Dorothy Jean Demaree

Dorothy Jean Demaree

Aug. 29, 1932 – Dec. 25, 2020

Dorothy Jean Redding Demaree, 88, passed away in Lovell on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2020, of natural causes. Dorothy was born in Hardin, Mont., Aug. 29, 1932, to Coil Austin Redding and Florence Irene Hoffman of Sarpy, Mont. She was the sixth of 12 children. 

She attended Wolf School during her grade school years in Sarpy and then Hardin High School. She lived briefly in Denver with her sisters after high school and then returned to the Montana she loved and always called home. She worked in Billings at Security Bank as a telephone switchboard operator.

On Aug. 31, 1964, she married Norris Demaree of Billings and raised three children on a small ranch in Shepherd, Mont. Following retirement, they moved into Billings, where they remained until Norris died in 2012. They were married for 48 years. 

Dorothy continued to live alone and was busy with church activities at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and working in the Billings Temple. Dorothy was known for her healthy and active life. She even worked part-time at a local nursing home until age 80 when she finally retired. Prior to her death she had moved closer to her daughter, Dawn, in Cowley.

Dorothy loved country music. She wrote songs and played the piano, guitar and violin by ear. Those from her early years remember that she played for dances at the old schoolhouse. Dorothy loved cattle and horses. In 1951 she was the Hardin Rodeo Queen commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Custer Battlefield. 

Dorothy was well known for gardening, canning, baking, sewing, quilting, oil painting and family history work. She had the greatest love for her parents, many siblings, nieces and nephews and especially her children, grand-children and great-grandchildren. But, mostly, she will always be known for her great love of her savior Jesus Christ and her Heavenly Father.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Norris Demaree; sons NJ and Jimmy; parents Coil and Irene Redding; brothers June, Rich (Charlotte) and Donnie (Billie) Redding; and sisters Florence (Charles) Kovis, Shirley Redding, Joan (Ed) Louk, and Judy (Ronnie) Reed. 

Survivors include daughter Dawn (Buck) Hardwick of Cowley, sister Patricia (Jerold) Evanson of Sandy, Utah, brothers Tommy (Ginger) Redding of Fort Shaw, Mont., Jerry (Sandy) of West Jordan, Utah, and Leonard (Nancy) of Butler, Mo.; grandchildren Bryce (Megan), Seth (Sarah), Cody, Shea and Zane Hardwick, Hayley and Garth Demaree, Mackenzie Teichroew, Lane Demaree and Garrin; and great-grandchildren Monty, Mackly Hardwick and Michael Littlebear. 

Funeral services were Wednesday, Dec. 30, at 11 a.m., with a viewing at 9:30 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cowley, followed by the burial at Mountview Cemetery in Billings at 2:30 p.m.

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