Gladys J. (McDermott) Morrison

Gladys (McDermott) Morrison, 98, was called home by her Lord and Savior on March 15, 2022.  She passed away with her family by her side at her loving daughter’s home.

Funeral services will be Friday, March 25, at 1:00pm at Whitted Funeral Chapel in Shelby. Burial to follow in Mountain View Cemetery.

Gladys was born March 7, 1924, in Gold Butte, MT to Phillip and Rudy McDermott, she was the oldest of eleven children. She was raised at West Butte where there once was a coal mine. You might say, “she was a coal miner’s daughter” Gladys attended school in Sunburst.  During her High School years she was a baton twirler for the Sunburst Band.  She also worked while going to school, she would do everything and anything. Gladys also played a hand in raising her younger siblings.

Gladys worked for The Christian Ranch, it is there that she met the love her life, John Morrison.  As she told the story, she was doing dishes and looked out the kitchen window and saw this handsome Scottish fellow sitting on a manure pile.  Their eyes met and he waved to her. Time passed and they dated going to as many dances as they could.  They were married on September 1, 1941, in Sunburst.  On June 9, 1942, they welcomed a son, Clarence, on April 14, 1944, a son, Kenneth, and later a daughter, Darlene on December 17, 1956.

They spent the early part of their lives working in various places.  Johnny worked at the Sunburst refinery, while Gladys was a mom and took in washing and ironing. Johnny had always wanted to be a rancher, so they set out to find a ranch to work on. They worked on numerous ranches in the Sweetgrass Hills. During those years, Gladys did the cooking, cleaning and anything else that needed to be done. She tried to learn things everywhere she went. Over the years of working on different Ranches she became life friends with many.

Together they decided it was time to find a ranch of their own.  Landing them at the Morrison Ranch, as small as it was they made it do. For many years they had sheep and later switched to cattle. Gladys was one of the hardest working women her family ever met. During lambing and calving season, she was the one who did the night herding.  Many times by herself would care for 100 new born lambs a night or more. She was always there for docking, branding, fencing, haying and did a whole lot of rock picking.  She also planted a garden and canned lots of good things.  There was no running water in the house.  That meant someone had to fetch water from a shallow well with 5 gallon buckets and carrying them to the house.  Gladys fetched more water than any of us care to count.  Gladys was known for her bread and pie baking skills which she passed down to Darlene. Their kids learned to work at an early age, they learned the value of sacrifices and what it took to succeed.

Gladys and John knew their way around a dance floor now and again.  They could be found at card parties, basket socials and an occasional play at the Whitlash Hall.

In her retirement, she loved to quilt making over a 100 of them, most of which she gave away. Later she did table runners, she gave them to her family and friends. She was a giving, caring person and loved spending time with her family and friends.

Gladys was preceded in death by her soulmate and husband, Johnny; her parents; brothers, Bobbie, Teddy, Paul, Robert, Tommy; and two sisters, Lucy and Violet.

Survivors include sons, Clarence (Alice) of Livingston and Kenneth (Ellie) of Shelby; and daughter, Darlene (Mark) of Bozeman; granddaughters, Darci, Dana, and Sheila; grandson, Kyle; three great grandchildren, Matt, Wes, and Katie; four great great grandchildren, Anabelle, Logan, Tanner and Haileigh; brothers, Joe and Freddy; and sister, Alice.

In lieu of flowers make a donation to your favorite cancer research of choice.