On Monday, October 7th, Twyla Stratton died of Arterial Coronary Disease. She was 80 years old. Twyla was born on April 26, 1939 to William Valentine and Blanche Davis in Columbia Falls, Montana. She was the fourth of five children.
Twyla was always a very hard worker. In high school, she worked for the Ellen Theatre. She graduated from Gallatin County High School in 1957 and went to work for the telephone company in Gillette, Wyoming.
She married Lee Lewis in 1959 and spent several years as a homemaker, raising their three children, Michelle, Lita and Brian. Upon the dissolution of their marriage, she went to work for the city of Bozeman as a bookkeeper. She met and married Robert (Bob) Stratton in 1972, blending their two families and acquiring another son, Rob, and daughter Pam. Twyla and Bob shared a special bond and were happily married for 34 years.
They loved the outdoors. They enjoyed camping, fishing in the summer, and snowmobiling in the winter. They also loved to bowl and were members of multiple bowling leagues for many years. As a young woman, Twyla enjoyed playing softball.
In 1987 she was promoted to Personnel Director for the city of Bozeman, where she worked until her retirement at the end of 1993. Afterward, she and Bob moved to York just outside Helena. They lived very happily for many years on their little oasis on Trout creek, a center hub for many family reunions.
They were snowbirds as well. Every winter they would go south to Needles, California, where they had many friends and could enjoy the balmy weather.
In 2006, Bob passed away. Twyla continued to go south on her own for several years. She then decided to sell her home in York and move into Helena.
Twyla was devoted to her many crafts. If she wasn’t crocheting or knitting, she was doing needlepoint or painting ceramics. She even owned a ceramics factory for a few years in Bozeman.
In her later years, Twyla thoroughly enjoyed playing bingo. She moved to Las Vegas for a couple of years so she could be closer to her daughter Lita (and the bingo parlors). After that, she moved back to Helena where she remained until her death.
She is preceded in death by her husband Bob, her daughter Michelle, her sister Narcheta Gibson and her brothers Delmar Davis and Ken Davis. She is survived by her brother Loren and her children Lita (Ron) Mohr, Robert (Anne) Stratton Jr., Brian Lewis and Pam (Tim) Dolan. She loved her grandchildren; Joshua, Krimsen, Maxwell, Phoebe, Kristina, Jacob, Kendall, Micah, Megan and Heather. She had numerous great grandchildren as well.
A memorial service celebrating Twyla’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 18th at Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home, 3750 N. Montana Ave. A reception will follow the service in the social hall of the funeral home. Burial will follow the reception at Forestvale cemetery. Please visit below to offer the family a condolence or share a memory of Twyla.
Service Schedule
Memorial Service
11:00 a.m.
Friday October 18, 2019
Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N. Montana Ave
Helena, Montana 59602
Reception
Following the Memorial Service
Friday October 18, 2019
Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N. Montana Ave
Helena, Montana 59602
Burial
Following the Reception
Friday October 18, 2019
Forestvale Cemetery
Helena, Montana 59602
Service Schedule
Memorial Service
11:00 a.m.
Friday October 18, 2019
Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N. Montana Ave
Helena, Montana 59602
Reception
Following the Memorial Service
Friday October 18, 2019
Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N. Montana Ave
Helena, Montana 59602
Burial
Following the Reception
Friday October 18, 2019
Forestvale Cemetery
Helena, Montana 59602
Share
carol kent says
I remember Twyla as we were in school at the same time. My sympathy to her family.
Marjorie Smith says
Sending love and sympathy to Brian, Micah and the rest of the family.