Betty Jane Bourne
Betty Jane (Kolarich) Bourne, 85 of Billings, left this earth
peacefully on July 16, to join our Heavenly Father, due to natural
causes.
Betty was born the 5th child to Marie and Charles Kolarich in Red
Lodge, MT on February 16, 1924. After graduating from High
School, Betty enrolled in the nursing program at St. Vincent’s
Hospital graduating in 1945. She worked at the Billings Clinic
until she married Joe Bourne in 1948. From this union they had
one son Lin and daughters Dana and Gail. Betty raised her
three kids by herself after her husband died in 1958. She
cared for many young kids in her home until she returned to the
medical field in 1965. She worked for Dr. John Hammerel for 17
years until he retired, Dr. John Minehardt for 2 years, a local
lumber yard and Valley Health Care for 13 years, retiring at 72
years of age.
Betty loved working in her yard, growing flowers, a small vegetable garden and loved feeding birds and watching them. Her “great-dogs”, Panda, Rudy and Maddy were a big part of her life as well.
Betty is preceded in death by her husband Joe; son Lin; her parents; two sisters, and three brothers.
She is survived by her daughters, Dana (Larry) Lippman and Gail
(Greg) Burton; daughter-in-law Lietta Bourne; grandsons Bryan and
Kevin Lippman and Aaron Burton; granddaughter Brenna Bourne; several
nieces and nephews; three sisters-in-law; and numerous close
friends.
Special thank you to the loving and caring staff at St. Vincent’s
Healthcare and Advanced Care Hospital for the care you gave Mom.
Mom said she felt like the Verizon Woman, with her network behind
her.
Cremation has taken place. A Memorial Service will be held at
11:00 A.M., Tuesday, July 21, 2009 at Faith Chapel. A private
family inurnment will be held at Yellowstone Valley Memorial Park at
a later time. Memorials may be given to the charity of one’s
choice.
Mom, you are our rock and hero.
We were blessed to have you for a mom, grandma, mother-in-law, aunt
and friend. Until we are together again in the Perfect
Place...We love you, Dana and Gail.
I Love You Grandma, Brenna.
Grandma, Thank you for all your
love and memories. I love you and will miss being your “Jolly
Green Giant”. Bryan
Remembrances
Please leave your name and remembrance in this public guest book. Your comments will be shared on this page and forwarded to the family.
My memories of Betty congers up a ‘ton’ of Love and lots of Good Times!
Betty was the Mother of my best friend Lin. Lin and I were as thick as thieves and practically joined at the hip during our high school years. I think of those as my ‘formative’ years because that association and friendship, and Betty’s influence, became a part of who I am. Betty was simply ‘Mom’ to Lin, and Dana and Gail. And I would occasionally wax poetic and pop a ‘Mom’ into the conversation and get a smile from Betty.
Lin and I would occasionally go downtown to the Hart-Albin Building to pop in and see Mom, who was working at Dr. Hammerel’s office, wave at ‘Sylvia’ seated at the front desk in Al Bishop’s office, and sometimes say hello to Doctor Ridiculous from Ding Dong School (see – we KNEW what ‘DDS’ stood for!). As I said, these were our formative years!
And as Lin and I embarked on life’s journey, each in our own way, Betty seemed always nearby, or at least exerting her motherly influence, offering encouragement and dispensing sage advice, to both of us when we needed it (and, boy, did we need it?!), reminding us that if we got out of line, there would be hell to pay! And we knew in no uncertain terms what that meant… the wrath of Mom was not a pretty sight and was to be avoided at any cost. It was like skating on thin ice, ice so thin it had only one side! That’s thin! Lin and I did pretty well during those times at avoiding life’s thin ice.
Thanks, Mom …You did Good!!
With love
Ron Pearson