The Ekalaka Eagle - Your Community Builder

Funeral services for Florine Cleveland Schell were held January 17, 2018 at Stevenson Funeral Home, Ekalaka, MT. Burial followed in Beaverlodge Cemetery.

Florine passed away on the morning of January 11, 2018.

Florine Gail Richards was born on September 7, 1933 to Clarence and Gussie (Burch) Richards in a log house on Cabin Creek, Carter County Montana. She was delivered by her father as the mid-wife did not arrive in time. She was born just in time for the "horse roundup on Cabin Creek" which could perhaps explain when her love for horses began.

Her toddler years were spent at Ridgway with her sisters, Shirley and Clarice as her playmates. She survived a serious case of tick fever in 1935. She was a very sick little girl.

Because of hard times in the livestock business, the family moved to Belle Fourche, SD as Clarence had taken a job with the gas company.

They later moved to Lead, SD where Clarence worked at the Homestake Mine. Florine began her grade school years in Lead. When WWII broke out the family moved back home to Box Elder where they bought the Jack Naugle Place. Florine attended the Johnston School, sometimes sporadically, due to hard winters.

Since Clarence did not have a son, he made Florine his right hand man.

She learned to ride, herd sheep and operate the dump rake during haying season.

Florine attended high school in Ekalaka, graduating in 1951. Following graduation, she attended college and received her teaching certificate and then began teaching at the Mill Iron school where several of her students were Jardee kids. Rusty is quoted as saying "he knew why she didn't come back---too many Jardees". In reality she didn't go back because she had gotten married. She married Larry Cleveland on March 21, 1956. They worked on ranches in the area, the most memorable being the Cliff and Gladys Sherrill place. Also in the early days, Florine played in a dance band with Clarice, Sam Tauck and Betty Owen with Shirley sitting in on occasion. This was a way to earn some spending money and have some good fun while doing it.

Florine and Larry later decided to make some changes and they went to Ohio where Larry attended meat cutting school. They then returned to Montana and lived in Billings where Larry was employed as a meat cutter and Florine worked at Montana Power Company and banks in Billings.

Visiting Florine and Larry was always a good time. Larry was a good story teller and could tell one right after another. They were both lovers of horses. They moved outside of Billings and had some acreage and were able to keep horses, dogs and bum calves. They even got into race horses for a period of time and had great fun with them. Florine especially loved her dogs and had many special ones through the years.

Her nieces and nephews remember Shane, Max and Cinch among others.

Florine and Larry were kept busy with work and their home and always had projects going making improvements. Florine's eyes fairly sparkled when she showed her animals, her yard work and many other projects. Later on they created the Cross Box Subdivision with some of their property and were very proud of that.

Larry passed away in 1994 and Florine sold their place and moved into Billings. She married Cliff Schell in August of 2003 and they moved out to Huntley near the Pryor Creek Golf Course. They built a nice home there and spent many hours landscaping, doing yard work and making many improvements.

Florine was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence and Gussie Richards, her husband, Larry Cleveland and a sister, Shirley Dague. She is survived by her husband, Cliff Schell, sisters Clarice Owen and Sharon Higgins, numerous nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and step children.

Remembrances and condolences may be shared with the family at http://www.stevensonfuneralhome.com.

Stevenson Funeral Home - Ekalaka, MT