Earlene Dorothy Nelson West

Earlene Dorothy Nelson West was born on April 7, 1942, and passed away peacefully with her family by her side on March 23, 2022, at Peace Hospice of Great Falls. Earlene was born in Great Falls, MT to her parents Dorothy and Raynold Nelson. She grew up with her older brother Dwayne Nelson of Augusta, MT. She lived her whole life in Great Falls, where she attended Little Russell Elementary, West Junior High, and graduated from Great Falls High School. She raised four children on the Northwest side of Great Falls; Brian West of Great Falls, Terry (Vickie) West of White Sulphur Springs, Marci (Brent) Speyer of Henderson, NV, and Suzann (Brian) Bartz of Great Falls. She was blessed with five granddaughters; Britney (Friis) Gebhart, Kasey (Kris) Kulbeck, Kristina West (Jared Bryant), Ashlyn (Marcus) Adamson, Cailey Froehle (Jeff Ruegsegger); three great-grandchildren, Max Adamson, Sage Earlene Gebhart, and Adalee Adamson; and granddog, Eddie Earlene had a passion for helping others despite living with her own disability. She started work as a CNA at Cascade County Nursing Home, where she cared for the elderly. When she became a mother, Earlene stayed home to raise and care for her children. She later served food to students in the kitchen at North Middle School where her kids attended. After her children left home, she spent her time doing work for Easterseals-Goodwill, providing in-home care to many clients she considered family. Earlene had many joys in life and met most circumstances with an “Oh, hell” and a great sense of humor. If there was good food around, you can bet she would be there, stacking her plate until it was gone. She loved to eat and always seemed to have room for more, although no one is sure where she put it all! Music was another passion for Earlene. She played the piano and slide trombone and absolutely loved anything with a good beat she could wiggle to. She knew every song by her favorite heartthrob, Elvis, and loved to sing along to Judy Garland. She always talked about how Britney and Sage had the best piano playing fingers. Earlene had many different pets whom she loved very much, her favorite being her cats. Her life revolved around her family. Every holiday was spent together sharing a big meal and many laughs. She called her loved ones every day to say hello, good night, and I love you. Earlene enjoyed spending time with her friends, playing cards in her pinochle group, having lunch with the Westside Ladies, playing bingo, or catching up in a handwritten letter. You could almost always find her playing solitaire, working on a crossword puzzle, eating a sweet treat, or best of all, smoking a cigarette with a cup of black coffee. Although she faced more challenges than any person should, she never let her disability or adversities keep her from laughing, loving, and living her life to the fullest. She will be forever in our hearts and greatly missed by many. Following Earlene’s wishes, no services will be held. However, we will be having a celebration of life in honor of her, and what would have been her 80th birthday, on Saturday, April 9, 2022, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Countryside Village Clubhouse. Please wear pink, her favorite color, and celebrate our wonderful lady with us! Condolences for the family may be shared online at www.SchniderFuneralHome.com.