Judith Lee Strang, 83, passed away on March 15,2025 in Bozeman, MT. She was born on November 17, 1941 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska.
After a short stay in Sac City and Audubon, Iowa, she and her mother, Betty, moved to San Bernardino/Colton, California, where Dad, Max Puckett, was stationed at M.A.E.S.H. Air Force Base. The three enjoyed belonging to a family swim club and going to the beach often.
In 1949, the three moved to Bozeman, Montana, to the Puckett ranch on Harper Puckett Road. Judy loved farm life—4-H, combining hay, milking the cows, and riding her horse to town. She started school in Bozeman at Hawthorne in the 4th grade, where she first met her husband-to-be, Donald Strang.
On May 14th, 1959, Don and Judy were married, and three daughters joined them: Vicki, Teri, and Staci. Judy loved helping people (as her mother, Betty, and grandmother, Matie) did. She spent her career in the medical field as a CNA, scrub nurse, ER clerk, medical records specialist, and transcriptionist. She worked at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, Student Health at MSU, and Broadwater Health in Townsend, Montana.
She was very active in her girls’ lives and was on the Camp Fire Girls and Order of Rainbow Girls boards. She and Don were active members of Grand Avenue Christian Church, where they served as Deaconess and Deacon and sponsored the Chiro and CYF youth fellowships.
They had enormous fun on many ”Elmeramas” walks, with their kids and grandkids as well as Grandma Annabelle and Popso.
Don and Judy moved to Townsend to retire… but they did not retire. They enjoyed the Methodist Church, their horse stables at Toston, forming many memories working at Broadwater Health Center. They made many lifelong friendships and enjoyed supporting the Townsend Bulldogs.
Judy had many “moments in the sun and at their condo in Big Sky and loved entertaining family and friends.
They had fantastic times for many years at their condo at Fairmont Hot Springs. Besides lots of family time, Judy enjoyed many weeks with her grandchildren and friends. As a family, they enjoyed camping, horseback riding, rodeos, CNFR rodeos, and the PBR. They were passionate about sports—the Hawks and the Bobcats, where Judy was active in the booster club. They traveled to several Denver Broncos games.
In retirement, Don and Judy moved to Hinsdale, Montana, where they met many wonderful friends and enjoyed the Hinsdale Lutheran Church, attending many social events and cheering on the Hinsdale Raiders.
In 2010, Judy and Don joined Vicki and her family, along with granddaughters Matie and Annabelle, on a beautiful cruise to the Bahamas to celebrate their 50th anniversary.
A never-ending thank you to Staci for hosting her, Vicki, Matie, Annabelle, Gary, EldaMae, and Noah. They were all treated to Judy’s dream-of-a-lifetime trip to Hawaii—the most fabulous trip ever. It was simply beyond supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Their beloved grandson, W.D. Harrison, passed on 6/14/14, and Don passed on 6/14/15. After being with Donald for 58 years, Judy moved back to Bozeman to join her daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and many longtime friends.
Judy was preceded in death by her Grandma and Grandpa, John and Myrtle Puckett; loving grandparents, Chris and Matie Nelson; parents, Max and Betty Puckett; Uncle Raymond, Uncle Bud, and Aunt Happe Nelson; cousins, Gary Nelson and in-laws Newell and Annabelle Strang.
She is survived by her three daughters: Vicki (Rick) Harrison, Teri (Russell) Thayer, and Staci(Monte) Anderson. The Lord blessed her with six grandchildren, of whom five are living: Tawni, Max, Nikki, Matie, and Annabelle. She was also very blessed with her eleven great-grandchildren: Lane, Riley, Henry, Gary, EldaMae, Noah, Luna, Oliver, Owen, Calvin, and Emerson.
It is Judy’s wish to not have a farewell service but to leave us with this thought:
May the Lord always be your guide, and may the lucky ladybug fly by your side.
Added by Tawni and Nikki:
Judy Strang, affectionately known by her grandkids as Poodle, passed away on March 15, 2025. True to her nature, she wrote her own obituary, but we couldn’t resist adding a little more—because she was simply one of a kind.
She never met a person she couldn’t talk to, and if you went anywhere in Bozeman with her, she was sure to run into someone she knew—someone who was always happy to see her. Just last week, she was recognized by a woman she had helped in labor and delivery over 50 years ago—a perfect example of the impression she made on so many lives.
Poodle loved being a grandma. The memories we shared with her are endless, each one makes us laugh. Late nights watching movies, only to wake and find her still typing medical transcripts at 2 a.m. The excitement of Sweet Pea weekends when she would take all of the grandkids to the old Blue Sky Motel. Laughter-filled holiday gatherings, snacking on her relish trays and intense games of spoons. And those wild, early morning Black Friday shopping sprees—bundled up in the cold while Papa waited “patiently” in the van.
Fairmont was full of never-ending fun with swimming and the sun, which were two of her favorite things. The waterslides, snacks, and Poodle “forgetting” the non-alcoholic part of the daiquiris when ordering for the kids.
On a side trip from Fairmont, she once tried to take the grandkids on a tour of the state prison. You are correct in thinking that is not a thing. But she was always up for an adventure.
She never missed a holiday call, always with one of her signature sayings to make you laugh. She sent thoughtful holiday and birthday packages, always sang us happy birthday. And not just to her grandchildren (some of who may be on the other side of 40) but also to her great-grandchildren. She knew what was happening in all of our lives and called often just to check in, listen, chat, and share in our joys and also our struggles.
She loved to help people. Even as a resident at Spring Meadows, she would sit and comfort those that were dying. She was inspiring and it is not a coincidence that two of her granddaughters work in healthcare.
She was passionate and fun. She was sharp as a tack until the end, and she could have written a book about all the things she knew about Bozeman and the people in it. We will surely miss her stories. These moments, big and small, are the ones that will keep us smiling when we think of her.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Staci and Matie for all the love and care they gave to Poodle in the final chapter of her life. She cherished living with you both and always said how lucky she was to be there. Your kindness and care meant the world to her and to all of us.
PTL
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com [dokkennelson.com]
