Catherine Elizabeth Brownlow

Catherine Brownlow died at the age of 103 on June 11, 2011, having lived a long and fruitful life.

Catherine (Kay) was predeceased by her beloved husband, Archie, who died in 1984 after 57 years of marriage. She was also predeceased by her parents, Robert and Hannah Hume, as well as by her nine siblings.

She is survived by her son, Dr. Arthur Brownlow and his wife Jean, of Massachusetts, four grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and four step-great-grandchildren as well as many nieces, nephews and friends. In Kay’s last years, Collette Brownlow, Jamie Neer, and the late Gene Hoffman, all of Helena, were beyond good friends and were instrumental in helping Kay remain active and able to enjoy the comfort and pleasure of remaining in the house her husband had built for her so many years ago.

Kay was born and raised in the Kalispell area of Montana. One of the great joys of her growing up years was living near the Mission Mountain Range. Even after she moved from the area, memories of these majestic mountains brought her comfort all her life. She attended the first grade in a one-room schoolhouse near Niarada, Montana. To reach the school she and her siblings rode nine miles each way in a covered wagon driven by her father. During her early school years her father was the foreman on a buffalo ranch. For several years, starting when Kay was in the third grade, she got up at three AM and helped prepare breakfast for the ranch hands before she went to school. She graduated from Kalispell High School where she majored in business.

After graduation from high school Kay moved to Helena where she worked as a secretary at Fort Harrison outside of Helena. While employed there she met and married Archie Brownlow of Helena. In their early years of marriage they enjoyed camping, traveling, and participating in many Masonic gatherings. After their son Art was born Kay was an at-home mother for several years until going back to secretarial work for a business during World War II. The following thirty years Kay was employed full time, primarily by the Internal Revenue Service where she worked as a supervisor in their Helena office. Following her retirement from the IRS, along with her many activities, she was employed part-time as an accountant for several years.

Throughout her life Kay was active in the Eastern Star and other organizations related to the Masons. In later years she particularly enjoyed participating in the Daughters of the Nile precision marching group. She loved traveling with the group as they performed at various cities in the United States and Canada. She stopped marching at the age of 96. Kay was a lifelong gardener and was known for her beautiful flowers, particularly her geraniums and roses. She was always sharing her knowledge about growing plants that she had learned from her mother. Kay was very skilled at handwork, especially needlepoint, and produced many beautiful pieces. She enjoyed music and particularly enjoyed playing the organ that her husband Archie gave her for a gift. Kay was an avid reader and often could be found reading three books at a time. She loved to read biographies and historical novels and then discuss them in depth with her son. Even after her sight had failed her so that she was declared legally blind, she continued to read with the aid of a special machine that made seeing the words possible.

One of the hallmarks of her final years was the celebration of her 100th birthday. Kay was delighted and proud to reach the century mark. She was blessed all her life with good health, mental sharpness, abundant energy, and a strong sense of purpose. She was determined, even with a struggle, to remain independent and in her own home until the end of her life. She was blessedly able to achieve her wish.

Kay will be remembered as a loving mother with very high standards for her son, an attentive grandmother, a caring member of her extended family, a faithful friend, a passionate advocate for learning, and a woman with an indomitable spirit.

Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home, 650 Logan Street, Helena, was in charge of funeral arrangements and services held on Thursday, June 16, 2011. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting: www.aswfuneralhome.com.

In Catherine’s memory please donate to the charity of your choice.

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