Betty Jean Styren

Betty Jean Styren was ushered into heaven Sunday evening, April 19, 2020.

Betty was born to Clifford and Elizabeth McBratney on June 2, 1933 in Great Falls, where they lived until she was 5 years old. The family moved to Augusta where she attended school, played basketball for the Augusta Elks and graduated in 1951. Following school, she remembers fondly working in the administrative office for the Paris of Montana in Great Falls.

Betty met Lawrence Styren in Augusta and they married on June 15, 1958. They farmed 7 miles east of Brady and raised three sons and loved following their basketball and football games. She enjoyed tending her flower gardens on the farm. When she wasn’t working on the farm, she also served as a member at the Brady Methodist Church, a Cub Scout leader and enjoyed 50 plus years with the Eastern Star where she served as a leader in the organization.

Mom worked extremely hard to prepare great meals for her family, and then doubling her efforts at harvest every year. While on the farm she always had a beautiful rock garden. She was not one that needed to be on the go, she very much loved being around the house and working on her hobbies.

Throughout her life, she accomplished a great variety of handwork, including ceramics, sewing and with her last pursuit being quilting. In fact, she quilted up until the last few days of her life, having made many beautiful quilts over the past 20 plus years. She thoroughly enjoyed the days she got together with the Brady and Choteau women on their quilting days.

Betty felt blessed for years of travel with Lawrence seeing many shores from Ireland to Alaska and beyond, but her favorite was time spent with family and friends in Brady. She very much enjoyed their many camping trips with family, trips to Gibson, Holland and Seeley were very fond times for her. Later they enjoyed wintering in Yuma, Arizona where they met many new friends.

They farmed until 2013 and moved off the farm into Great Falls in November 2013 to Brookdale. Soon after Lawrence passed away she moved into Grandview Senior Living. Here she so much enjoyed time doing jigsaw puzzles with her friends.

In the years since Lawrence’s passing, she loved playing a mean game of Mexican Train and took whatever opportunity to beat anyone that dared to play Dominoes with her. Those who knew her felt blessed to have had her as a mother, grandmother, aunt, sister-in-law, mother-in-law, cousin, or friend.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence; daughter-in-law, Marla; brothers, Bob “Rusty” and Cliff; and sister, Mary Samel; along with numerous extended family members.

Betty is survived by her sons, Gary (Kendra) of Douglas, WY, Mike (Celia) of Bozeman, and Del (Karla) of Brady; 6 grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren; brother, Don (Judy) McBratney  of Great Falls; sisters-in-law, Betty McBratnery of Conrad, Shirley Spinder and Deanna Styren both of Choteau, and Dee Poole  of Augusta; along with many nieces and nephews.

The family plans a celebration of life at later date to be announced.

The family requests donations in her name to Brady Methodist Church, Brady Community Hall, or donation of your choice.

Graveside services will be Saturday, April 25, at 1:00PM at Hillside Cemetery.

Social distancing protocol will be enforced.