The Obit Project

Off the Grid by Choice

A lot of people in Billings, Montana, knew Stanley Littleboy [https://www.smithfuneralchapels.com/obituaries/Stanley-James-Littleboy?obId=30858849] by sight. He was that homeless guy with the great face you’d see downtown or in South Park. But he had people who loved him. His kids and grandkids in Billings tried to give him options, including a roof over his head. Stanley said no. He preferred his lifestyle, even though it ended when his body was found frozen near the railroad tracks. His family reconciles what they knew and what they tried to understand about Stanley now that he’s no longer running from them. Reported and narrated by Paul Hamby, UM Journalism alum currently at the Billings Gazette See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

An Imperfect Parent

Darrel Johnson [https://www.gardencityfh.com/obituaries/darrel-johnson] was someone people thought they knew. Maybe they worked alongside him at a high school dance. Maybe they knew him from Boy Scouts or through the camp he ran for troubled boys. His son knew his dad was also involved in some grisly investigations because Darrel would develop crime-scene photos in the family bathroom. Darrel’s job and personality were darker than most knew and time has allowed for honest, nuanced reflection. Reported and narrated by Bayliss Flynn, current student at UM Journalism. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Ghost Lady Is My Neighbor

When she was in high school, Lotus Porte-Moyel interviewed her neighbor, Ellen Baumler, about being a successful woman. Ellen’s success was measured in history books – she wrote 13 of them about the people and places of Montana and was the historian when it came to its capital city of Helena. But really? She was possibly best known for her good work on ghosts and Montana’s many spooky spots. Reported and narrated by Lotus Porte-Moyel, current student at UM Journalism See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Vanished in Vietnam

In 1965, Montanan pilot Dean Pogreba pulled up into the clouds over North Vietnam and was never heard from again. That left his wife and kids to always wonder: Was he still out there? Over the years, a few clues and stories gave his family hope. Maxine Pogreba lived her own full life before and after her husband died, but without someone to bury, she had to find her own path of grief and memory. Reported and narrated by Charles Bolte, alum of UM Journalism’s graduate program. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Friends Till the End

Brendon Galbreath [https://dailybruin.com/2021/09/18/friends-and-family-of-brendon-galbreath-remember-him-for-his-kindness-drive]’s death was covered by most major news stations in Montana. He died after being pulled over. At first, it wasn’t clear if a cop shot and killed a 21-year-old citizen of the Blackfeet Nation in Missoula or if he died by suicide in that moment. But this isn’t a story about that. It’s about the beautiful moments we share with our friends, the kind that never show up in news stories. Reported and narrated by JoVonne Wagner, alum of UM Journalism currently at Montana Free Press See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.