Viola Vesta (Booth) Beyer

MALTA-Viola Vesta (Booth) Beyer, a retired teacher, passed away May 11, 2014 at the age of 100 at the Country Home in Malta.

The family received friends 7:00 P.M., Friday, May 16, at the Kirkwood Memorial Chapel. Funeral services were 11:00 a.m. ., Saturday, May 17 at the Kirkwood Memorial Chapel. Interment of her cremated remains will be in June. Condolences for the family may be left at 

http://www.kirkwoodfuneralhome.com

Viola was born to James Lee Booth and Nervesta (Johnson) Booth on September 19, 1913 at Whitcomb, Montana, which later became Ruby Gulch. Her mother had left Landusky and walked with her five children to Ruby Gulch and was taking in washing clothes for miners when Viola was born. The mine in Ruby Gulch burned down twice, once by lightning and the second was questionable.

She was raised in Landusky, Montana when the first mill was there and the ore came down on a line in huge buckets. While she lived there, the town went through 'Boom and Bust" several times and she knew all the old people that were there when Kid Curry was in action. Later, when WWI came, the mines were shut down and the family moved to Butte where more family were living.

She went to school in Landusky from the first through the eleventh and graduated from Dodson High School in 1935. After that, she worked in Butte and then taught school in Landusky, Zortman, Phillips, South Wagner, Bowdoin and Dodson.  Many of her students have credited her for "straightening" them out, and making a difference in their lives.  

 Viola earned her BA Degree from Northern Montana College by going to summer workshops and teaching, graduating in 1972 and retired from teaching in 1976.

Viola was an accomplished artist, painting many beautiful pieces that were given to family and friends. Her last painting was done in 2009.

Viola loved to play the piano, and taught music to many of her students. In 2012, she played the piano at the Landusky All School Reunion, to the delight of her former students and friends.

Viola touched the lives and hearts of many people with her feisty sense of humor, her love of animals, and her caring heart for everyone she met. She never failed to share her knowledge of her life growing up in Landusky, which the book she wrote, clearly shows.

Viola married William (Bill) Beyer in 1962 and they made their home in Malta. William (Bill) preceded her in death in 1986. She was also preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Grover and Burl Booth, her sisters, Mae (Booth) Sullivan, Alice (Booth) Peasley, Myrtle (Booth) Heppner, nephews Holger Heppner, Maurice Heppner, Burl Lee Booth, David Booth and John L. Sullivan and nieces Arleda (Heppner) Karjalla, Thelma (Booth) Welch, Della (Booth) Motic, Colleen (Booth) McDonald, and Evelyn (Sullivan) Brown.

She is survived by nieces Tiny (Booth) Stark, Vesta (Heppner) Wiglenda, and nephews Gordon, and George Booth, Wayne and Jake Heppner and her step-daughter, Nora Lou (Beyer) Hughes who was instrumental in helping her write her book, "Growing up in Montana's Kid Curry Country".

Viola (Vi), is also survived by her best friend and sister-in-law, Hazel Beyer Ohs and brother-in-law, Clarence Beyer and their families.