Billie Muriel Lawrence Abbey
1930 - 2008
Early Life: She was born August 28, 1930, in Butte, Montana, to Bartlett Melvin and Lucy Jane Else Lawrence. She lived most of her early years in the Big Hole Basin where her father had a cattle ranch. She spent some of her growing up years between Butte and Wisdom and the Seattle area.
Life's Work/Service/Interests: She met Elbert Abbey when he came to work on her father's ranch after he was discharged from the Army. They were married and lived in Deer Lodge, where she taught school. Later, they moved to North Walkerville for a few years before moving to the Bitterroot Valley in 1959, where they spent the rest of their lives. In the Bitterroot, she raised two sons, did some substitute teaching, ran a kindergarten school, wrote poetry and raised a huge garden. When her husband, Elbert, retired from the woods for medical reasons, she and Elbert started Ab's Repair, a small-engine repair shop, where she kept the books and entertained the customers with her encyclopedic knowledge of the Big Hole Basin and the Bitterroot Valley, birds and family history. She was a bright, articulate lady who had a gift of making people feel at ease. She would reach out to people wherever she was - often engaging perfect strangers in conversation, whether in the store or the doctor's office or at a ball game. No one stayed a stranger around Billie for long. Her great loves in life were family, friends and birds. Her sons jokingly called her The Bird Woman, because of her deep affection for birds. Although she lost her courageous battle with leukemia, she won the admiration of those who watched her face her cancer and her pain with grace and strength. Sustained by her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, her character was beautifully displayed in the darkest hours of her life, as she dealt with the devastating effects of chemotherapy, disease and the loss of her son, Don, all the while continuing to put others first. Billie M. Lawrence Abbey, of Hamilton, Montana, passed away Monday, September 15, 2008, at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. She was 78.
Survived By: Privacy protected. Obituary may have this information, source available below.
Preceded In Death By: Her father, Bart Lawrence; husband, Elbert; son, Don; and step-sister, Bonnie Immonem.
Original obituary published by:
© Ravalli Republic | 17 Sep 2008
Bio compiled by: Annie Duckett Hundley
1930 - 2008
Early Life: She was born August 28, 1930, in Butte, Montana, to Bartlett Melvin and Lucy Jane Else Lawrence. She lived most of her early years in the Big Hole Basin where her father had a cattle ranch. She spent some of her growing up years between Butte and Wisdom and the Seattle area.
Life's Work/Service/Interests: She met Elbert Abbey when he came to work on her father's ranch after he was discharged from the Army. They were married and lived in Deer Lodge, where she taught school. Later, they moved to North Walkerville for a few years before moving to the Bitterroot Valley in 1959, where they spent the rest of their lives. In the Bitterroot, she raised two sons, did some substitute teaching, ran a kindergarten school, wrote poetry and raised a huge garden. When her husband, Elbert, retired from the woods for medical reasons, she and Elbert started Ab's Repair, a small-engine repair shop, where she kept the books and entertained the customers with her encyclopedic knowledge of the Big Hole Basin and the Bitterroot Valley, birds and family history. She was a bright, articulate lady who had a gift of making people feel at ease. She would reach out to people wherever she was - often engaging perfect strangers in conversation, whether in the store or the doctor's office or at a ball game. No one stayed a stranger around Billie for long. Her great loves in life were family, friends and birds. Her sons jokingly called her The Bird Woman, because of her deep affection for birds. Although she lost her courageous battle with leukemia, she won the admiration of those who watched her face her cancer and her pain with grace and strength. Sustained by her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, her character was beautifully displayed in the darkest hours of her life, as she dealt with the devastating effects of chemotherapy, disease and the loss of her son, Don, all the while continuing to put others first. Billie M. Lawrence Abbey, of Hamilton, Montana, passed away Monday, September 15, 2008, at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. She was 78.
Survived By: Privacy protected. Obituary may have this information, source available below.
Preceded In Death By: Her father, Bart Lawrence; husband, Elbert; son, Don; and step-sister, Bonnie Immonem.
Original obituary published by:
© Ravalli Republic | 17 Sep 2008
Bio compiled by: Annie Duckett Hundley
Billie Muriel Lawrence Abbey
1930 - 2008
Early Life: She was born August 28, 1930, in Butte, Montana, to Bartlett Melvin and Lucy Jane Else Lawrence. She lived most of her early years in the Big Hole Basin where her father had a cattle ranch. She spent some of her growing up years between Butte and Wisdom and the Seattle area.
Life's Work/Service/Interests: She met Elbert Abbey when he came to work on her father's ranch after he was discharged from the Army. They were married and lived in Deer Lodge, where she taught school. Later, they moved to North Walkerville for a few years before moving to the Bitterroot Valley in 1959, where they spent the rest of their lives. In the Bitterroot, she raised two sons, did some substitute teaching, ran a kindergarten school, wrote poetry and raised a huge garden. When her husband, Elbert, retired from the woods for medical reasons, she and Elbert started Ab's Repair, a small-engine repair shop, where she kept the books and entertained the customers with her encyclopedic knowledge of the Big Hole Basin and the Bitterroot Valley, birds and family history. She was a bright, articulate lady who had a gift of making people feel at ease. She would reach out to people wherever she was - often engaging perfect strangers in conversation, whether in the store or the doctor's office or at a ball game. No one stayed a stranger around Billie for long. Her great loves in life were family, friends and birds. Her sons jokingly called her The Bird Woman, because of her deep affection for birds. Although she lost her courageous battle with leukemia, she won the admiration of those who watched her face her cancer and her pain with grace and strength. Sustained by her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, her character was beautifully displayed in the darkest hours of her life, as she dealt with the devastating effects of chemotherapy, disease and the loss of her son, Don, all the while continuing to put others first. Billie M. Lawrence Abbey, of Hamilton, Montana, passed away Monday, September 15, 2008, at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. She was 78.
Survived By: Privacy protected. Obituary may have this information, source available below.
Preceded In Death By: Her father, Bart Lawrence; husband, Elbert; son, Don; and step-sister, Bonnie Immonem.
Original obituary published by:
© Ravalli Republic | 17 Sep 2008
Bio compiled by: Annie Duckett Hundley
1930 - 2008
Early Life: She was born August 28, 1930, in Butte, Montana, to Bartlett Melvin and Lucy Jane Else Lawrence. She lived most of her early years in the Big Hole Basin where her father had a cattle ranch. She spent some of her growing up years between Butte and Wisdom and the Seattle area.
Life's Work/Service/Interests: She met Elbert Abbey when he came to work on her father's ranch after he was discharged from the Army. They were married and lived in Deer Lodge, where she taught school. Later, they moved to North Walkerville for a few years before moving to the Bitterroot Valley in 1959, where they spent the rest of their lives. In the Bitterroot, she raised two sons, did some substitute teaching, ran a kindergarten school, wrote poetry and raised a huge garden. When her husband, Elbert, retired from the woods for medical reasons, she and Elbert started Ab's Repair, a small-engine repair shop, where she kept the books and entertained the customers with her encyclopedic knowledge of the Big Hole Basin and the Bitterroot Valley, birds and family history. She was a bright, articulate lady who had a gift of making people feel at ease. She would reach out to people wherever she was - often engaging perfect strangers in conversation, whether in the store or the doctor's office or at a ball game. No one stayed a stranger around Billie for long. Her great loves in life were family, friends and birds. Her sons jokingly called her The Bird Woman, because of her deep affection for birds. Although she lost her courageous battle with leukemia, she won the admiration of those who watched her face her cancer and her pain with grace and strength. Sustained by her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, her character was beautifully displayed in the darkest hours of her life, as she dealt with the devastating effects of chemotherapy, disease and the loss of her son, Don, all the while continuing to put others first. Billie M. Lawrence Abbey, of Hamilton, Montana, passed away Monday, September 15, 2008, at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. She was 78.
Survived By: Privacy protected. Obituary may have this information, source available below.
Preceded In Death By: Her father, Bart Lawrence; husband, Elbert; son, Don; and step-sister, Bonnie Immonem.
Original obituary published by:
© Ravalli Republic | 17 Sep 2008
Bio compiled by: Annie Duckett Hundley
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MARRIED JUNE 6, 1951
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