Betty's Obituary
Betty peacefully went to be with her Heavenly Father at Peace Hospice at the age of 94. She was born on July 28, 1929, in Great Falls, MT and graduated from Great Falls High School. Upon graduation her parents, Harold and Mildred Turner, moved to California, taking Betty. She returned to Great Falls and married Arthur Hajek. Arthur, his father, and brother, Vince, all worked on building the family home and piano shop on the Westside. Arthur and Betty started a family and were blessed with Vicki, Linda, Wendy, and Kenneth. Betty loved being able to stay home being a wife, mother, and homemaker. She loved cooking and baking from scratch. She liked being a home room mother at Russell Elementary School, a Sunday school teacher at Fist Presbyterian Church, sunbathing, going out to dance, school reunions, and travelling. They owned Hajek’s Piano Shop until the flood of 1964.
Betty had a real sense of fashion and ended up going to work at the Montgomery Ward store downtown, with the beautiful oak stairway and oak cashier cages. She transferred to the new store in Holiday Village and continued to work in the fashion department under the direction of Vi Erlandson. Eventually Betty was promoted to manager of the lingerie department. She enjoyed going to Portland for the buying trips. She loved and enjoyed her coworkers as they were all like a big family. She and Arthur eventually divorced but remained friends.
In her next chapter of life, she eventually met George Higgins. He asked her out on a date and while out, he was called out to go help at the fire and train disaster in Belt. They dated for quite some time and both eventually put in for transfers to Whitefish, MT. They married in 1980 and enjoyed the beauty of the area. George planted an orchard and large garden. They enjoyed the bounty of their labor and skills. Canning pears, apricots, cherries, peaches, and apples. They also grew luscious large raspberries, strawberries, and wild asparagus, along with vegetables, and canned salmon filets.
Betty also enjoyed boating and fishing at Lake Koocanusa, the Bitterroot, Eureka. Among her other interests were snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, huckleberry picking, going to the Point of Rocks at Olney, the plays at the Big Fork Theatre, fashion shows, camping, going to Mooses on the Mountain, getting her hair done, and going out to lunch at Dantes, dinner at Borries and 3D, also, shoes and purses.
George and Betty eventually moved back to Great Falls in 2014. George passed in 2018. Betty enjoyed her friends and classmates. We hope you enjoy your reunions in heaven along with your predeceased family members, classmates, and friends. May you rest in peace Mom. We would like to thank the staff at Benefis Healthcare along with the superb staff and volunteers at Peace Hospice. Donations may be made to Peace Hospice or the Angel Fund at Benefis. Per her wishes there will be no services.
Betty is survived by daughter, Wendy Gray (husband, Robert Olmstead); daughter, Linda Roloson; grandkids, Melissa Alder (Dan), Aimee Buller, Adam Gray, Eric Gray, Spencer Roloson, and Serena Roloson; and great-grandkids, Nathan Anderson and Tayven Roloson.
