Betty Lou Swanson

Betty Lou (Sporleder) Swanson, 88, of Great Falls, died of natural causes Wednesday, Feb. 6, at Cambridge Court in Great Falls.Visitation is10:30 a.m. at Hillcrest. Funeral service is 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb 13, at Hillcrest Lawn Chapel. Burial follows at Highland Cemetery.Betty was born on Aug. 12, 1924, in Regal, Minn., to Warren and Cleo Sporleder. Her dad was a depot agent for the Great Northern Railroad, so Betty spent her childhood growing up in the small towns of southwest Minnesota and St. Cloud. She also lived briefly in the Yakima, Wash., area. Betty graduated from high school in St. Cloud in 1943. After high school, she became a certified welder to support the war effort by fabricating components for military airplane gliders. Betty also worked for the Veterans Administration in St. Cloud for a time.At the close of World War II, she married Marine Corps veteran Lance Swanson on Sept. 14, 1946. The couple spent the next few years starting a family while Lance began work for the Coast to Coast Hardware retail chain. Betty and Lance bought their first store in Ivanhoe, Minn. In 1953, Betty and Lance moved to Great Falls to purchase the downtown Coast to Coast Hardware store. Before long, Betty was raising three young sons while helping operate the store. She became an astute businesswoman and was an active partner in running the family business while continuing her role as a dedicated homemaker and mother, which she worked extremely hard at both. Betty and Lance retired in 1983, and the couple began the snowbird chapter of their lives, traveling mostly to Florida and the southwest during winters.Betty's next vocation in life was compassionate caregiver for Lance when he was stricken with a rare medical condition that spanned over a decade. Following Lance's death in 2003, she enjoyed volunteering at the Great Falls Senior Center and RSVP.Betty's greatest joys and passions in life were taking care of her family and raising her kids, which often included spending summer holidays recreating and boating on the beautiful lakes in the Seeley-Swan Valley and Holter Lake. Generous and fun loving, she also cherished her intimate circle of close friends in Great Falls, as well as her extended family in Minnesota and Missouri.Betty's values were synonymous with so many others of her generation: work hard, live within your means and count your blessings.Betty Lou is survived by a son, Peter; daughter-in-law, Carol (Dennis) Swanson; step-grandson, Andy Clavadetscher and his wife Cynthia.She was preceded in death by her husband, Lance; and sons, Eric and Dennis.Memorials are suggested to Peace Hospice and/or the Great Falls Senior Center. A heartfelt expression of gratitude is extended to the caring staff at Cambridge Court.