On March 1, 2022, our beautiful mom, Betty Bonita Peterson, 97, passed away at home in Butte with her loving family at her bedside. Betty was an extremely intelligent, wise, kind, selfless, resilient, and generous mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend, who will be missed by us all. Though burdened with macular degeneration, hearing loss, and reduced mobility in recent years, Betty lived a long and full life. She loved reading, ironing, walking (sometimes running), and water aerobics and was stimulated by current events, delicious meals, family gatherings, dinners at Lydia’s, lunches at the Uptown Café, numerous vacations, a trip to Mark’s cabin, and two Hungarian sheepdogs (Birke and Alex).
Betty was born in Anaconda, Montana, on June 20, 1924, to Lyle and Keifer Hansen. She graduated with honors from Anaconda High School in 1942 and then traveled to Washington, D.C. to work at the U.S. Treasury Department while attending George Washington University. Upon returning to Anaconda, she worked for various departments of the Anaconda Company, the Veterans Administration, the Superintendent of Public Schools, and Anaconda attorney Benny Knight. She furthered her education at Spokane Kinman Business University and Butte Business College.
At the end of World War II, she met a handsome U.S. Air Force pilot, Edward M. Peterson, at a dance. They married in 1946. While Edward attended Montana State University in Mechanical Engineering, Betty worked for the MSU Department of Physics. Throughout their marriage, Edward and Betty lived in Bozeman, Opportunity, Columbia Falls, and finally Butte (for supposedly only two years), during which time they raised four children: Nancy, Susan, Holly, and Mark. Sadly, Edward passed away in 1976, and Susan passed away in 2014.
In 1970, Betty returned to the work force, and was employed at the Montana Power Company and Montana Hardware Company. During 1975-1990, Betty found her favorite job working for The Honorable Arnold Olsen, District Court Judge, at the Butte Silver Bow County Courthouse, where she enjoyed the lawyers, fellow coworkers, and day-to-day activities of the legal system.
Betty was immensely proud of her family and loved them very much. She truly was the best mom in the whole wide world. She is survived by her children Nancy (Jim Kommers), Holly, and Mark (Stacie); her grandchildren Jeff, Nate, and Jay Kommers and Anna Mirabile, Peter, and Dale Hargis; her great grandchildren Ailsa, Marin, Lena, Shepard, Mason, Asher, Zane, Luke, and Luella; her very special cousin Rawla (Ron) Hawk; her cousin Darlene Blomstrom; her devoted friends and/or neighbors Evelyn and Jim Graham, Lori and Doug Ruffier, Susie and Steve Anderson, Peggy and Jimm Kilmer, Kathy and John Campbell, Becky Smith, Shelly Reed, Jeanne Larson, Cheryl Carey, Bev Stanisich; her dedicated caregivers Dr. Clay Holley, Dr. John Pullman, Erin Williams-Leber, Krista Bryson; and her loyal Hungarian puli Alexander Hamilton.
She was a long-time member of the Eastern Star Eureka-Ruth #2 and PEO Chapter G. No formal services are currently planned. Memorials may be sent to a charity of your choice.
Please visit butterfuneralhome.com to offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of Betty.
Axelson Funeral and Cremation Services has been privileged to care for Betty and her family.
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Michael Janhunen says
Sorry for your loss.