Savoy, Mont., on Nov. 20, 1929, to S.W. “Goodie” and Esther J. (Rich) Goodheart. She attended St. Jude Thaddeus School in Havre and graduated from Chinook High School. Frances married Robert Holman on Nov. 8, 1948, in Helena. They lived in Chinook before moving to Wagner in 1949 where they were involved in farming and raising hogs. In 1956 they moved to Harlem and owned and operated the Harlem Confectionary for four years. Robert and Frances moved in 1960 to their ranch in the Bear's Paw Mountains until retiring and moving to Chinook in 1993. She was active with the Bear Paw Stockyards cattle sales every Friday from 1993 until 2008. One of her favorite times of the year was spring when baby calves and lambs were born. Frances enjoyed fishing on People’s Creek and loved to play dominos, pinochle and all games. She also enjoyed crocheting, putting puzzles together and doing other crafts. Frances had a green thumb and loved her flowers. She had a good sense of humor, and after retiring to Chinook one of her favorite pastimes was arguing with Bob. In the winter, they liked to travel to Arizona with other Northern snowbirds. Frances is survived by her husband Robert Holman of Chinook, daughters, Debbie (Mike) Arnold of Fort Worth, Texas, Karla (Dexter) Buck of Chinook and Kim (John) Clay and Lona (Herman) Spangle all of Spokane, Wash.; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
