Arlene 'Nannie' Tutvedt Shepherd, 87

Slightly opening her eyes for the final time, Mom raised her frail hand and pointed to the pictures of family we had placed on the walls surrounding her bed ... she smiled and sighed. So fitting of a wonderful, loving mother who had devoted her life and her heart to family.

Arlene Tutvedt Shepherd passed away on Nov. 2, 2016, in Billings where she had lived for the past two years. Our sincere gratitude to the caring staff at Highgate Senior Living and Buffalo Hill Terrace in Kalispell where she had lived previously for loving on her daily.

A celebration of her life will be held next July in the Galata/Chester area where she was born on March 12, 1929, to Norwegian homesteaders Peder and Myrtle Tutvedt. In 1948 she married her high school sweetheart Leo Shepherd, our loving dad, who passed away in 1993.

Lifelong best friends were her big sisters Pearl Shepherd (deceased) and Ruby Glee of Galata who along with Uncle Lyle have faithfully tended the family farm for the past 70 years … Mom’s favorite place of all.

Her legacy of kindness, generosity, perseverance, love of simplicity and family will live on through her loving family: Lynda and John Baker of Great Falls, Lottie and Dan Eggen of Billings, Glen and Debra Shepherd of Colorado Springs, Colorado; honorary daughter and loving Kalispell neighbor Rhonda Niblett; seven grandchildren and their spouses including Shawn (Michelle) Baker of Kalispell, Dan (Season) Baker of Colorado, Tara Eggen (Ed) Kidwell of Virginia, Darci Eggen (Steve) Summerlin of Oregon, Josie Shepherd (Jason) Harley of Texas, Jennie Shepherd (Benton)Walker of Colorado, and Jamie Shepherd (Logan) Mahowald of Kalispell, six great-grandchildren, Morgan, Kenzie, Kalysta, Cayden, Story and Bridger, with twin baby girls soon to be born (... the circle of life continues); along with numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Mom loved family, relatives, friends, home, the family cabin on Bitterroot Lake, being a homemaker, cooking, baking, canning, sewing, pansies, aprons, rocks, winters with Dad in Arizona, the sound of meadowlarks, Kalispell, the prairie, the Sweet Grass Hills, Montana, and her Norwegian and homesteader heritage.

Gifts in Mom’s name may be given to the Flathead Valley Community College Scholarship Fund where Dad was the first business manager.

“Mom, we will miss you dearly and yet take great joy knowing you and Dad are dancing together in heaven.”

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family on www.dahlfuneralchapel.com .