Obituary for Betty Jean Jarrett
Betty Jean Halverson Jarrett, 99, passed away on December 30, 2019 at the Pioneer Medical Center in Big Timber, Montana.
Betty was born in Sweet Grass County on October 4, 1920, one of five children born to Ronald and Mabel Halverson. She attended Deer Creek School, Big Timber Grade School, and graduated from Sweet Grass County High School in 1938. On January 7, 1939 Betty married Robert (Bob) Jarrett and they raised four sons William, Ronald, Raymond, and Richard on the sheep and cattle ranch on Duck Creek west of Big Timber where her youngest son, Richard, still resides. Betty was a typical ranch wife who devoted her time to cooking for family members and hired men, hosting large family gatherings at the ranch, raising a large garden, giving her boys haircuts and sewing their western shirts, and taking care of her bum lambs for years. She stayed busy keeping up with her four sons in sports, music, 4-H and whatever else they were involved in. Betty later accumulated a sizeable “sheep” collection which represented all those years living on the ranch. All 99 years of Betty’s life were spent in the State of Montana where she was so proud to have lived. Like other ranch wives, all her life she worried about having enough moisture for irrigating and the price of sheep and cattle.
After Bob’s sudden death in 1975, Betty moved to Big Timber. There she worked for a time at Cole Drug and became known as the “soup lady.” She also tried her hand at golf in Women’s League, and was active in Kill Kare Klub, Republican Women, Big Timber Women’s Club, Sons of Norway, Crazy Mountain Museum and the Big Timber Lutheran Church.
Perhaps because of her small stature, Betty related well to children and loved to be around them. Their little chairs were just her size. Playing pranks on people provided her with much enjoyment and often involved costumes at Halloween. She also fooled many people every April 1. She loved to laugh and “jabber” with her friends and family either in person or on the telephone.
Preceding Betty in death were her parents, husband Bob, infant son Donald, eldest son Bill and daughter-in-law Sadako, her sisters Edna Stacy, Marguerite Hughes, Donna Bryan and her brother Jack Halverson. She is survived by three sons: Ron (Phyllis), Ray (Gary), and Rick, 6 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, 1 great-great grandchild, sisters-in-law Mabel Halverson and Dorothy Kelsey, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Viewing will be from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Friday January 10 at the Big Timber Lutheran Church with funeral services following at 2:00 pm. Interment will be at Mountain View Cemetery immediately following the service.
Betty was born in Sweet Grass County on October 4, 1920, one of five children born to Ronald and Mabel Halverson. She attended Deer Creek School, Big Timber Grade School, and graduated from Sweet Grass County High School in 1938. On January 7, 1939 Betty married Robert (Bob) Jarrett and they raised four sons William, Ronald, Raymond, and Richard on the sheep and cattle ranch on Duck Creek west of Big Timber where her youngest son, Richard, still resides. Betty was a typical ranch wife who devoted her time to cooking for family members and hired men, hosting large family gatherings at the ranch, raising a large garden, giving her boys haircuts and sewing their western shirts, and taking care of her bum lambs for years. She stayed busy keeping up with her four sons in sports, music, 4-H and whatever else they were involved in. Betty later accumulated a sizeable “sheep” collection which represented all those years living on the ranch. All 99 years of Betty’s life were spent in the State of Montana where she was so proud to have lived. Like other ranch wives, all her life she worried about having enough moisture for irrigating and the price of sheep and cattle.
After Bob’s sudden death in 1975, Betty moved to Big Timber. There she worked for a time at Cole Drug and became known as the “soup lady.” She also tried her hand at golf in Women’s League, and was active in Kill Kare Klub, Republican Women, Big Timber Women’s Club, Sons of Norway, Crazy Mountain Museum and the Big Timber Lutheran Church.
Perhaps because of her small stature, Betty related well to children and loved to be around them. Their little chairs were just her size. Playing pranks on people provided her with much enjoyment and often involved costumes at Halloween. She also fooled many people every April 1. She loved to laugh and “jabber” with her friends and family either in person or on the telephone.
Preceding Betty in death were her parents, husband Bob, infant son Donald, eldest son Bill and daughter-in-law Sadako, her sisters Edna Stacy, Marguerite Hughes, Donna Bryan and her brother Jack Halverson. She is survived by three sons: Ron (Phyllis), Ray (Gary), and Rick, 6 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, 1 great-great grandchild, sisters-in-law Mabel Halverson and Dorothy Kelsey, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Viewing will be from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Friday January 10 at the Big Timber Lutheran Church with funeral services following at 2:00 pm. Interment will be at Mountain View Cemetery immediately following the service.
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Previous Events
Visitation
Friday
10
Jan
10:00 AM
- 12:00 PM
Big Timber Lutheran Church
115 West 4th Avenue
PO Box 278
Big Timber, MT 59011
Funeral Service
Friday
10
Jan
2:00 PM
- 3:30 PM
Big Timber Lutheran Church
115 West 4th Avenue
PO Box 278
Big Timber, MT 59011
Cemetery Details
Location
Mountain View Cemetery
West of Big Timber
Big Timber, MT 59011
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