Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home and Cremation Services

07/07/2026

Joseph Stephen Podobnik

On Tuesday, June 30, 2026, Joseph S. Podobnik passed away after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy Body dementia. This cruel disease afflicts so many and despite sincere efforts from many world renowned personalities and researchers, no cure has yet been found. Joe experienced the worst effects and spent the last five years of his life unable to care for himself. Thankfully, he found an excellent care-giving staff at the Anaconda Nursing Home. Our family is thankful for their professionalism, but more importantly, their personal relationship with Joe. They made his last years the best that they could be.

Joe was born on April 27, 1951, three days before his father passed away. But he was never without the influence of a father figure. His uncles, Edward (“Sport”), Bill, and Frank Podobnik instilled in him a deep affection for some of the things that make Montana such a special place. Joe was a skier, a snowmobiler, a fisherman, and a hunter. But mostly, he just liked being out in the mountains, on the rivers and creeks, and playing in the snow.

He attended Montana State University where he majored in skiing. He soon discovered that academics was not to his liking, so he and his best friend, Steve Lane, enrolled in the Hobart School of Welding in Ohio. He soon found employment with the Anaconda Company, shortly before the shutdown of the smelter in Anaconda. But very soon thereafter, he was hired by AFFCO Foundry as a boilermaker, a welder and a crane operator. After many years with AFFCO, Joe retired in 2012, leaving him more time to care for his horses and mule. It was amazing to see how easily he interacted with his “pets”.

Joe was not a world shaker. But he was genuine, compassionate, and generous. We often heard “Joe is a really nice guy”. And he was. A soft spoken big man, he loved his family and friends in a way that was never spoken but always shown by his willingness to help, to celebrate, and to grieve.

He is survived by his sister and caregiver, Deborah Kunkle, brother John and partner Maria Murray, brothers-in-law Fred Peterson and Mike Kunkle, several nephews, nieces, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his father John, His mother Florence (Holmlund) Kasky, sister Joan Peterson, niece Erika (Podobnik) Gomer, and nephew, Chuck Peterson.

At his request, there will be no service. His family will have a celebration of life and a scattering of his ashes in a place he loved.

Any memorials may be made to the Anaconda Nursing Home, Anaconda Hospice, or donors choice.

Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home is privileged to care for Joe and his family.

View Joseph Stephen Podobnik's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

07/07/2026

07/06/2026

Albert "Al" Lawrence Huston

Albert Lawrence Huston, age 80, of Deer Lodge, passed on July 4, 2025.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 pm, Saturday, July 25, 2026 at the Jaycee Park in Deer Lodge, MT.

Please visit below to offer condolences to the family or share a memory of Albert.

Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home and Crematory have been privileged to care for Albert and his family.

View Albert "Al" Lawrence Huston's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

07/06/2026

John "Johnny" Joseph Pupich, Jr.

John was born on August 30,1936 to John and Josephine Pupich in Anaconda, Mt. He was the first child of three, and the only son. His sister Mary Kay was born when John was five and his sister Karen when he was sixteen.

John went to St. Peter's Grade School and was an altar boy at the Church. He liked playing baseball, basketball, fishing, took piano lessons and was a Junior Member of the Croatian Fraternal Union. He attended and graduated from Anaconda Central High School. Math and Physics were his favorite subjects and he played clarinet in the pep band. John's grandfather, Joseph Kuffner helped him to get a job on the section crew for the railroad, and John's dad helped him get work at the Smelter as summer jobs.

John attended the Milwaukee School of Engineering, MSOE. He took courses in Physics and all the Math classes that were offered. The graduation rate was 30%. He graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering.

In 1961, John started his career at Fort Belvoir, Virginia as a GS-5 Engineer working in the Army Night Division Lab. John worked on miniature components, and received an award for his work on the Army's first generation of night-vision enabled rifle scope.

By 1968, John was promoted to supervise a team of physicists and engineers working on power and signals for all Second Generation Night Vision Systems. A major focus of this second generation were night vision goggles, particularly for helicopter pilots' use. His team received many patents and awards.

The next effort led by John was signal processing for thermal imaging systems. These thermal imaging systems were used in combat vehicles, helicopters and satellites. A significant patent was filed by John for a unique circuit used in these systems. John was assigned as the Army's representative to the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), which awards millions of dollars on research projects to this day. DARPA played a significant role in funding remotely piloted aircraft and the internet. John retired in 1988 as a GS-14 Supervisory Engineer.

After retiring he moved from Virginia to Las Vegas, NV. John used his knowledge of Math and Statistics to aid in handicapping sports and he started a Sports Advisory Service that advised those betting on football which team to wager on. In 1990 he wrote two articles that were published in the popular gaming magazine titled "Sports Betting Guide" and was named one of the top football handicappers in the country. John spent forty hours a week handicapping sports for many years.

John was genuinely interested in people, being loyal and helpful to his family and friends throughout the years. He had a quick smile and fun laugh. When you spoke to John, he looked at you and gave you his full attention. He was a great storyteller especially stories about fishing at the Big Hole River with his father, grandfather, and uncle. In later years enjoyed fishing with the younger family. He loved cooking and eating good food. His Grandmother's fried chicken and Croatian dinners were favorites.

At Christmas and in the summer John looked forward to spending time in Montana with his family and joining in activities going sapphire mining, taking a trip to Glacier Park and hiking, playing pinochle and Yahtzee. He was so much fun to be with. John was always interested in his nieces and nephews and grand niece and nephews lives especially their education. He was always a gentleman opening doors for others and thanking people when they did something for him. He was a kind big brother, and humble man. We were blessed to have John in our lives.

In 2023 John moved to Helena to be closer to family. He lived in a senior independent living community and later moved to an assisted living community.

John was preceded in death by his father, John in 1978 and his mother, Josephine in 2003, and uncle Frank in 1959.

He is survived by his sister Mary Kay Matule of Helena; sister Karen Hellman of Carson City, NV; niece Ann Gannon, (John) sons Nile and Callum; nephew Mike Matule (Michelle) daughter Kylie; niece Kathy Matule; nephew Jeremy Hellman; niece Rebecca Hellman; and numerous cousins.

Funeral Mass will be held at 2pm, Friday, July 31,2026 at St. Peter's Church, 407 Alder St, in Anaconda. Rite of Committal will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Anaconda, West 5th and Cottonwood St. John's life will be honored and celebrated with words of remembrance at the Kuffner Family Reunion that weekend.

The family request any memorial gifts be made in John's name to St. Peter's Health Center, 2475 E Broadway Street, Helena, MT 59601 or simply consider doing a kind deed for someone.

View John "Johnny" Joseph Pupich, Jr.'s obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

07/06/2026

Rachael Elizabeth Rogers

Rachael Elizabeth Rogers Dec 15, 2007 — Jul 1, 2026 Anaconda

Celebration of Life: Anaconda Gymnasium - Jul 26, 2026 - 2:00 pm

The family of Rachael Rogers is deeply saddened to announce her passing on July 1, 2026. She was born on December 15, 2007 in Butte, MT, to Elizabeth and Darrell. She grew up on her family's ranch in Galen, Montana. Rachael attended Deer Lodge for Kindergarten, then transferred to Anaconda Schools. After graduating from Anaconda High School earlier this June, she was eager to start her adult life. Rachael was working a summer job at Domino’s Pizza and saving money for cosmetology school.

Rachael will be remembered for her kind heart, loyalty, thoughtfulness and positivity. She was a member of 4-H for many years, showing her pigs and other projects at the Tri County Fair. She greatly enjoyed all her school sports, but wrestling was her greatest passion. Rachael’s dedication on and off the mat inspired teammates and opponents alike to strive for excellence. Win or lose, she left her heart on the mat and always walked off with a smile.

Rachael attended Living Waters Revival Church for the past two years, following her strong faith in Jesus. By encouraging her family to attend Sunday service, Rachael inspired them to further pursue the Lord. The most important thing to her was family. She was always there to support her family and cherished being near loved ones. She especially enjoyed time with her three nephews and always made sure she was the first in line whenever they needed someone to watch them.

Although Rachael's life was tragically brief, she filled those eighteen years with love, laughter, joy, and wonderful memories. She will be deeply missed by all whose lives she touched.

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the Life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die’ ” - John 11:25-26

Rachael is survived by her parents, Elizabeth and Darrell; her brothers, Connor (Desiree) and Colin (Zandrea); her sister, Tiffany; her nephews Bodee, Jetsen and Kaizen; and many family members and dear friends who will forever cherish her memory.

She was preceded in death by her grandma, Jessie; her aunts, Rose and Cathy; and her brother, Voil. Rachael will be laid to rest near all of them, in a small private ceremony, later this week.

We invite all who knew and loved Rachael to join us for a Celebration of Life to be held at the Snake Pit (Anaconda High School Gymnasium) on Sunday, July 26, 2026 at 2:00 pm. Refreshments will be provided and all are welcome to bring written memories, photographs, or small mementos to place in a time capsule, in her honor.

Memorial contributions may be made through:

GoFundMe - https://gofund.me/49289c89e

or

Venmo - https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3149900527173632312&created=1783518234

Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home and Crematory have been privileged to care for Rachael and her family.

View Rachael Elizabeth Rogers's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

07/03/2026

Happy Birthday, America! ❤️
Please have a beautiful and safe 4th of July weekend. 🎇🧨🎆

07/02/2026

Dennis James Reiss

Dennis James Reiss passed away June 7th, 2026, of a heart attack. Dennis was born in Anaconda to Ralph and Delores Reiss in September 1952 as the second of three boys. He attended St. Joes and Dwyer schools and graduated from Anaconda High School. He had several occupations throughout his years. He first worked for Hoscheid Masonry as a young man then at the Smelter and the Job Corps. He served in the Army, joining the Paratroopers 82nd Airborne with his cousin Tim Wyant in 1972 until his honorable discharge in 1975. He married the love of his life, Michelle Evans, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in May 1989.

Dennis was an incredible storyteller and could entertain someone for hours with tales of his hunting adventures and time in the Army. He was very generous and enjoyed giving gifts and spending time with the people in his life. He was a lifelong hunter and fisherman, first enjoying the outdoors with his father, Ralph, then his brothers Tom and Phil and cousin Tim. His favorite hunting partner was his brother Phil with whom he hiked the backcountry pursuing big game and wetland birds. In his later years he enjoyed ATV rides and lakeside BBQs with family including his special family members, niece Erin, her husband David and their sons Dean, Evan, and Ethan. He also enjoyed spending time with these great nephews whether exploring the outdoors or playing video games. He truly enjoyed Montana to the fullest.

He is missed by his surviving family members, wife Michelle Reiss, brother Phil (Margy) Reiss. Cousin Tim (Carmen) Wyant. Niece Erin Dobrinen (David) and great nephews Dean, Evan and Ethan. He will be also missed by his extended family members, neighbors and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents Ralph and Delores Reiss, brother Tom Reiss (Helen), and cousins Dave, Kenny and Tony.

Per Dennis's request private family gathering was held. If you wish to give a memorial, please donate to either of Dennis's favorite charities: St. Jude's and the Shriners.

His family wishes to thank the Anaconda Hospital ER staff and Anaconda Ambulance staff for their efforts and kindness.

Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home has been privileged to care for Dennis and his family.

View Dennis James Reiss's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

06/30/2026

Dennis Allan McKenney

Dennis was born May 4, 1938, in Bozeman, Montana, to Donald McKenney and Lula (Jordan) McKenney. He grew up in various places in Montana alongside his brothers Donald, Wallace, Larry, and Al, and his sister Eileen. In the fall of 1956 Dennis met Leora Herbst, and they were married June 21, 1957, in Salmon, Idaho. Leora was the love of his life for 59 years, until her death on May 1, 2017.

Dennis served in the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1962 as an aircraft control & warning operator. After his service, Dennis and Leora both worked on the Minuteman Missile Project near K**b Noster, Missouri, where Dennis served as a security guard holding a secret clearance. For the next several years San Diego, California was home, where Dennis worked as a welder and machinist, including several years with Buck Knives, Inc. In April 1971 the couple moved back “home” to Montana, settling in Anaconda, where they built a home on Foster Creek that remained Dennis's home for the rest of his years.

Beginning in 1978, Dennis and Leora spent more than 20 years as owner/operators of a specialized heavy haul trucking business, with Leora sharing the driving and later piloting es**rt for oversized loads.

Dennis could fix anything and loved being outdoors, riding motorcycles, hiking, camping and picnicking.

Dennis was preceded in death by his wife, Leora; his parents, Donald and Lula McKenney; and his brothers Donald, Wallace, and Larry, and half-brother Raymond Jordan. He is survived by his sister, Eileen Dobrinen (Fred), and his brother, Al McKenney (Camilla).

A private graveside ceremony will be held at New Hill Cemetery. Dennis will be laid to rest next to his wife, Leora.

Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home has been privileged to care for Dennis and his family.

View Dennis Allan McKenney's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.