With a heavy heart, we inform you that our Sister, Aunt and Friend has lost her long battle with kidney failure. With the loving assistance of friends and family, she fought on for many years with gratitude for all the assistance she received.
Betty Jeanne Schutt was born to Marvin and Eva Schutt, in San Francisco, California, on July 12,1946. Jeanne entered Montana for the first time in 1948, and toddled around her mother’s home town of Valier for a couple of years, before moving to Sunburst, where she completed her elementary education. Moving to Helena in 1960, Jeanne worked in the family bakery business, and made the early morning deliveries before school. She graduated from Helena High in 1964, and set her sights on the Big Apple, where she immersed herself in Artistic Design school. Although she treasured some fond memories of New York City, one year with the local residents and the big city life convinced her that she was more suited to Montana, where she resided for the rest of her life.
On her return from NYC, Jeanne worked at the Helena Letter Shop before attending Rocky Mountain College in Billings and graduating from Carroll College in Helena, with honors, completing a degree in Elementary Education. She taught school in Harlem, and worked for Planned Parenthood in Great Falls before returning to Helena, where she worked for Montana Independent Living Project and the State of Montana Child Abuse Hotline until her retirement. While working full time, Jeanne also opened and managed The Shining Mountains Gift and Gallery at the Colonial Inn.
Jeanne passed on to eternity on June 12, 2020. She is survived by her sister, Janice Schutt and brother, Jerry Schutt, both of Helena, Montana, and her two nieces and their families, Amy Dopps of Wichita, Kansas and Brook Lynn of Springfield, Virginia.
In years past, Jeanne attended St. Paul’s Methodist Church and cooked for many church events. She served on the Civic Center Board of Directors, volunteered with the Western Rendezvous of Art, the Helena Area Friends of Pets and enjoyed many years of vocal bliss, entertaining Helena with our Sweet Adelines.
Jeanne enjoyed painting and photographing Montana scenery and wildlife, and finding bargains at garage sales – with great emphasis on collecting antiques, cook books and many other things to excess. In her search at garage sales, she would gather and save her “treasures,” waiting for the right moment to be generous and brighten the day of an unsuspecting family member or friend. She loved needle work, cooking, sewing and dining with her group of friends, “The Old Coots Club.”
Jeanne, “Aunt BJ,” was a loving Aunt to her two nieces, Amy and Brook. Jeanne lived near them during their elementary school years and made herself available to create magic moments in the midst of everyday life. The girls were her muses on photo-shoot adventures, and she would patiently share recipes, and teach them how to cook. She always offered kind but firm correction for their grammatical errors, and shared with them her love of poetry.
Professionally and personally, Jeanne sought to protect the innocent and correct wrongs for the mistreated. She had a way of leaving no doubt about her feelings and opinions, and was driven to correct every “wrong,” perceived or real. Her closest friends became family, as she admired them for the way they advocated for both their human and animal friends. Jeanne was a dear sister, aunt and friend. She will be greatly missed.
A celebration of Jeanne’s life will be held at the South Hills Church of Christ, 2294 Deerfield Lane, at 2 p.m., on July 30th, with a fellowship reception to follow.
In lieu of gifts or flowers, we ask that you consider a donation to Helena Area Friends of Pets (Spay/Neuter), PO Box 6042, Helena, MT, 59604.
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Ron & Judy Bauer says
Lit a candle in memory of Betty Jeanne Schutt
Rosalie Walsh says
Lit a candle in memory of Betty Jeanne Schutt
Rosalie K Walsh says
To Jeanne’s family: I am saddened to hear of Jeanne’s passing. Though we lost contact these past few years, I have many cherished memories of the times that I spent with Jeanne. She taught me the value of garage sales—I never attended one before I knew Jeanne, and she educated me about the strategies associated with this multifaceted shopping skill! We had a lot of fun driving around Helena searching for treasures and I was the recipient of many lovely gifts from Jeanne that she found at them—items that I may have mentioned casually to her that I wanted would often show up later as gems she found at a garage sale she frequented. My thoughts and prayers are with you, Janice, as well as with Jerry, Amy, Brook and their families. God bless you all and grant you peace in your hearts. I am very sorry for your loss.
Rosalie Walsh