Elizabeth 'Bette' R. Dyrdahl

Elizabeth 'Bette' R. Dyrdahl of Helena, age 94, passed away on July 24, 2017 with family by her side.

Bette was born June 5, 1923. Her parents were H. H. and Mary Behrman-early day settlers in north Phillips County, Montana.

Bette graduated from the Loring High School with a class of eight students in 1940. She married Delmar Dyrdahl on June 15, 1941, and they raised their family of six children on the Behrman/Dyrdahl ranch, 12 miles NW of Loring, Mont. Many fond memories remained of those 50-plus years in that community.

In 1974, the Dyrdahl family moved from the ranch to their new home in Malta, but sadly Delmar died soon after in July 1975. While living in Malta, Bette was active in St. Mary's Alter Society and took part in several cursillos.

When all her children had moved away from Phillips County, Bette moved to Helena, Mont., to be close to her youngest son Michael and his family. She loved taking care of her little granddaughter, Daisy. She also made a close circle of friends through her YMCA water aerobics classes.

Several years after moving to Helena, Bette was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought a hard battle, and took great pride in being a cancer survivor. She was a member of cancer survivor groups, and participated in many Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure run/walk events in her pink t-shirt and hat.

In addition to her husband, Bette was preceded in death by her brother, Harry 'Bud' Behrman, in 2008, her daughter-in-law, Andrea 'Andy' Dyrdahl, in 2014, and both of her daughters; her daughter Mary Peters passed in 2012, and Catherine 'Cathy' York in 2013. She is survived by her four sons Gary (Victoria 'Vicky') in Bend, OR, Larry (Martha) in Great Falls, MT, Daniel in Las Vegas, Nev., and Michael (Vonda) in Helena, Mont., as well as by her two sons-in-law, Junior Flores and Richard York. She is also survived by her nine grandchildren, Allen, Jayson, Quentin, and Victoria (Mary), Rachel and Alicia (Gary), Steven (Larry), Shaelyn and Daisy (Michael), and her 16 great-grandchildren.

A memorial mass will be held at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Malta on Friday, September 1, 2017 at 10 a.m. Her cremains will be interred afterward at the Malta Cemetery beside her beloved husband. Reception to follow.

Please make any memorial donations to:

St. Peter's Hospice

2475 Broadway

Helena, MT 59601

(406) 444-2244

http://www.stpetes.org/hospital/home-health-care/hospice

Please visit http://www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of Bette.