Obituary: Elizabeth "Bette" Derbyshire

Elizabeth "Bette" Derbyshire, 91, passed away due to natural causes Friday, Feb. 3, 2017, at Northern Montana Care Center.

Funeral Services will be held Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017, at 11 a.m. at the Van Orsdel United Methodist Church with Ila McClenahan officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery.

Memorials may be made in Bette's name to the Wesley Circle in care of Van Orsdel United Methodist Church or the charity of the donor's choice.

Holland and Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements.

Please visit Bette's online memorial page and leave a message of condolence for her family at http://www.hollandbonine.com.

Bette was born Sept. 14, 1925, to Robert and Elizabeth (Schock) Pankratz in Vida, Montana. The family later moved to Harlem, where Bette graduated from high school in 1943. In 1945, Bette married Herbert "Red" Derbyshire in Shelby. They had three children whom they raised in Gildford.

The couple owned and operated the Gildford Café, where Bette cooked and could be known to serve a prank or two. After Red's passing in 1962, Bette found work in Havre as a bookkeeper working for business including Valley Furniture, Coca Cola Bottling, the City of Havre and Brandon's Flooring. She also sold crop insurance for a time at Koefod Agency.

Bette reluctantly retired after her eyesight started failing in her 80s.

Bette had a knack for cooking and baking and often would give those special to her apple pies made from the apples that grew in her backyard. She enjoyed gardening and would plant different types of flowers every year as she always wanted to try something new; her favorites were still tulips and irises. Reading was another of Bette's hobbies and she would listen to biographies of historical figures. She had just about every issue of Good Housekeeping which she was keeping for some reason or another. Crafting was another of her hobbies.

Bette is preceded in death by her husband, Red; son Robert; parents, Robert and Elizabeth; three sisters and five brothers.

She is survived by her daughter, Diana of Havre; son Dick (Mary) of Billings; grandchildren, Mike (Julie) of Billings and Yvonne of Great Falls; great-grandchildren, Alex and Abby of Billings; and sister Stella Breitmeier of Harlem.