Lois Watson

Lois (Tidwell) Watson, 84, was born January 1, 1929 in Burlington, Oklahoma to Harry and Helen (Veatch) Tidwell, and passed away August 20, 2013 in Mesa, Arizona. Lois, the youngest of three children and only daughter, grew up on a farm and graduated Valedictorian of her high school class. She played on the school's basketball team with her friend, Oretta, who turned out to be a lifelong friend. Lois married Fred Arthur Watson on April 6, 1947, Easter Sunday, at the First English Lutheran Church in Cherokee, Oklahoma. Their children, Rebecca and Allen, were born in Oklahoma and then in 1957, the family moved to Fairfield, Montana. In 1963 their youngest child, Sandra, was born and the family moved to Great Falls. The family finally settled in Billings in 1972. Throughout their marriage, Lois worked along-side her husband custom combining, farming, and then in the office of Old Northwest Agency/Watsons Insurance for over 25 years. She had a love for RVing, fishing, and traveling with her husband and family. Lois was an avid reader and kept a detailed record of the books she read. In addition, she was a devoted Atlanta Braves baseball fan. All her friends and family knew not to call during Jeopardy, Atlanta Brave's games, or the World Series. Lois had a sharp sense of humor and while she appeared to be quiet, she had a way of making her opinion known. In 2004, Sandra helped Lois achieve a life dream of going to England and they visited a number of historical places she read about in books. Lois had a green-thumb and enjoyed flowers and gardening. Family dinners, especially at the holidays, were very important to her and she shined as an exceptional cook. She was a long time member of the Central Christian Church and spent a great deal of time providing food and services at the church. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Lawrence Tidwell, and husband of 55 years, Fred. She is survived by her brother Paul (Lillian) Tidwell; her son, E. Allen Watson; her daughters, Rebecca (Occo) deJongh and Sandra (Paul) Hartman; grandchildren Kirk deJongh, Lara (Gavin) Flynn, Kari Hartman, Michelle Hartman, and great-grandson Jacobus Harter; sister-in-law Lawanda Allison, numerous nieces and nephews, and lifelong friend Oretta Dunkin. Service: A celebration of life will be held at 1:30, September 14, 2013, Central Christian Church, 1221 16th Street West, Billings, MT 59102. Reception will follow.