Twyla Ann (Sibley) Whyte

Twyla Ann (Sibley) Whyte went to be with her Lord and Savior on November 18, 2021. She passed away peacefully with the love of her life, Willie, by her side. Twyla was born to Charles J. Sibley, Sr., and Betty (Petzsch) Sibley as their sixth and final child on December 18, 1943. She attended both elementary and high school in White Sulphur Springs and graduated in 1961. Because of her excellent academic standing, Twyla was awarded a small scholarship to Western Montana College (Montana State University-Dillon). She attended for a brief time and then went home to White Sulphur Springs. Twyla worked at the Truck Stop Cafe for a short period of time before moving to Helena to work at the Masonic Home in the Helena Valley. It was in Helena that she met Everett J. Whyte, Sr. After being involved in an automobile accident, she and Everett moved back to White Sulphur Springs where they married. Shortly after, Twyla gave birth to two sons, Everett “John” and Michael Jay. After having the boys, the Whytes moved to Helena. In January of 1972, she gave birth to her only daughter, Jodi Lynn. Twyla and Everett divorced in 2002. In Helena, Twyla worked as a clerk-typist for the Independent Record. She then worked for the State of Montana, Labor and Industry Division in several capacities. First as a stenographer, then as an accounting technician, and finally as an employment and training technician until the family moved to Great Falls in 1982. In Great Falls, Twyla worked for Montgomery Ward as a cashier, for the Job Service as a clerk, for the City of Great Falls as a clerk-typist, and for Terrex Industries as a secretary. She then got her foot in the door with the federal government as a stenographer for Malmstrom Air Force Base. She worked as a stenographer for two different squadrons and then transferred to the Commissary as an accounting technician. After a few years, Twyla transferred into the position of quality assurance evaluator at the commissary. She stayed there until her retirement in 2008. Since she was enthralled by the medical field due to her various ailments, Twyla tried something new after retirement. She began her studies to become a medical transcriptionist until being diagnosed for the second time with malignant melanoma. The cancer and its treatment paused her studies and she never did get back on track. Cancer would be a recurring evil character in Twyla’s life, showing up in various places, until her doctor found an oral cancer drug that kept cancer at bay and kept her alive for many more years. Twyla was grateful, as is her family, that she got to live for a much longer time due to the drug and Dr. Harrer, the doctor responsible for suggesting it to Twyla, and Dave Broast, PA for his understanding care in her final years. Later in life, she rekindled an old flame. William “Bill” “Willie” N. Hagstrom and Twyla originally met in the summer of 1960 as teenagers. Although they went their separate ways and lived different lives, in 2010, they looked for one another and were lucky to be reconnected. They were married in September of 2021 in the home they shared for many years. Twyla often referred to Willie as the love of her life, and the way he took care of her until her passing proved she was his as well. Anyone lucky enough to meet and get to know Twyla knows what an ardent Elvis Presley fan she was. Every corner of her home contained a piece of Elvis memorabilia. She knew every fact and piece of trivia about the King of Rock n’ Roll and her collection was extensive and unique. Twyla was also a cookbook collector, filling a room in her home with 6 bookcases dedicated to her love for cooking. She was also interested in many different styles of music, and her mood would dictate what music she listened to that day. Twyla became very invested in her family history in her later years thanks to distant cousin Ron Melby. Through her own research, she discovered that she was a descendent of George Soule, one of the voyagers on the Mayflower. She also found connections to the first Governor of Minnesota and Twyla was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Twyla and Willie also loved to travel with their best furry pal, a rat terrier named Bucky. In the fall of 2015, Twyla and Willie embarked on what Twyla described as her “Dream Trip” to celebrate their 5th anniversary of rekindlement. They visited Branson, MO where they saw Mickey Gilley, and it just so happened that their show was recorded for sale. Twyla made certain to purchase a DVD of the show, as she and Willie can be seen in the audience. They then saw Mel Tillis in concert, attending a meet and greet after the show. During the show, Mel came out into the audience, tapped Willie on the shoulder, and told him that he looked just like Burl Ives, Mel’s good friend who was also a musician! The most important location of the dream trip was Memphis, TN. Twyla, Elvis fanatic extraordinaire, wanted for decades to visit Graceland and to tour Sun Studio, where Elvis recorded his first music. In addition to the obvious tourist locations, Twyla, with her vast Elvis knowledge, mapped out little-known places for her and Willie to visit. These places included the homes Elvis grew up in, the schools he attended, the school his wife Priscilla graduated from, and many other places Elvis frequented. What a thrill it was for Twyla to have walked where Elvis did! From Memphis, she and Willie went to Tupelo, MS to see where Elvis was born and take in more sights of his childhood home. While there, they went into the Tupelo Hardware Store and stood on the X that marks the spot said to be where he stood when his mother bought him his first guitar. What an awesome treat that was! They then made their way up the Natchez Trace Parkway and then to Nashville, TN. Twyla noted how interesting this drive was, as she and Willie stopped every few miles to take pictures of historic sights. While in Nashville, they took the backstage tour of the Ryman Auditorium and got their picture taken while standing on the stage. They toured the famous Studio B, which in Elvis’s time was the RCA Studio, where he did many of his recordings. They also went to the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum, the George Jones Museum, and the Johnny Cash Museum. On the way back to Montana, they took a detour to Burr Oak, IA to see the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and the boarding house where her family lived and worked. For Twyla, this was no longer just a “dream vacation,” it had become a reality! Unfortunately, in 2021, cancer showed up for the final time. The one place the magic drug couldn’t protect was her brain and it reared its ugly head. Twyla made the brave decision to not seek further treatment, and move to hospice for the end of her life. Her family is so grateful for the compassionate care given by the many staff members of Peace Hospice as Twyla lived her final days. Twyla was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Elizabeth “Betty” Sibley; brothers, Charles “Bud” and Lawrence “Punk” Sibley; sisters, Kathi McAllister and Nellie Teague; sisters-in-law Grace and Shinako Sibley; brothers-in-law Robert “Bob” Teague and Roger Schrader; nephews, Roger “Chip” Schrader, Jr. and Donald “Duck” Teague; niece, Martha Ann Teague, and step-nephew, Carl Russell. In her final year of life, Twyla lost her best friend, Bucky to old age. She told her family that Bucky will be the first soul she looks for upon entering heaven after she meets Jesus and God. Twyla is survived by her husband, and the ultimate love of her life, Willie Hagstrom of Great Falls, MT. She is also survived by her sister, Rosealea Schrader of White Sulphur Springs; brother-in-law, Richard McAllister of Joshua Tree, CA; her sons, John (Debbie) of Great Falls and Mike; and her daughter, Jodi (Garth) Gabriel of Great Falls. Twyla was also blessed to have many bonus daughters, Shelley Hill and Michelle Selthon, both of Great Falls, and Sheri Yost of Grove City, OH.Twyla also leaves behind grandsons, Michael “Mikey” Whyte of Great Falls, Christopher and Hyun Soo Whyte, both of San Diego, CA; and granddaughter, Caitlyn (Madison) Nash of Great Falls. Also surviving are one great-grandson, Royal Whyte; and one great-granddaughter, Yuri Whyte of San Diego, CA. Twyla will be fondly remembered by many cousins, nieces, nephews, great- and great-great- family members, including two grand-animals, Sadie and Jester, and two great-grandcats, Hank and Junie Nash, all of Great Falls; nephew cat, Percy of White Sulphur Springs; and nephew dog, Frankie of CA. Twyla once planned to donate her medically-unique body for research, but due to Covid-19, was unable to. Twyla was instead cremated by Schnider Funeral Home of Great Falls and her ashes will be interred at the Mayn Cemetery in White Sulphur Springs at a later time. At her request, no public services will be held. Twyla will be remembered as a fiercely independent, intelligent, giving, and loving woman. Her family is so thankful for the moments and memories they got to share. They will remember her homemade noodles laid out on her counters and kitchen table, her rational advice, and her love for As Seen on TV gadgets. We take with us the various words of encouragement she has given us over the years, as well as a fondness for her sense of humor. Her family will remember how hard she fought the cancer. Nearly 78 years was not long enough. As Willie taught us all to say, “This isn’t goodbye, it’s see you later.”