Beverly Lou (Johnson) Loch

Beverly Lou Johnson was born to Bertha and Millard Johnson in September of 1931, during the great depression and the dust bowl. As the only girl with three brothers on a dairy farm, Bev quickly became a hardworking’tom boy’ and prided herself on being able to keep up with the boys, whether that was driving the old pickup to deliver milk or hopping a train and jumping off at Collins. Her fondest memory of childhood was their yearly trip to the mountains camping. High school was a happy, social time filled with friends, cheerleading, and plays and though girls weren’t allowed to play organized school sports, Bev loved all sports and played shortstop in women’s softball till she was in her 50’s. Bev, a strong, determined woman with a passion for helping others, chose nursing as her life’s work, attending the Columbus School of Nursing in Great Falls and graduating in 1952. She formed loyal bonds with her nursing schoolmates which she cherished through her life. As an R.N., her nursing career spanned over 40 years and 3 states, working in Montana, California and Texas. She worked in all departments and loved the ER for its fast pace and challenges. Bev also loved the one on one of private nursing. She worked on the Red Cross Blood Mobile from January 1954 to June 1955, and then again from 1980 to 1994, finishing off her career by traveling the state of Montana, making friends wherever she went. It was said that she never met a stranger. Bev’s interests were as varied as her many friendships. She loved fishing, hunting, fly tying, shuffleboard, bowling, ceramics, leather tooling, throwing pots on the wheel and telling her many jokes. Dancing and music were always one of her favorite pastimes. In 1958, Beverly married John B. Loch and they lived and worked on the family farm 6 miles east of Dutton until they moved to Dutton and the Sunshine Trail Lodge in 2006. Bev worked hard on the farm, preferring any outside work to the housewife chores. She went to A.I. school and together she and John raised Simmental/ Herford cattle, pigs, chickens, a huge garden and two girls. To supplement their income, Bev sold everything from watermelons to bras to water distillers. Bev and John enjoyed their restored convertibles; they toured the state with friends and took in many parades. Bev’s 1960 red Lincoln convertible was a show stopper. Bev’s love of the outdoors was only surpassed by her love of children. She adored her nieces and nephews and their children, as well as her own; Verna Mae born in 1959, Bernard John born and died in 1960, and Barbara Jean in 1965. Bev could always take time from work to spend time with the children in her life. Many of her most positive traits such as her compassion for others, her generous but frugal ways and her wit have been passed down. For years they delivered handmade Easter baskets to the elderly and shut-ins. Throughout her life, Bev used her caregiving skills to reach out to those in need, taking blood pressures, cutting hair, cleaning house, whatever was needed. In time, it was her own parents, aunts and uncles that she cared for, while still making time for her much loved grandchildren, Patrick James, Brianne Kylie and Chelsie Dawn. They spent many a day camping and playing in the Winnebago. Bev was thrilled to have two great grandchildren added to her family with Lonyn and Grey Halseth. Bev also donated her time to Dutton Fun Day (Egg Toss), collecting for the Combined fund, The American Legion Auxiliary, Cemetery board, and Home and Garden Club. Bev was the driving force behind getting the “Welcome to Dutton” sign in place just in time for the town’s Centennial celebration. Somehow she never lost her sense of humor but as Bev’s eyesight began to fail and her world grew smaller, she comforted herself listening to thousands of books on tape, also the memories that the many photos she had taken over her lifetime brought her great joy. She always found a way to charm those around her, even endearing herself to the nurses at the Hospice house in her final weeks. Bev’s sheer determination and drive carried her though her life, defying many obstacles but finally cancer took her at age 87 years, 9 months and 25 days on July 12, 2019. Beverly is survived by daughters, Verna (Nick) Schlueter of Dutton and Barbie (Kyle) Olsen of Bozeman; grandson, Patrick (Kirsten) Halseth of Missoula; and granddaughters Brianne Olsen of Phoenix, AZ. and Chelsie Olsen of Bozeman. Bev also has two great-grandchildren, Lonyn and Grey Halseth. Beverly was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 52 years, John; three brothers; and infant son, Bernard John. A funeral liturgy will be Friday, July 19, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. at St. William Catholic Church with burial to follow at Dutton Cemetery, both in Dutton, Montana.