Dorothy Runnion Tordik

Dorothy Runnion Tordik was born on Christmas Eve in 1928 in a little white house in Big Sandy, Mont., to Clarence and Isabel Edwards. She died Aug.  19, 2013, in Great Falls, Mont.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, at the United Methodist Church in Big Sandy.

She attended elementary school at the Lincoln School near Kenilworth, Mont., and high school in Big Sandy, graduating in 1947.  She attended Northern Montana College in Havre for a short time and thereafter worked at Northern Montana State Bank in Big Sandy.  

She married John “Slim” Runnion Dec. 31, 1949. After working on her parents’ farm on Lonesome Prairie west of Big Sandy, Dorothy and Slim moved to the ranch in the Bear Paws in June 1959, where they resided until Slim’s death in 1976. They had two children, son, Roy (Janet) Runnion of Big Sandy; and daughter, Amy (Harley) Fudge of Great Falls.

On Oct. 24, 1979, Dorothy married Charles Tordik, and they lived on the farm near Judith Landing on the Missouri River.

When her health declined, Dorothy moved from the farm to her son’s home in the Bear Paws, and later to her daughter’s home in Great Falls to be closer to medical care. Her husband, Charlie, resides in the Northern Montana Care Center in Havre.

Dorothy truly loved everyone in her life, whether close family or new acquaintances. No one escaped the farm or the ranch without being treated to at least a cup of coffee and goodies or an entire homemade meal.

Dorothy could talk to anyone and did. She spent many hours helping with community activities and quietly contributing to charitable causes.

Although she was first and foremost a homemaker, Dorothy often worked as hard outside of the house, actively participating in everything from farming, to fencing to working with cattle. She loved caring for animals, both domestic and wild, and rabbits and deer frequented her farmyards knowing they were safe and welcome. Throughout her life she treasured more than one or two horses, and loved her cars, especially her silver and black Cadillac.

She dearly loved each of her grandchildren, Roy’s children, Ross, Brett and Luke (Kyla) Runnion; and Amy’s children, Hollis (Amanda) Fudge, Heath (Jaclyn) Fudge, and Heather Fudge (Josh) LaMar.  Recently her life was enriched by interaction with her five great-grandchildren, Gabriella, Elliot, Anastasia, Leela and Elizabeth Fudge.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Wayne, Keith and Ethan Edwards; and her sisters, Mona Voorhees and Bonnie Anderson, and her first husband, Slim.

Memorials can be sent in her name to your local animal shelter.