Ruth Ann Merchant

With love and sorrow on our hearts, we mourn the peaceful passing of Ruth Ann (Bitsy) Merchant (nee’ Fouhy and Larson), 77, on July 27, 2025 after a valiant 6 year struggle against pancreatic cancer. Her love for her family kept her strong and positive throughout all of the ups and downs of her illness. She grew up in Peerless, MT and lived in Billings most of her life. Bitsy, the name most people knew her by, was an affectionate nickname given to her by her dad when she was a baby. She was a loving and dedicated daughter, sister, wife, mother, and especially grandmother.

She will be dearly missed by her husband, Harold Merchant; her children, Kim Larson, Kari (Larry) Elston, Kelli (Ross) Thompson, and Dan (Corrie) Merchant; her three beloved grandchildren, Oliver, William, and Benjamin; siblings Bill (Nora) Fouhy, Mike Fouhy, Patsy (Tim) Guenthner, Jeannie (Steven) Miner, and Judy (Brian) Held and their families; as well as many other loved ones from the Fouhy, Larson, and Merchant families; and numerous friends.

She is preceded in death by her first husband, Tom; her parents, Ernest (Bob) and Helen Fouhy; two brothers, Robert (Bobby) and David; and a sister, Bonnie.

Bitsy married her first husband, Tom Larson, in October 1968. They lived in Billings and created a community of friends and family who exceptionally supported them through happy and difficult times. Bitsy and Tom had three daughters, Kim, Kari, and Kelli. For the three years that Tom fought cancer, Bitsy did everything she could to make their family life vibrant and hopeful. Her strength was ever present and fueled by her faith.

In September 1983 Bitsy was fortunate to marry Harold Merchant, whom she remained married to until her death. Bitsy and Harry added a son, Daniel to the family. She continued to expand and cultivate a beautiful life and support system with Harry. Her friends, family, and church community were integral to her daily life and sustained her as her children grew and moved on to do their own great things. She was so proud of all of them!

Bitsy was a graduate of Billings Business College (BBC) and had a long career providing accounting and bookkeeping services for many local businesses, including Studer Construction, Brown’s Auto Service, Holy Rosary, St. Patrick’s, and St. Bernard’s Catholic churches, and St. Vincent de Paul.

There are not enough words to sufficiently describe everything that Bitsy enjoyed about life and that she brought to the lives of the people she encountered during her 77 years with us. She was a true nature lover; flowers, birds, oceans, and Yellowstone Park were among her favorite things! She enjoyed going to the movies, playing cards, taking photos, and reading. She always had new places on her travel wish list. She loved celebrating Christmas and birthdays and did so joyfully. Giving gifts - for holidays or for no reason at all - was her love language. Most of all, Bitsy loved her people. She was always there for everyone who needed a little extra prayer, love, and kindness. During the last 10 years of her life, she lived for her grandchildren. Those three boys lit up her life and she was enamored with them everyday. 

Bitsy volunteered for many different organizations over the years. She was always dedicated to bringing love and faith to the lives of others, modeling her actions after 1 John 4:12, “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us”. She made her Cursillo in the fall of 1973 and remained an active participant and leader in the movement throughout her life. 

When her girls were young she volunteered as a 4-H leader, cheering on her daughters and the other kids in group as they worked through their projects and brought them to the Yellowstone County Fair every summer. She volunteered frequently at St. Vincent de Paul in Billings. One of the volunteer activities where she found a great deal of meaning and purpose after her kids were grown, was providing personal ministry at the women’s prison in Billings. She believed every person was valued and loved by God and bringing that message to others lifted her spirits.

Bitsy’s vigil service will be at Dahl Funeral Chapel (10 Yellowstone Ave, Billings, MT) at 6:00 pm Thursday, August 7. The funeral mass will be held at 11:00 am at St. Pius Catholic Church (717 18th Street West, Billings, MT) on Friday, August 8. The funeral will also be livestreamed, https://www.stpiusxblgs.org/worship/streaming-mass/.

Bitsy’s family extends heartfelt thanks to all of her caregivers over the last few years, especially Dr. Cobb and the staff at the Frontier Cancer Center and Riverstone Hospice, as well as the many doctors and specialists at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

In lieu of flowers, you are invited to make a memorial donation to one of Bitsy’s favorite charities, St. Vincent de Paul (https://www.svdpmt.org) or Angela’s Piazza: Women’s Drop-In Center (https://www.angelaspiazza.org).