Lorene (Knutson) Johnson

Lorene, 103 years young, died May 29, 2015 at April Custer’s Care and Comfort Home in Havre, Montana of natural causes.

Funeral services are tentatively planned for 11:00 am Thursday, June 4 ^th at the Devon Lutheran Church.  There will be a luncheon in Devon, followed by burial in the Mountain View cemetery in Shelby.  Arrangements have been entrusted to Whitted Funeral Chapel in Shelby.  Please visit Lorene’s online memorial and leave a message of condolence for the family at www.whittedfuneralchapel.com

Lorene was born May 11, 1912 to L.H. Knutson and Nettie (Roland) Knutson on the family homestead just east of Dunkirk, Montana.  In 1917 the family moved to Devon, Montana where L.H. owned the Devon Mercantile Company (and also later the Ford dealership).

Lorene spent all her grade school years in Devon.  She attended her first two years of High School in Galata, Montana and her last two years in Shelby, graduating in 1929.  Lorene started her college career in Missoula, intending to major in Journalism (having had a poem published in the Pathfinder magazine).  Unfortunately that Fall the stock market crashed and money was tight, so Lorene switched to Billings for the rest of the year and changed her major to teaching (which at that time only required a two year degree).  Her final year was spent at Dillon where she earned her degree in elementary education.

Lorene’s first teaching job was at a little country school south of Devon teaching grades 1 to 8.  The following year Lorene landed a teaching job in Devon (conveniently right across the street from the Knutson home) teaching grades 1 to 4.  After teaching for 7 years Lorene was very pleased to have earned her Life-Time Teaching certificate (one of the last ones given out by the state of Montana).

Lorene met the love of her life Eli Pierard Johnson on the badminton court in Devon.  They were married April 10, 1944, after Eli returned from WWII, in Havre, Montana. They lived in Shelby for 3 years while Eli worked at the Telstad Gas Compression Station (between Dunkirk and Devon).  Eli and Lorene’s only child, Marie Ann, was born while they were in Shelby.  Eli was then transferred to another compression station 14 miles NE of Cut Bank, Montana, where we lived in one of the 3 houses at the station.  In the Fall of my fourth grade year Eli transferred to the compression station just east of Cut Bank and we moved into Cut Bank.

In Cut Bank Lorene was a Girl Scout leader, belonged to the Toastmistress Club (serving one year as president) the Cut Bank Women’s Club (serving for a time as Secretary), was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, and tutored students who struggled with dyslexia.

Lorene loved to read, which to her was not a “hobby” but a necessary part of life – like breathing!  She often had up to 4 books going at the same time, finding amazing parallels between the books – sometimes on totally unrelated subject matters.  Lorene preferred histories, biographies and poetry; yet a good murder mystery was not below her dignity.  She was a walking encyclopedia (some kids had to look things up, I didn’t – I just asked my mother Lorene)!

She was always the teacher and always learning.  Shortly after Eli died in 1967, Lorene decided to go back to college in Missoula.  And although she had to quit for a while when her mother had a heart attack, she did finally fulfill her dream of a 4 year degree, graduating in Library Science.

After her grandchildren were born she rented an apartment in Havre to be near them.  For many years she spent the winter in Havre, returning to Cut Bank in the summer and subletting her apartment to Jesse and Rachel’s other grandparents (who wintered in Arizona) – a great deal for everyone.  In these later years, after the other grandparents no longer needed the apartment, Lorene stayed in Havre year round – living in her own apartment until she was 101!

While in Havre Lorene became interested in quilting and joined the Havre Quilt Guild, serving one year as president.  Lorene loved designing patterns and experimenting with all the wonderful fabric and color combinations.

Lorene loved deeply and in return was deeply loved!

Lorene is survived by her daughter Marie Ann (Loren) Toldness; grandson Jesse (Kate Christie) Toldness; granddaughter Rachel Toldness; nephews Tom (Sue) Saldin and Kevin (Lanell) Dodson; nieces JoAnne (Glen) Savage and Rev. Kriss Bottino; along with many grand nieces and nephews; Gus Hunter, Declan and Jase Howie, Sylvie and Frankie Saldin, and Kiera Savage.

Memorials may be sent to the Devon Lutheran Church (c/o Kevin and Lanell Dodson, 29074 US Hwy 2, Shelby, MT 59474) or to a charity of your choice.