Olive L. (Reed) Cresswell Watson

HARLEM - Olive L. (Reed) Cresswell Watson, 92, died March 22, at Liberty Medical Center in Chester. The fu­neral will be 2 p.m. Friday, March 28, at United Methodist Church in Harlem and burial at Harlem Cemetery. A reception will be held at Harlem Senior Center. Arrangements are by Rock­man Funeral Home, Chester. Memorials may be made to Harlem Senior Center, the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line or the charity of the donor's choice.

Olive was born May 23, 1921, in Harlem to Robert and Laura Reed. She attended schools at Zurich, Hogeland and Harlem. She married Rayford Cress­well in 1941. They raised their family in Harlem. Her husband died in 1968. Olive raised her kids, worked full time and served as foster parent. In 1973 she moved to Hogeland to run the M&J Bar. In 1980 she married "Curley" Watson. They lived in Havre. Curley died in 1984. Olive remained in Havre until 2012, when she moved to the Chester nursing home.

Olive's Harlem activities included the United Methodist Church, VFW Auxiliary, American Legion Auxiliary, city council and Har­lem Senior Center. Her Havre activities included Van Orsdel Methodist Church, VFW Auxiliary, Ea­gles Club, Northern Montana Hospital Aux­iliary, Hill County Diabetes Association and the Havre Food Bank. In 1990 she was named the Area 10 Senior Citizen of the Year. She loved dancing, singing, cards, bingo, reading, senior bus trips and Amtrak trips to visit family.

She was preceded in death by her husbands; parents; an infant daughter; three sons, Greg, Brent and Ray Cresswell; a sister, Frances Zaparynuk and two grandkids.

   Survivors are three daughters, Millie Weers of Green Valley, Ariz., Laura Ritter of Lakeside and Marcia Wickum of Chester; four sons, Roger Cresswell of Nine Mile Falls, Wash., Jim Cresswell of Shep­herd, Lannie Cresswell of Detroit Lakes, Minn., and Darrel McPherson of North Las Vegas, Nev.; one sister, Helen Maloney of Loring; three brothers, Bud Reed of Havre, Jack Reed of Wichita Falls, Texas and Jim Reed of Turner; 20 grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren.