Bessie Lou Perhay, currently of East Helena, passed away on December 28, 2015 after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer Disease.
Bessie was born August 20, 1929 to Charles Wickersheim and Florence (Ayers) Wickersheim in Helena, Montana where she attended Emerson and Central grade schools and graduated from Helena High school in 1947. Bessie married Louis E. Perhay on April 10, 1948 and to this marriage they became proud parents to six children. When their youngest child began 1st grade Bessie also returned to Missoula VoTech College and received her LPN license. She began employment at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula for 20 years. The majority of her time at St. Pat’s was in the Cardiac Care Unit.
She and her husband retired to Seeley Lake and enjoyed 13 years there. Her hobbies were sewing, knitting and quilting. While living in Seeley Lake, she joined the Quilters of the Tamaracks and made a number of quilts for her family.
Bessie is survived by husband, Louie; sons, Robert of Butte, James (Lorilyn) of Eureka, MT, David of Chicago and Christian (Maria) of Rochester. MN; and a daughter, Amy Perhay of Bothel, WA. She is also survived by grandchildren, Jason Redfern, Nathan Perhay, Kailey Harmon and Lindsey Creek and three great-grandchildren, Mia Redfern, Leon Redfern, and Emerich Harmon and numerous nieces and nephews.
Bessie was preceded in death by her daughter Jean Bernstein, Mother and Father, Florence and Charles Wickersheim, sisters Florence Nelson, Alma French and Dorothy Bedwell, and brothers Carl Wickersheim and Ernest Wickersheim.
Cremation has taken place and there will be a celebration of life service on April 8th, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. at Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home, 3750 N. Montana Ave. with a reception to follow the service in the banquet hall of the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Bessie’s name are suggested to St. Peter’s Cathedral, PO Box 819, Helena, MT 59624 or to Alzheimer’s Disease Research, PO Box 1950, Clarksburg, MD 20871-1950.
Please visit below to offer a condolence to the family or to share a memory of Bessie.
Service Schedule
Celebration of Her Life
1:00 p.m.
Friday April 8, 2016
Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N. Montana Ave.
Helena, Montana 59602
Reception
After the service
Friday April 8, 2016
Banquet Hall of Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N. Montana Ave.
Helena, Montana 59602
Burial
at a later date
Montana State Veterans Cemetery
Heroes Rd.
Ft. Harrison, Montana 59636
Service Schedule
Celebration of Her Life
1:00 p.m.
Friday April 8, 2016
Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N. Montana Ave.
Helena, Montana 59602
Reception
After the service
Friday April 8, 2016
Banquet Hall of Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N. Montana Ave.
Helena, Montana 59602
Burial
at a later date
Montana State Veterans Cemetery
Heroes Rd.
Ft. Harrison, Montana 59636
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Claudia b. Bunn says
I miss Bessie and have for a long time she was a wonderful person
Teresa Caldwell says
I loved working with Bessie at St. Pat’s in Missoula. She had a great sense of humour which is hard to maintain in ICU. She mentored me as a young nurse and things she taught me stayed with me throughout my 30 year career.