By HDN Staff
ALLEN LLOYD HAMEL
CHESTER Allen Lloyd Hamel, 44, died Thursday, Jan. 11, 2001 at a Chester hospital.
A prayer service for Billings friends was held Sunday at Smith's Downtown Funeral Chapel.
Funeral mass will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Chester with burial at the Chester Cemetery.
Hamel was born in Great Falls to William and Lenora (Laas) Hamel on July 22, 1956. He grew up on the family farm at Ledger. He attended schools at Selma Country School and Chester High School, graduating in 1974. He worked in Missoula for a newspaper and on seismograph crews in western Montana. He majored in psychology at the University of Montana, graduating in 1984.
Hamel enjoyed cooking and had jobs working in various Montana restaurants and catering meals in the summer to fire-fighting crews in Oregon, Montana, Utah and California.
He had made his home in Billings since 1990. During the non-fire seasons, he worked various jobs in Billings and most recently at the Western Sugarbeet Factory.
Hamel was baptized and confirmed at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Chester. In high school he was active in music and drama. He enjoyed the "Beatles", rock-and-roll, jazz, and listening to PBS radio station. His hobbies included pool, darts, chess crossword puzzles, and reading. He collected old dictionaries and coins.
Hamel was preceded in death by an infant son, Raymond.
Hamel is survived by his parents of Shelby; his companion, Bonita Buck of Billings; son, Beau James of Billings; daughter, Christina of Billings; stepchildren, Sharana, Diona, and Twana of Billings; brothers, Steve Hamel of Chester, Darren Hamel of Concord, Calif., and Brian Hamel of Browning; several nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Arrangements by Rockman Funeral Chapel in Chester.
