Amy Marie Johnson-Battleson, 91
Amy always said, 'A person can do anything they put their mind to,' and she did.
Amy Marie Johnson-Battleson, 91, passed away April 26, 2007. Amy was born in Scobey to Oscar August Johnson and Julia Amanda Bystrom-Johnson, May 12, 1915. Her mother, Julia died in the 1918 flu epidemic as did her unborn child. Amy was raised by her grandparents, John and Petra Amanda Bystrom, on their farm north of Scobey.
Oscar married Nancy Nylen Poyner Aug. 29, 1927. They operated the Peerless School Dormitory and Amy went to live with them and became active in drama classes. A daughter, Betty Lou Poyner-Rhodes, was born to this union giving Amy a half sister in addition to a stepbrother, John Poyner, and a stepsister, Vera Poyner-Ferguson.
In 1934, Amy married Earl Collin Brown Battleson. They operated grocery stores at the Fortpeck Dam settlements. Amy also delivered mail until 1938. They moved to Peerless and operated a pool hall. In 1939, they moved back to the Battleson Ranch on Butte Creek. In 1940, they began farming land west of Peerless. They also operated the Scobey Airport and Radio Shop from 1947-48. They wintered in Kalispell where their children, Phyllis, Willis and Sharon attended school. Amy and Earl were active members of the Elks.
After their family was grown, they wintered in Arizona. Amy was a master on the knitting machine and sold knitted swimming suits to the trendy shops in Arizona. Her quilts and quilted jackets were a work of art. In 1985, Earl and Amy bought a home Glasgow.
Amy loved to sew, crochet, knit, needlepoint, work with ceramics, and porcelain dolls with her life-long friends, Verna Jones and Margaret Sunby, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She also loved to read, back, dance and visit. Amy, aka Grandma Amy or Little Amy, was always up for a game of Yatzee or cards in the evening.
She is survived by two daughters, Sharon Anderson, of Glasgow, and Phyllis Frederick, of Portland, Ore.; 13 grandchildren, Steve Frederick, Julie Frederick-Todd, Camille Frederick-Greenslade, Laurie Battleson, Dixie Battleson-Benjamin, Debbie Battleson, Earl Dale Battleson, Jessica Battleson-Welk, Raelyn Womack, Bill Anderson, Duane Anderson, Skeg Anderson, Tom Anderson; 27 great-grandchildren; 6 great-great grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.
Amy was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Collin Brown Battleson; a son, Willis Dale Battleson; stepbrother, John Poyner; stepsister, Vera Poyner-Ferguson; and half sister, Betty-Lou Johnson-Rhodes.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 3, at the Scobey Lutheran Church in Scobey, a reception will follow.