Obituaries

Jesse Ralph “J.R.” “Toppy” Lee of Forsyth, Montana passed away peacefully of natural causes early morning May 5, 2024. He was 98 years old and was born November 15, 1925 in Fredericksburg, Texas, to parents Albert Griffin Lee and Alfreda Tips Lee. The family moved to Sweetwater, Texas, where Toppy grew up during the great depression and graduated from high school in 1943 second in his class. He described his childhood in Sweetwater as an idyllic time with loving supportive parents, his older sister Eleanor and younger brother Al. He spent some summers with grandparents and cousins in other parts of Texas and he has treasured those cousins and kept in close touch with them for all of his life. Toppy’s dad Albert was a cattle rancher, machinery and implement dealer and the Sweetwater postmaster. Toppy was an Eagle Scout by age 13, an excellent student, and played the french horn in the school band. Mariellen Pepper also played french horn and sat by him in the band from 8th grade through high school. They became fast friends, later sweethearts, and married. After high school Toppy attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, for two semesters and then enlisted in the U.S.Navy where he then was enrolled in the USNR V-12 program at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, where he studied engineering for three semesters, after which he went to the Navy Midshipman School and the Harvard Graduate School of Business for three semesters. He was commissioned Ensign in the Navy May 30, 1945 and was transferred to Bremerton Navy Base in Washington. He helped to start the Surplus Disposal Unit at Bremerton, was head of the Supply Dept of the USS SAPPHO AKA 38 and was the Paymaster for that ship and several other small ships. After the war ended, he helped to decommission the USS SAPPHO and put it in the mothball fleet at Lake Union, Seattle, Washington. After discharge from the Navy, Toppy completed his degree in agricultural business at Texas Tech University in 1947. His dad Albert with a partner had purchased the Porcupine Ranch north of Forsyth, Montana and Toppy moved to Montana. June 1948, he and Mariellen were married in Sweetwater and their wedding trip was taking Mariellen home to Montana. Toppy’s brother Al and a pal hauled all their stuff to Montana in a cattle truck. They lived on the ranch until 1955 when the partners divided it up after which all the Lees moved into the town of Forsyth the Christmas of 1955. Both Toppy and Al participated in the last of the open range gathers north of Forsyth in the late 1940’s and Toppy never tired of telling the stories of the country before it was fenced. Toppy and Al and their families have run the Lee Ranch steer operation north of Forsyth and at Angela continuously to the present. Additionally, Toppy purchased a ranch north of Colstrip on Armells Creek and he and his family have run an Angus cow herd there from 1955 to the present. In Sweetwater growing up, Toppy was a strong, gifted tennis player. He was doubles champion of the State of Texas, won the tennis tournament at Harvard University while in the Navy, and lettered in tennis at Texas Tech University. He continued to play tennis through his adult years in Montana and took his young family for many weekends in Billings to watch and play tennis at Pioneer Park. Toppy taught the U.S. Veterans On-Farm Training Class in Forsyth for the years 1949-1953. He said he taught the ranching part and Larry Erpelding taught the farming part, and Toppy said the program was so valuable because they were able to meet ag producers in the area, visit their farms and ranches and observe how they were operated. During their time living on the ranch, Toppy and Mariellen were very active in the town of Forsyth. They attended the Methodist Church and sponsored the high school youth group there. They played their french horns in the Forsyth City band once a week. They were active in a big square dancing group with other couples from Forsyth and surrounding communities and there were many all night dances with lots of music, food and fun. There was always a lot of company at the ranch from Montana, Texas and Oklahoma, and a bunkhouse of cowboys for whom Toppy’s mother Alfreda cooked three meals a day. It was a fun active place. Toppy and Mariellen had their three children while living at the ranch, Laura born 1949, Ellen born 1952 and Bruce born 1955. In December 1955, they moved to their home at 352 North 5th Avenue in Forsyth, and raised their family there. Marielllen passed away in 2019 and Toppy has continued to reside there until his death. The Lee home in Sweetwater when Toppy was growing up was filled with music and Toppy loved all types of music, played the violin, and liked to sing. Mariellen was an excellent pianist and organist and they played and listened to music all their married life. They encouraged their children to sing and play instruments and to participate in band and music at school and church. Toppy and Mariellen had a fabulous record collection of classical, jazz, old-time country western, bluegrass and gospel. Toppy loved southern gospel music with piano and organ and actually said he thought the greatest gospel singer of all-time was Elvis Presley. Toppy was always a reader, a student, a businessman and historian. He cared about the history of families in Montana and Texas and kept in touch with his friends and associates. He believed in free enterprise and capitalism and supported the local businesses of the Forsyth area to every extent possible. He and Mariellen were life-long enthusiasts for the Rosebud County Library and always supported it. He was a director and owner of the First State Bank of Forsyth until his death. He had been active in livestock associations in Montana including the Montana Stockgrowers Association. Toppy enjoyed the many cowboys and ranch foremen who worked for the Lee Ranches over the years. They are too many to mention here, but he valued each one and the families with them, enjoyed working with them, and treasured their friendships that continued long after they left Lee Ranch. Toppy attended church regularly for all his life, as a Methodist in Sweetwater and then the Methodist Church in Forsyth. When the Methodist Church federated with the Presbyterian Church in Forsyth, Toppy and Mariellen then made the Federated Church their home church. Toppy also enjoyed attending the Baptist Church in Forsyth and getting to know their pastors and families over the years. Toppy always had a good garden. His main plantings were corn, tomatoes, green beans cucumbers and squash. He liked providing it for the family and trading produce with friends and neighbors. Toppy loved his family dearly. He was predeceased by his wife Mariellen, his parents A. G. Lee, Sr. and Alfreda Tips Lee, his sister Eleanor Lee Harris of Jefferson, TX, his brother A. G. “Al” Lee, Jr. of Forsyth, MT, his sons-in-law Larry W. “Buz” Coker of Forsyth and Herb Anderson of Billings, and many treasured cousins in Texas. He is survived by his children Laura Lee (Robert) Vermandel of Billings, Ellen Lee Coker of Forsyth and Bruce E. Lee of Billings. He is survived by his grandchildren Sarah Anne (Darren) Hoffmann of Clovis, CA, Amanda Coker of Forsyth, Charlotte Coker of Forsyth, Matthew Coker of Abilene, TX, and Lynzee Lee of Billings and their families; and by grandchildren Maggie Joy Anderson, Shannon Anderson Crable and Leslie Anderson Pade and their families. He is survived by his nephews Brian (Paula) Lee, Bob (Marlys) Lee and Travis Lee and their families. He also is survived by his nephews Tom Harris of Waco, TX and Tim Harris of Tyler, TX and their families. He is also survived by his nieces and nephews John W. Pepper 3d of Roscoe, TX, Betsy Pepper Kallstrom of Omaha, NE, Julia Pepper Thackrey of San Antonio, TX, Robert Pepper of Lake Havasu City, AZ, Booth Pepper of Pueblo, CO and Bill Pepper, of Kansas and their families. Toppy is survived by his very special cousins in Texas who he kept in touch with and visited with by phone frequently until he died. They are Robin Lee, son of cousin Jack Lee, of Mason, TX and his family; Ruth Neurtzler, cousin, of Cuero, TX and her family; Wanda Lee, wife of cousin Jaime Lee, of Uvalde, TX and all her family; Bennie Frances Lee Sams, daughter of cousin Ben Lee, of Plainview TX and her family; Red Warner, husband of cousin Connie Tips, of Houston, TX, and his family, and Anne Tips, wife of cousin Bob Tips of Tulsa, Ok, now of Weatherford, TX and their family. Our family sincerely thanks everyone at Rosebud County Healthcare, Rosebud County Senior Citizens Center, the PALs Program, Billings Clinic and Aspen Meadows Rehabilitation Center in Billings for your personal and wonderful care of Toppy during his last illness. We will always be grateful. Should anyone wish to contribute to a charity in memory of Toppy, we suggest the Community Foundation of Northern Rosebud County, P. O. Box 1395, Forsyth, MT 59327. Toppy said in his last letter to the 50th Reunion of his Harvard Supply Corps classmates, and we couldn’t say it any better here, “My life has been incredibly sweet. So long, old friends. With regards, Jesse R. “Toppy” Lee “Family to receive friends will be Wednesday, May 15 from 4-6 PM at Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home in Forsyth. A funeral service will be at 2:00 PM at the Presbyterian Church on Thursday, May 16, with burial to follow at the Forsyth Cemetery. Reception will follow burial at the Baptist fellowship hall in Forsyth. To leave condolences for the family, visit our website at www.stevensonandsons.com.

Marjorie Matilda (Taylor) Squires, 92, of Big Spring and formerly of Sweetwater went to her Heavenly Home Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at Park Place Retirement Living in Big Spring. Funeral services will be at 2:00 pm Sunday, May 26, 2024 at McCoy Chapel of Memories. Family visitation will be Saturday from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home.

Page Pace Allen 65, of Farmers Branch, TX. formerly of Sweetwater, TX. passed away on Sunday, May 19, 2024 at her residence. Services are pending with McCoy Funeral Home. Online condolences may be expressed at www.mccoyfh.com.