Bethany Ann Warner Weber, 66

Bethany Ann Warner Weber died from ovarian cancer on May 2, 2015.

Bethany was born to Rod and Rita Warner on Feb. 4, 1949, in Antigo, Wisconsin. She grew up in Rib Lake and Mosinee, Wisconsin, graduating from Mosinee High School in 1968. 

She enrolled in the Milwaukee County School of Nursing and received her registered nursing degree in 1971. In the summer of 1971 she enlisted in the Army Nursing Corps. After basic training at Fort Sam Houston, she was commissioned a second lieutenant. Her first duty station was Madigan General Hospital in Tacoma, Washington. While working in the emergency department at Madigan she met Steve Weber, Captain, U.S. Army Medical Corps. Romance followed them from Washington to Wisconsin, and they were married at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Mosinee on April 28, 1973.

In addition to her time at Madigan General Hospital, her nursing career included employment at the Milwaukee VA hospital, a final Army duty station at Tomah, Wisconsin, the position of head ward nurse at Children’s Hospital at the University of Wisconsin, ward nurse at Waterville, Maine (where she worked with the original “Hawkeye Pierce”), Kalispell Regional Hospital, and volunteer nursing at the Free World Eye Clinic in the Philippines.

Tyler was born in 1974 while the family was still in Madison. Zachary was born in Toronto in 1976, during Steve’s fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children. The family was blessed with Amanda in Kalispell in 1981. 

Bethany owned and operated optical businesses at Medical Arts and Glacier Eye Clinic. She was active in the Flathead community and generous with her time in volunteer service. Her volunteer service included Big Brothers Big Sisters as president of the board and banquet fundraiser, the St. Matthew’s school board, United Way, Care, the Flathead County Health Department, Lunch Pail Pal Program, youth soccer coach and many other local causes.

Beth enjoyed her time with family and friends at the North Fork cabin and various North Fork community activities which included creative roles in the Polebridge Fourth of July parade, her many years hiking in Glacier National Park with her hiking groups, The Great Gripe Getaway and The Trampers, her rotating supper club, the Basic Food Group, her Riverview Greens book club, all things Notre Dame, and she was a proud member of PEO, Chapter BM. Summer trips with her nine grandchildren were planned carefully and were a great source of pleasure.

Beth was preceded in death by infant sister Deborah, father Rodney, brother Scott, and nephews Ryan Van Luchene and Jamison Rieck. 

She is survived by her mother, Rita Mae Warner; husband, Steve; son Tyler, wife Jennifer and children Jack, Abby and Max, of Kalispell; son Zachary, wife Mindy and children Clay and Wes, of Kalispell; daughter Amanda Swift, husband James and children Jayden, Colten, Hope and Hana, of Billings; sisters, Trudy Fink of Oak Harbor, Washington, and Peggy Kowalski and Natalie Rieck of Mosinee; brothers, Todd and Brian Warner of Mosinee; uncle, Ken Warner of Rib Lake; and mother-in-law, Helen Weber, of Kalispell.

Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 8, at St. Matthew’s Church, followed by a celebration of life at the Hilton Garden Inn. A celebration of life will take place in Mosinee at a later date.

We wish to thank her friends and family for all of their friendship and support during Beth’s battle with cancer.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Beth may be made to the Kalispell Regional Healthcare Foundation - Emergency Department Expansion; http://www.kalispellregional.org/foundation/.