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Obituary - Betty Jean Davey

Betty Jean Davey of Havre passed away peacefully in her sleep in the early morning hours of May 1, 2015, just hours after her 88th birthday.

Her funeral service will be at First Lutheran Church in Havre at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 8, 2015. Hi-Line Funeral Services is handling the arrangements.

Betty was born on April 30, 1927, in Havre to Ernie and Susie Rossman.

She graduated from Havre High School in 1945 and worked in Penney's Department Store for a while. She met the love of her life, Bob Davey, and they were married Sept. 3, 1949. They moved to the family farm southeast of Havre, and by her own admission, she couldn't even "boil water." Her new mother-in-law, Pauline Davey took her under her wing and taught her how to cook for all the farm workers and ranch hands.

Mom turned into an excellent cook and adapted very well to the farm life.

During the harvest season she would take two meals a day out to the fields for the harvest crew. During calving season when Dad would bring a cold, wet newborn calf into the house she would help him dry it off and warm it up after Dad would put it on her kitchen floor. During haying season, she would sometimes jump on the haywagon with Dad and the kids and head out to the field for a day of picking bales and stacking them.

Mom was a very loving, kind person who could not stand to see an animal that was suffering or was hungry; she took in many strays and enjoyed all the animals they had on the farm.

They had two pet deer that would come into the house and eat out of the cat/dog bowl. Mom especially enjoyed raising her six children, but suffered the greatest loss in her life in 1968 when her oldest son, Greg, was killed in a car accident at the age of 17.

In later years, when grandchildren started to come into her life, she was always willing to babysit or to offer solicited advice from her children. She loved to bake, loved watching, "The Price is Right" and "The Wheel of Fortune," always making sure we would write down the bonus round answer so she wouldn't forget it.

When her beloved husband became ill with Parkinson's disease, Mom took care of him at home until he passed on Oct. 30, 2009. Mom had a great wit and a great sense of humor which helped her through the many trials in life. She will be greatly missed by all of her family and friends.

She enjoyed watching her seven grandchildren grow up and get married. They provided her with 10 great-grandchildren.

Mom was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bob; her son, Greg; daughter-in-law, Carol; brother, Mel; and her sister, Rose.

She is survived by her five children, Susan (Allan) Leens, Mike Davey, Carolyn (Greg English) Sheppard, Debbie Keller and Martin (Debbie) Davey all of Havre. She is also survived by her two grandsons, Lance (Sara) Sheppard and Bobby (Jenne) Sheppard; her five granddaughters, Jennifer (Brandon) Matson of Billings, Angelic Leens, Tara (Nate) Erickson of Bozeman, Ashley Davey of Havre and Allison Locke of Washington. She leaves behind her four great-granddaughters and six great-grandsons.

 

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