Clear, 54° F
(March 19, 1927 – March 27, 2011)
Edith Mae Crowe Hetland died Sunday, March 27, peacefully in the North Big Horn Hospital in Lovell. Her son Mark was by her side.
She was born March 19, 1927 to James and Emily Crowe in McCalla, Ala.
Edith’s mother died when she was 3 years old and her father died when she was 5. She lived with various relatives in Alabama until she was 14 and then came to Byron to live with her Aunt Katy and Uncle Tom Rogers. Edith attended high school in Byron. On June 10, 1943 she married Gene Hetland in Billings. The couple resided on Crooked Creek and farmed with Gene’s dad.
A few months after her marriage to Gene, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, and Edith was left to help farm with Gene’s dad, Andy.
A daughter, Jeanne, was born to this union in 1944 and a son, Ace, in 1947. The family continued to live on the farm until 1950 when Jeanne started school. They then moved to Byron.
Two more sons, Sid born in 1952, and Mark born in 1956, were added to the family. Gene and Edith continued living in Byron to raise their family. In 1980, grandsons Bert and Brandon came to live with them and were later adopted.
Edith worked at several different jobs in her lifetime but the most precious job that she loved the most was raising her children. Edith loved country music, singing, growing flowers, taking care of her lawns, raising vegetable gardens and just being outdoors. She also loved to fish and looked forward to family picnics. Edith’s most enjoyable times were spent with her family and whatever they chose to do. She didn’t care as long as they were together.
After Edith retired she moved to a small house in Byron where she lived until the last couple of years, and she then moved in with her son Mark. For the last six months, Edith was in Horizon Care Center in Lovell.
Edith was a kind, loving, beautiful lady and will be greatly missed.
Edith was preceded in death by her parents, James and Emily; brother William, three half brothers, Dolly, Percy and Levi; her husband Gene; daughter Jeanne and great-grandson Justin.
She is survived by three sons, Ace (Bev) Hetland of Amory, Miss., Sid (Sherry) Hetland of Wapiti, and Mark Hetland of Byron; and son-in-law Ray Snell of Lovell; 10 grandchildren Karen (Ben) Fowler, Lance (Ginger) Hetland, Dusty (Angie) Hetland, Holly (Mike) Neufer, Erin (Ben) Mischke, Travis (Elizabeth) Hetland, Bert (Becky) Hetland, Brandon Hetland, Cagney Hetland, Skyler (Laura) Hetland and 16 great grandchildren.
A viewing was held at Haskell Funeral Home on Wednesday. The service will be held at the Byron LDS Chapel at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 31, concluding with burial at the Byron cemetery.
Arrangements have been made by Haskell Funeral Home in Lovell.
