Bettie M. Canon, 82

Bettie M. Canon of Harlowton passed away at the Wheatland Memorial Healthcare on Feb. 18, 2007.

Funeral services will be conducted at the Federated Church at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 23. The Rev. Jerry Collins will officiate the services.

Bettie was born in Lewistown on May 21, 1924, the eldest daughter of Thayer and Claire Stevens, residents of Harlowton. She attended a rural school, then graduated from Harlowton High School in May 1941. She went to Montana State University-Bozeman; and taught one year at Hedgesville.

In July 1944, she joined the U.S. Navy WAVES and served until February 1946.

She married Roscoe Canon, and to this union there were born a son, Kenneth, and a daughter, Susan Canon Evans.

Bettie was active in her church, Eastern Star, and the American Legion, where she was department historian for 10 years and national historian one year.

She worked for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs in Billings and Juneau, Alaska.

After retirement, she worked as a housekeeper and baby sitter for the Jerry O'Neil family in Kalispell, which she said was 'a joyful relief after the stress of government procurement.'

Bettie is survived by one brother, Melzer 'Bud' Stevens of Harlowton; two sisters, Helen and Harry Hanson of Billings, and Marianne and Al Fontana of North Haven, Conn.; her son, Kenneth Canon, of Keizer, Ore.; and daughter, Susan Evans, of Polson. She also is survived by four grandsons, two granddaughters and one great-granddaughter.

Memorials may be made to the Federated Church of Harlowton, Central Christian Church of Kalispell, or a charity of your choice.