Dixie Lee (Biffle) Leys

Dixie Lee (Biffle) Leys was born March 3, 1931, to Lydian May (Hythecker) and Jim Wilson Biffle in Baker, Montana, their second child and only daughter and the granddaughter of homesteaders. Dixie Lee graduated from high school in 1949. After a year working as a cashier, she enrolled at Montana State College. As she loved to sew and design clothes, she majored in Home Economics. She joined the Delta Gamma Sorority, where one of her roommates asked if she’d be interested in writing her cousin, John Leys, who had joined the Navy.  Their correspondence lasted nearly two years which led to a marriage that lasted over 59 years.

After one year at MSC Dixie enrolled in summer school at Eastern Montana College to become a rural school teacher. She was hired at Lame Jones School, where she faced a year of challenges living on the prairie. Every week she would have three letters from Johnnie. She and John fell in love via the US Mail. They were married eight days after they first met, in person on December 26, 1952, It was then her education from a "town girl" to a farmer's wife began.

After John’s discharge, they settled down on his parents' farm 10 miles from Conrad and raised their five children. They spent 32 years on the farm. While in Conrad she was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and served as a deacon and Sunday School teacher. She was also involved with Brownie Scouts and 4-H, the Ledger Community Club, and home demonstration club.

After her children began school, she worked as a program assistant at the Agriculture Stabilization Services for three years and then became an administrative assistant for The Learning Resource Center and Easter Seals Hearing Program at Meadowlark School in Conrad for eleven years. After moving to Great Falls, Dixie was an administrative assistant at Easter Seals/Goodwill where she became the Office Coordinator supervising the secretarial staff. She retired at the age of 69.

Square dancing was a big part of Dixie and John’s life. When they traveled, they planned trips around square dances and made many friends. At one point Dixie was secretary when John served as the State Square Dance association president.

After John passed away in 2012, she volunteered at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and began square dancing lessons again. Dixie said she would like to be remembered as a loving wife, mother, and friend who always did the best she could.

Dixie was preceded in death by her eldest son, John “Jack”; her loving husband, John; and his parents; her parents; and her three brothers; Richard and his wife Nancy, Jack and his wife Flo and children, Cheryl and Walter, Tom and his wife, Elisabeth Biffle.

She is survived by daughter-in-law and first son, Jack’s wife, Vonja Leys of Fort Worth, TX; four of her five children, Mark (Arlene) Leys of Conrad, MT, Keith Leys of Cutbank, MT, Sandra (Keith) Bellows of Spokane, WA, and Tom Leys of Great Falls, MT; grandchildren, Shana (John) Yox of Collinsville, KS, Taryn (Richard) Anthony of Fort Work, TX, Tracy (Adam) Hemry of Brady, MT, Ralph (Susie) Leys and Brittania (Bronson) Park of Billings MT, Zachariah (Krystal) Leys of Conrad, MT, Deanna (Greg) Wakkinen of Eaton, CO, Kelcey (Brandon) Bich and Sean (Abigail) Bellows of Yelm, WA, and Dixie Ryan. Dixie is also survived by great-grandchildren, Axel, Luca, Jaxson, Kendrix, and Angel Yox, Emily Anthony, Kelsi and Tyson Hemry, Trent and Ivy Leys, Cruz and Nash Park, Carmen, Taryn, Cullen, and Mason Leys, Callie and Miley Wakkinen, Nolan and Everly Bich, and Maverick and Sadie Bellows; along with many cousins, nieces, and nephews.