Joy Genevieve Hamlett

Joy Genevieve (Bull) Hamlett, 95, loving mother, aunt, grandmother, and great-grandmother passed away Veterans Day, November 11, 2017. Memorial service will be Saturday, December 9, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel. Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Her family first came to Montana in 1860 where they were ranchers, freighters, and operated Black’s Crossing on the Madison River. Joy was born November 29, 1921 in Livingston, MT, at her aunt Gladys’s residence, where her aunt assisted as her mother’s midwife. She lived on the family ranch in the Gallatin Valley until age 5, when the family moved to Billings, where her father worked for a utility company. During her youth, she worked every summer at her aunt Hallie and uncle Glen Powell’s ranch in the Gallatin Valley at Bozeman, MT. Her schooling, 1-12 was in Billings and she was trained to be a librarian at the Billings Public Library the summer following graduation. She then attended Billings Normal College and obtained a teaching certificate. Joy first taught at Central Park, a one room school, grades 1-8, then taught at Pony and Laurel, MT. While teaching, she met her future husband Bradley, at a Country Dance, December 6, 1941. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was the next day, and they were suddenly caught up in WWII. They married 9 weeks later on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1942, and were married for 64 years until death did they part. Bradley was selected for Bomber Pilot training with the Army Air Corp., and Joy traveled the west while he was stationed in Nevada, New Mexico, and California. Work along the way, for Joy, included wiring war planes, returning to Laurel, MT, to teach when Bradley went over seas in 1944 to the CBI Theatre of War. In April of 1945, Bradley was severely wounded on a bombing mission. Joy spent the next 3 ½ years by his side as he went through 11 operations to save his leg. In the fall of 1948 upon Bradley’s discharge from the military, they moved to Cascade, MT, leasing property, and resuming ranching. There they started their family, and in 1951, they purchased the present ranch, which includes the landmark of Square Butte, north of Cascade, MT. Joy became the librarian at Cascade, working with Alma Jacobs, who encouraged her to come and work for her directly at the Great Falls Public Library, where she worked for many years until she retired. She also wrote the book review column for the Great Falls Tribune during this time. Ivan Doig, author of “This House of Sky”, was so impressed with her review of his book that he contacted Joy and would visit Joy and Brad whenever he was in the area. They became good friends and in their visits helped to provide lifestyle information for his books. Joy was a hard worker, cooking for ranch crews, being a librarian and book reviewer, reading up to 3 or 4 books a week for review. She opened the eyes of many young children and adults to the world of knowledge and enjoyment obtained by taking a book off the shelf and reading. Her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the joy of her life. She enjoyed the game of bridge, great books, her book club, and following her civic devotion for the greater good, volunteered her time for several years as a board member for Neighborhood Housing. She had a great life and made a difference. Joy, like many of her generation, endured challenges in life such as The Great Depression, WWII, and the Cold War. Her personal heartbreak was the loss of her son, Jeff, at age 19, due to an accident. She was preceded in death by her father, Emory H. Bull; son Jeffery Lucas Hamlett; stepfather Eddie Nelson; mother Sylvia Nelson; husband T. Bradley Hamlett, and brother Emory Bull. Joy is survived by her son Brad (Sherry) Hamlett; grandson Rhys (Kay) Hamlett; granddaughter Elizabeth (Nate) Hamlett; great-grandchildren, Aubrey Hamlett, Mason Hamlett, and Wyatt McAllister; nephews Bruce (Tammy) Bull and Jim Bull; niece Lynn (Randy) O’Brien; great-nieces Sylvia Bull and Victoria Bull; sister-in-law Jean Bull; special friends, Kathy James and Cynthia Manning.