Beverlee "Pudgie" Finstad died peacefully at home on May 6, 2008, after a courageous battle with cancer.
She was born March 11, 1938, to Jack and Pat Reardon. Pudgie, as she was called since childhood, and the other Reardons lived in the East Helena area their whole lives. The family spent several years living at the El Dorado Bar, where their father worked on the dredge. Pudgie graduated from Helena High School in 1956.
Pudgie married the love of her life, Edward L. Finstad on Feb. 16, 1957, at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in East Helena. Last year they celebrated 50 years of marriage with their family and friends. Pudgie and Ed raised four boys and one girl.
The entire family has fond memories of camping, motor biking, hiking, and hunting in the Elkhorn Mountains and up the Little Blackfoot with Velma and Mutt Vickers. Pudgie was a member of a bowling league for years and had many fun trips with her friends.
Pudgie was a fantastic cook and did most of the cooking for the annual Fourth of July family camp-outs for about 100 people. The gatherings came to be known as Camp Pudgie, complete with T-shirts.
Pudgie had a wonderful sense of humor and was the center of any gathering. Her home was always open to everyone.
She loved her family and particularly enjoyed all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Because of her fun-loving personality and caring nature, she had numerous friends, especially Billie Jean Hill, Judy Will and Mary and Dick Burk.
Pudgie worked at various businesses throughout her life, including East Helena Drug, Komer Bar and the Motherlode, where she dealt poker. She also served as the East Helena city judge for a number of years.
Pudgie was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Pat Reardon; brother, Dan Reardon; and sisters, Mary "DeeDee" Gruber and Patty Kokoruda.
She is survived by her husband, Ed; four sons, Robert (Natalie) Finstad, Douglas (Joanne) Finstad, Larry (Pam) Finstad and Jim (Rhonda) Finstad, all of Helena; and one daughter, Lorraine Finstad of Helena; grandchildren, Steven (Erin) Finstad, Scott and Eric Finstad, Jennifer Finstad, Stephanie (Eric) Stone, Kevin and Kent Pyne, Benjamin Finstad, Jessica Finstad, Brock and Clint Forrette and Robyn Boyle, all of Helena, Georgia Finstad of Catanzaro Lido, Italy, and Conan (Gen) O'Sullivan of Olympia, Wash.; great-grandchildren, Ellie, Gabe, Ryder and Sawyer; sisters, Mickey (Ed) Prebil and Ardis Kokoruda, both of East Helena, Gerry (Les) Sodja of Helena and Mesa, Ariz., Colleen (Ed) Marks of Missoula; brother, Tim (Irene) of Santa Paula, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Interment will be at St. Ann's Cemetery in East Helena.
She was born March 11, 1938, to Jack and Pat Reardon. Pudgie, as she was called since childhood, and the other Reardons lived in the East Helena area their whole lives. The family spent several years living at the El Dorado Bar, where their father worked on the dredge. Pudgie graduated from Helena High School in 1956.
Pudgie married the love of her life, Edward L. Finstad on Feb. 16, 1957, at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in East Helena. Last year they celebrated 50 years of marriage with their family and friends. Pudgie and Ed raised four boys and one girl.
The entire family has fond memories of camping, motor biking, hiking, and hunting in the Elkhorn Mountains and up the Little Blackfoot with Velma and Mutt Vickers. Pudgie was a member of a bowling league for years and had many fun trips with her friends.
Pudgie was a fantastic cook and did most of the cooking for the annual Fourth of July family camp-outs for about 100 people. The gatherings came to be known as Camp Pudgie, complete with T-shirts.
Pudgie had a wonderful sense of humor and was the center of any gathering. Her home was always open to everyone.
She loved her family and particularly enjoyed all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Because of her fun-loving personality and caring nature, she had numerous friends, especially Billie Jean Hill, Judy Will and Mary and Dick Burk.
Pudgie worked at various businesses throughout her life, including East Helena Drug, Komer Bar and the Motherlode, where she dealt poker. She also served as the East Helena city judge for a number of years.
Pudgie was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Pat Reardon; brother, Dan Reardon; and sisters, Mary "DeeDee" Gruber and Patty Kokoruda.
She is survived by her husband, Ed; four sons, Robert (Natalie) Finstad, Douglas (Joanne) Finstad, Larry (Pam) Finstad and Jim (Rhonda) Finstad, all of Helena; and one daughter, Lorraine Finstad of Helena; grandchildren, Steven (Erin) Finstad, Scott and Eric Finstad, Jennifer Finstad, Stephanie (Eric) Stone, Kevin and Kent Pyne, Benjamin Finstad, Jessica Finstad, Brock and Clint Forrette and Robyn Boyle, all of Helena, Georgia Finstad of Catanzaro Lido, Italy, and Conan (Gen) O'Sullivan of Olympia, Wash.; great-grandchildren, Ellie, Gabe, Ryder and Sawyer; sisters, Mickey (Ed) Prebil and Ardis Kokoruda, both of East Helena, Gerry (Les) Sodja of Helena and Mesa, Ariz., Colleen (Ed) Marks of Missoula; brother, Tim (Irene) of Santa Paula, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Interment will be at St. Ann's Cemetery in East Helena.
Beverlee "Pudgie" Finstad died peacefully at home on May 6, 2008, after a courageous battle with cancer.
She was born March 11, 1938, to Jack and Pat Reardon. Pudgie, as she was called since childhood, and the other Reardons lived in the East Helena area their whole lives. The family spent several years living at the El Dorado Bar, where their father worked on the dredge. Pudgie graduated from Helena High School in 1956.
Pudgie married the love of her life, Edward L. Finstad on Feb. 16, 1957, at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in East Helena. Last year they celebrated 50 years of marriage with their family and friends. Pudgie and Ed raised four boys and one girl.
The entire family has fond memories of camping, motor biking, hiking, and hunting in the Elkhorn Mountains and up the Little Blackfoot with Velma and Mutt Vickers. Pudgie was a member of a bowling league for years and had many fun trips with her friends.
Pudgie was a fantastic cook and did most of the cooking for the annual Fourth of July family camp-outs for about 100 people. The gatherings came to be known as Camp Pudgie, complete with T-shirts.
Pudgie had a wonderful sense of humor and was the center of any gathering. Her home was always open to everyone.
She loved her family and particularly enjoyed all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Because of her fun-loving personality and caring nature, she had numerous friends, especially Billie Jean Hill, Judy Will and Mary and Dick Burk.
Pudgie worked at various businesses throughout her life, including East Helena Drug, Komer Bar and the Motherlode, where she dealt poker. She also served as the East Helena city judge for a number of years.
Pudgie was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Pat Reardon; brother, Dan Reardon; and sisters, Mary "DeeDee" Gruber and Patty Kokoruda.
She is survived by her husband, Ed; four sons, Robert (Natalie) Finstad, Douglas (Joanne) Finstad, Larry (Pam) Finstad and Jim (Rhonda) Finstad, all of Helena; and one daughter, Lorraine Finstad of Helena; grandchildren, Steven (Erin) Finstad, Scott and Eric Finstad, Jennifer Finstad, Stephanie (Eric) Stone, Kevin and Kent Pyne, Benjamin Finstad, Jessica Finstad, Brock and Clint Forrette and Robyn Boyle, all of Helena, Georgia Finstad of Catanzaro Lido, Italy, and Conan (Gen) O'Sullivan of Olympia, Wash.; great-grandchildren, Ellie, Gabe, Ryder and Sawyer; sisters, Mickey (Ed) Prebil and Ardis Kokoruda, both of East Helena, Gerry (Les) Sodja of Helena and Mesa, Ariz., Colleen (Ed) Marks of Missoula; brother, Tim (Irene) of Santa Paula, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Interment will be at St. Ann's Cemetery in East Helena.
She was born March 11, 1938, to Jack and Pat Reardon. Pudgie, as she was called since childhood, and the other Reardons lived in the East Helena area their whole lives. The family spent several years living at the El Dorado Bar, where their father worked on the dredge. Pudgie graduated from Helena High School in 1956.
Pudgie married the love of her life, Edward L. Finstad on Feb. 16, 1957, at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in East Helena. Last year they celebrated 50 years of marriage with their family and friends. Pudgie and Ed raised four boys and one girl.
The entire family has fond memories of camping, motor biking, hiking, and hunting in the Elkhorn Mountains and up the Little Blackfoot with Velma and Mutt Vickers. Pudgie was a member of a bowling league for years and had many fun trips with her friends.
Pudgie was a fantastic cook and did most of the cooking for the annual Fourth of July family camp-outs for about 100 people. The gatherings came to be known as Camp Pudgie, complete with T-shirts.
Pudgie had a wonderful sense of humor and was the center of any gathering. Her home was always open to everyone.
She loved her family and particularly enjoyed all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Because of her fun-loving personality and caring nature, she had numerous friends, especially Billie Jean Hill, Judy Will and Mary and Dick Burk.
Pudgie worked at various businesses throughout her life, including East Helena Drug, Komer Bar and the Motherlode, where she dealt poker. She also served as the East Helena city judge for a number of years.
Pudgie was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Pat Reardon; brother, Dan Reardon; and sisters, Mary "DeeDee" Gruber and Patty Kokoruda.
She is survived by her husband, Ed; four sons, Robert (Natalie) Finstad, Douglas (Joanne) Finstad, Larry (Pam) Finstad and Jim (Rhonda) Finstad, all of Helena; and one daughter, Lorraine Finstad of Helena; grandchildren, Steven (Erin) Finstad, Scott and Eric Finstad, Jennifer Finstad, Stephanie (Eric) Stone, Kevin and Kent Pyne, Benjamin Finstad, Jessica Finstad, Brock and Clint Forrette and Robyn Boyle, all of Helena, Georgia Finstad of Catanzaro Lido, Italy, and Conan (Gen) O'Sullivan of Olympia, Wash.; great-grandchildren, Ellie, Gabe, Ryder and Sawyer; sisters, Mickey (Ed) Prebil and Ardis Kokoruda, both of East Helena, Gerry (Les) Sodja of Helena and Mesa, Ariz., Colleen (Ed) Marks of Missoula; brother, Tim (Irene) of Santa Paula, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Interment will be at St. Ann's Cemetery in East Helena.
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