Betty Lorraine (Kezar) Hutchison, 94, passed away on March 16, 2017, at Heritage Place, in Kalispell of natural causes.
Born on April 8, 1922, in Havre to Signa (Granell) and Lee Kezar. Betty grew up on the family farm with eight siblings outside Kremlin. Her father was an engineer for 48 years with Great Northern Railway. Her mother was born in Alfta, Sweden, where Betty visited in later years. She graduated in 1940 from Kremlin High School.
She married William R. Hutchison of Chester on Aug. 28, 1940, in Havre, and they were married for 70 years.
Betty was an accomplished artist with over 200 paintings. She painted many beautiful scenes of Glacier National Park, portraits of family and well-known people, and incredible replicas of the old masters such as Vermeer and Rembrandt. She was a fantastic cook, baker and seamstress. She loved a variety of music and loved singing. Betty and William sang many duets together and both sang in church choir. She was an avid golfer and loved the area courses. She and family enjoyed camping and hiking in Glacier Park. In later years she joined kids and friends and floated the Missouri River. In her 70s she scaled the white cliffs above the river.
She loved traveling and visited many countries including Sweden, Russia and most of Europe. She loved the history of Europe and especially the art museums.
Betty was a beautiful woman inside and out, always portrayed a positive attitude, and was gracious to everyone she met. She was everyone’s friend. She learned from her parents early on to be respectful of others and be on good terms with everyone, and this she did. She saw good in everyone, and with very few exceptions, had only positive things to say about people she knew. It was a high priority to keep in touch with her friends and family, which she did through letters, cards and calls. She never forgot birthdays, or special occasions, and was forever creating handmade gifts for her family and friends. She liked to make people happy, and this was her primary goal in life. In a world that too often seems to be growing cold and distant, she was that rare exception, a person who genuinely liked people and lived accordingly. She was adored and will be missed by all of her children, grandchildren, her many friends and all who knew her.
She was preceded in death by husband William Hutchison, granddaughter Patti Silva Cleveland, six siblings, a niece, and two nephews
She is survived by: her son, William L. Hutchison of Bigfork, and four daughters, Penny Benbrooks of Kalispell, Judy and Phil Ford of Bigfork, Betty and Larry Salois of Cut Bank, and Nancy and Rian Britt of Kalispell, 14 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren, two sisters, Patti Walen of Great Falls, and Joanna Mangels of Littleton, Colorado, and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family wants to thank all the staff at Heritage Place for their hard work and kindness during Betty’s stay there.
A memorial celebration is planned for June in Apgar, Glacier National Park.
To send a note of condolence to the family please visitwww.buffalohillfh.com. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family