Betty “Jeanne” Wilde Lewis Clark was a child of the depression born in 1933 into a large, Mormon farm family in Payson, Utah. She was the daughter of Erma Elizabeth Hiatt and Max A. Wilde and the stepdaughter of Clarence Benjamin “C.B.” Lewis. She and her younger sister Dorothy began their lives with few material possessions but wrapped in the warm embrace of beloved grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
At the age of 9, she left the safety and comfort of her extended family in Payson and set out on a four-year journey with her mother, stepfather and sister, living in a 20-foot camper trailer and following C.B.’s construction jobs through Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. She attended six different schools from fifth to eighth grade and remembers those years as a grand adventure.
Her family settled in Missoula in 1947 where she attended Missoula County High School, graduating in 1951, and the University of Montana, graduating in 1955. In 1956, she embarked on a new adventure and moved to Seattle where she spent a year working for IBM in the cutting-edge field of magnetic data storage. She packed a lot of experience into that year and was very proud of her time working in high tech. At Christmastime, Robert Lewis “Bob” Clark came from Montana for a visit with a diamond ring and a proposal, and in 1957 she moved back to Missoula where Bob and Jeanne were married in August. The couple lived in Missoula until Bob finished his college degree and they moved to his childhood home in Forsyth, Montana.
Jeanne was initially a little underwhelmed by Forsyth, but she embraced it with her usual good humor and positive attitude and made it her home for over 50 years. She worked for a brief time as a secretary and then as a teacher for Forsyth Public Schools for the remainder of her career. During her summers off, she raised an extraordinary garden, sharing her bounty with family and friends.
Bob and Jeanne’s first child, Mark Robert Clark, was tragically stillborn in July 1960. That was a difficult time, but her natural optimism carried her through, and she gave birth to Patricia Ann “Tricia” Clark in July 1961, and Kathy Jean Clark in November 1962. She was the very best of mothers and her daughters brought her immeasurable pride and joy (and a few gray hairs) throughout her life.
After retiring from teaching in 1989, Jeanne started the next phase of her journey which included learning to play the piano and learning to swim. In 1992 she was honored to be elected the first female City Council Member for the City of Forsyth, serving in that capacity for one four-year term. She was also an active volunteer for the Forsyth Friends of the Pool organization, selling raffle tickets and making hundreds of batches of scones, Almond Roca and chili for various fundraisers.
In 1990 she became a grandmother to twin boys, Brent and Scott Cook. Alexa Steckelberg followed in 1995. Troy Steckelberg and Erin Cook came along in 1997. Jeanne enjoyed every minute of time she spent with her grandchildren, sharing with them her love of gardening, nature, board games and laughter. Every visit to her home included freshly baked cinnamon rolls, homemade chocolate chip cookies, lots of garden vegetables and swimming at the community pool.
In 2011, Jeanne convinced Bob it was time to be closer to family and they moved to Bozeman where they bought a condo close to their daughter Tricia. Jeanne adored her new home, and she quickly made friends in the neighborhood and at church. Bob passed away in 2019 and Jeanne moved to Hillcrest Senior Living in 2021. She was reluctant to leave her condo, but soon settled in and made new friends at Hillcrest, often remarking that she had the best apartment in the whole building.
Jeanne always hoped for great-grandchildren, and that dream came true in January 2022 with the birth of Kiran Gill Cook to Brent and Danita Cook, then again in July 2024 with the birth of Otto Robert Scott to Alexa Steckelberg and Andrew Scott.
Jeanne was a devout and life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her faith was deep, and combined with her good nature and natural optimism, defined who she was and how she lived to the very last day of her life. She passed away at the age of 91 on October 30, 2024, with her daughters at her side.
Jeanne is survived by her sister, Dorothy Bradshaw, her daughter Tricia (Kevin) Cook, her daughter Kathy (Allan) Steckelberg, her grandchildren Brent (Danita) Cook, Scott Cook, Erin Cook, Alexa (Andrew Scott) Steckelberg and Troy Steckelberg, and her great-grandsons Kiran and Otto. She was loved by many and will be missed by all who had the good fortune to know her.
Memorial contributions may be made in Jeanne’s name to the Community Foundation of Northern Rosebud County https://cfnrc.org [cfnrc.org].
A Memorial Service was held at 10 A.M Saturday, November 2nd at Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com [dokkennelson.com]
