Teresa M. Dumas

Teresa Margaret Ferrando Dumas passed on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 in Helena.  She was born on August 17, 1923, in Red Lodge, the only child of Italian immigrants, Catherine Peila and Louis Ferrando.  Throughout her life, she cherished her Italian heritage, speaking fluent Italian, cooking Italian dishes (especially breadsticks and ravioli), visiting Italy several times, and keeping in close contact with her Italian aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Teresa was raised in Red Lodge, graduating from Carbon County High School in 1941.  She then attended the College of St. Catherine’s in St. Paul, MN, where she majored in business, history, and Spanish, along with earning teaching endorsements in those areas.   When she returned to Montana, she taught high school in Harrison and then in Oilmont.

While teaching in Oilmont, she met Shelby farmer, Lloyd Dumas.  They were married on December 28, 1948, in St. Agnes Catholic Church, Red Lodge. Teresa then became a farm wife, living west of Shelby until 1960 when the family moved into town.  She lived in that home until 2019 when she moved to the Heritage.  In August 2020, she moved to the Cooney Home in Helena after suffering a stroke.

She was preceded in death by Lloyd, her husband of fifty-one years, as well as her parents.

Survivors include her sons, Louis (Renee) of Helena, Curt (Karla) of Elko, NV, Dan (Melanie) of Kalispell, and Paul (Angie) of Colville, WA, as well as her daughter, Cathy (Pat) of Park City.  She also leaves ten grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren, and her very special nephew, Tracy (Luana) Dumas, as well as many extended family members and the treasured friends made during the seventy-two years she lived in Shelby.

A memorial mass will be held at Sat, August 14, at 10:00 AM at St. Williams Catholic Church in Shelby.  Memorials may be made to the Marias Heritage Center, the Maris Medical Center, St. William’s Catholic Church, or the charity of choice.