October 10, 1938 may have seemed like a normal, mundane day to many. Sure, there were some exciting headlines: The Yankees beat the Cubs and won their 7th World Series, Merrill got a Hole-in-One, and German troops advanced and occupied the Sudeten Region of Czechoslovakia. In Wibaux, MT, however, one of the greatest events of the century was about to take place.
Betty Jean Pittsenbarger Norton, not necessarily world famous but notorious none the less, made her debut into this world. I am not sure whether Bernice Bair Pittsenbarger and Loyd Austin Pittsenbarger were aware of the overall impact their daughter would have on the individuals that had the honor of meeting her, but I can surmise that they were definitely aware that they had encountered something special.
Betty inherited a strong work ethic from her parents who had to extensively travel to keep in work. Her father was in construction, building dams and welding in the shipyards for the war. Her mother also worked and welded in the shipyards, took care of the ranches they had, and kept trap lines. Betty survived Scarlet Fever as a toddler in Colorado, lived in New Mexico, Wyoming and Washington before starting school in Willard. She attended many schools across Montana, often picking up and moving mid-year. While living in Livingston, she met her future husband Bernard Monty Norton. It was her junior year of high school when she purchased her 1939 Harley Davidson 1500 cc. Monty thought she was crazy and it’s probably one of the reasons he fell head over heels for her. After graduating business college, she married Monty on June 15, 1957.
Betty held many different types of jobs ranging from secretarial work to nursing, owning her own business (The Happy Bungalow in Turah), and finishing up as a cook for the Victor Senior Center. Her energy and reserve seemed to know no bounds and she reluctantly retired in March of 2020 at the ripe young age of 82 years. She lived a full life, raising registered Morgans with their prized stallion Jet Morgan (affectionately known as Abe) and hogs on the ranch.
Betty’s life was not easy, but it taught her to be the woman we all grew to know and love. There wasn’t a task she wouldn’t tackle head on. She vivaciously met every challenge and had more drive and energy than people half her age. There aren’t many people that would go bowling right after hip surgery or complete a league while fighting Leukemia, but Betty did so with vigor and a smile. The alley floor definitely felt that 13 lb bowling ball landing halfway down the lane, I think we all did. She enjoyed comradery and laughter amongst her friends at bingo on Tuesdays and Saturdays and never turned down a game of cribbage. The truth is, she is part of a dying breed. She was a Harley riding, snowmobile driving, cow wrestling, pig tying mama that could cook a good meal, keep a home, and still have room to love and accept any straggler that wandered through her door. She meant what she said and said what she meant, she didn’t pull punches and she was never ashamed to say what was on her mind. She joked like a sailor and loved to shock people with dirty wit. She was tender, tough, and perfect.
On December 20, 2024, Betty left the pain of this world and traded it in for the peace of the hereafter.
She is survived by her four children, Collette, Rena, Aleta, and Craig; eight grandchildren, Jesse, Cristie, Dezi, Kendra, Andrew, Josiah, Michael, and Briana; nine great grandchildren, one great great grandchild, and countless “adopted” children, grandchildren, and granddogs. Betty was also blessed with an innumerable number of friends she cherished over the years, especially her lifelong friends Mike and Laurie Sorom.
A Celebration of Life is planned on June 15, 2025.
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