1924
Kathleen
2011
Kathleen P Woods
April 29, 1924 — April 23, 2011
Kathleen Patricia ‘Kay’ Dusterhoff Woods, 86, of Conrad passed away April 23, 2011 at the Pondera Medical Center Extended Care facility from complications of lung cancer. Graveside services will be held at the Hillside Cemetery in Conrad on April 29, 2011 at 12:30 pm – the day of her 87th birthday. Donations may be made to the Montana Highway Patrol Project Hope for the kids or to the donor’s choice. No flowers please at Kay’s request. Thank you one and all.
Kay was born in Flaxton ND on April 29, 1924 to Frank and Florence (Duffy) Dusterhoff - the only girl in the family of three. Kay spent her early years growing up in North Dakota and Wolf Point, Montana. She went to school through the 8th grade. Due to family hardships she was only able to complete part of her freshman year and then the call of the real world arose. In the 1940’s, Kay married Russell Maurer. To that union, a son, Larry Maurer, was born. Russ and Kay later divorced.
During her life, Kay knew the meaning of hard work. Nothing came easy in her life or her exit from it. She was one of the first women in the US to receive a chauffer’s license. She then went on to drive semi’s, buses, and taxi cabs and then worked as a waitress, maid, bartender, and many other jobs. In 1950, Kay married Alex Woods in Choteau, Montana.
They then made their home in the Conrad area. Kay and Alex had three daughters, Alexis, Cynthia, and Debra. Kay and Alex ran the VFW Post 7655 for many, many years in Conrad. She also tended and managed other local bars until purchasing Ed’s Tavern in the 1970’s. During those years she loved to go spend time in Alaska, where she had spent time in her earlier adventurous years. While on those trips, she always brought home fresh Alaska salmon. She loved to cook and bake, so, thus was born the multitude of free meals for one and all at Ed’s Tavern.
She would put on the free feeds with locals bringing in their catches of fish, vegetables, and the like of which she created some wonderful feeds for everyone. In 1980, Kay sold the bar and she and Alex tried some traveling until Alex passed away in December 1980. After his death, the Alaska bug called her back. She moved back to Fairbanks with her brother Dusty (Elmer) and sometimes her son Larry who was working in Alaska.
After a few years, she got to missing her daughters and grandkids so she moved back to Conrad and then later to Great Falls. Always with her brother Dusty close by. In 2009, Kay fell and broke her hip. After surgery to repair her hip, Kay was moved to PMC Extended Care where she resided until her passing.
In the depression years that Kay grew up in it wasn’t uncommon for them to go hungry. With that always on her mind, she was always feeding people, the birds, her friends, the deer, her little dog, Dusty, the grandkids, and anyone she thought might be hungry. The refrigerator was always over full and the dog had better goodies than the kids. She kept the dog jerky on the table. Lexie happened in one day and ate a couple of pieces much to mom’s laughter. Actually it was probably better tasting dog jerky than people jerky. That taught Lexie to look before she ate. It was a big laugh and joke right to her last days.
Kay and Dusty (her brother Elmer) also had an antique shop, Prairie Town Antiques, at the edge of Conrad for several years. She had a passion for garage sales and antiques. When her stuff became too much she opened the shop to sell everything. She could bargain down a saint if she wanted that one particular item.
Kay was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Alex Woods in 1980; her son, Larry Maurer in 2007; brothers, Francis ‘Big Dusty’ Dusterhoff in 2001, Elmer “Little Dusty’ Dusterhoff in 2004; grandson, Theron “Terry’ Maurer in 2004; son-in-law Mike Banka in 2009; and a very special niece, Karen Moritz in 2004.
Kay is survived by family members, Alexis ‘Lexie’ (Jim) Munroe of Conrad, Cindy Banka of Billings, Debbie (Mickey) Petersen of Kirkland, WA, and daughter-in-law Carol Maurer of Phoenix, AZ. Also surviving are grandkids, Rainee Osman, Jamie Johnson, Jim Munroe, Jr, Susan Miller, Kristi Banka, Patti Gavett, Christopher Petersen, and Mary White; as well as 15 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
‘Whatever will be, will be.’
Kay was born in Flaxton ND on April 29, 1924 to Frank and Florence (Duffy) Dusterhoff - the only girl in the family of three. Kay spent her early years growing up in North Dakota and Wolf Point, Montana. She went to school through the 8th grade. Due to family hardships she was only able to complete part of her freshman year and then the call of the real world arose. In the 1940’s, Kay married Russell Maurer. To that union, a son, Larry Maurer, was born. Russ and Kay later divorced.
During her life, Kay knew the meaning of hard work. Nothing came easy in her life or her exit from it. She was one of the first women in the US to receive a chauffer’s license. She then went on to drive semi’s, buses, and taxi cabs and then worked as a waitress, maid, bartender, and many other jobs. In 1950, Kay married Alex Woods in Choteau, Montana.
They then made their home in the Conrad area. Kay and Alex had three daughters, Alexis, Cynthia, and Debra. Kay and Alex ran the VFW Post 7655 for many, many years in Conrad. She also tended and managed other local bars until purchasing Ed’s Tavern in the 1970’s. During those years she loved to go spend time in Alaska, where she had spent time in her earlier adventurous years. While on those trips, she always brought home fresh Alaska salmon. She loved to cook and bake, so, thus was born the multitude of free meals for one and all at Ed’s Tavern.
She would put on the free feeds with locals bringing in their catches of fish, vegetables, and the like of which she created some wonderful feeds for everyone. In 1980, Kay sold the bar and she and Alex tried some traveling until Alex passed away in December 1980. After his death, the Alaska bug called her back. She moved back to Fairbanks with her brother Dusty (Elmer) and sometimes her son Larry who was working in Alaska.
After a few years, she got to missing her daughters and grandkids so she moved back to Conrad and then later to Great Falls. Always with her brother Dusty close by. In 2009, Kay fell and broke her hip. After surgery to repair her hip, Kay was moved to PMC Extended Care where she resided until her passing.
In the depression years that Kay grew up in it wasn’t uncommon for them to go hungry. With that always on her mind, she was always feeding people, the birds, her friends, the deer, her little dog, Dusty, the grandkids, and anyone she thought might be hungry. The refrigerator was always over full and the dog had better goodies than the kids. She kept the dog jerky on the table. Lexie happened in one day and ate a couple of pieces much to mom’s laughter. Actually it was probably better tasting dog jerky than people jerky. That taught Lexie to look before she ate. It was a big laugh and joke right to her last days.
Kay and Dusty (her brother Elmer) also had an antique shop, Prairie Town Antiques, at the edge of Conrad for several years. She had a passion for garage sales and antiques. When her stuff became too much she opened the shop to sell everything. She could bargain down a saint if she wanted that one particular item.
Kay was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Alex Woods in 1980; her son, Larry Maurer in 2007; brothers, Francis ‘Big Dusty’ Dusterhoff in 2001, Elmer “Little Dusty’ Dusterhoff in 2004; grandson, Theron “Terry’ Maurer in 2004; son-in-law Mike Banka in 2009; and a very special niece, Karen Moritz in 2004.
Kay is survived by family members, Alexis ‘Lexie’ (Jim) Munroe of Conrad, Cindy Banka of Billings, Debbie (Mickey) Petersen of Kirkland, WA, and daughter-in-law Carol Maurer of Phoenix, AZ. Also surviving are grandkids, Rainee Osman, Jamie Johnson, Jim Munroe, Jr, Susan Miller, Kristi Banka, Patti Gavett, Christopher Petersen, and Mary White; as well as 15 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
‘Whatever will be, will be.’
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