Dottie Dorothy Durdon

Mother of my half-sister began her journey into eternal life at 1140 AM.

May she rest in peace.

I was blest to know her.

Dorothy Ann “Dottie” Durdon
September 18, 1940 — May 17, 2024
Huson
Dottie Durdon – Obituary – Called to heaven on May 17, 2024



Name:  Dorothy Ann (Dottie) Durdon



Survivors: 5 Children Debra Grapensteter (now Debbie Calvert)

                                      Thomas E. Grapensteter (Tommy)

                                      David Grapensteter

                                      Laura Grapensteter

                                      Jeannette Slater

                                      Ex-husband Thomas J. Grapensteter (Tom)



Preceded in death by: her father Anthony Durdon

  her mother Theresa Durdon (Kocik)

  and her aunt Helen Kocik. 



Service:    Date:  June 15, 2024

                   Time:  1:00 p.m.

                   Place:  St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Frenchtown, MT

                   Officiating: Fr. Tom Lankenau

                   Reception: St. John Catholic Church, Parish Center

                   Cemetery: Sunset Memorial Gardens, Missoula, MT

Dorothy Ann (Dottie) Durdon was born in Cleveland, Ohio on September 18, 1940. When Dorothy was 4 years old, her father Anthony passed away. Her mother Theresa asked her sister Helen to move in and help raise Dorothy. Helen, who never married, took good care of little Dorothy Ann (and throughout her entire upbringing), as the homemaker of the household, while Dorothy’s mom was the breadwinner.

Due to a back injury from a Model T accident when she was younger, Dorothy’s mother needed to get away from Ohio’s cold and icy weather, so when Dorothy was 7 the family trio moved under doctor’s orders to California. Dorothy graduated from San Gabriel Mission High School and earned a 2-year Secretarial Degree at Mount San Antonio College. She then met Tom Grapensteter and they were married at All Souls Catholic Church on June 25, 1960.

California was growing fast, and Dorothy (who nicknamed herself Dottie) and her husband Tom grabbed their first-born Debra and sought out the wilds of western Montana. Tom wanted to work at the new Libby Dam, but it was still in the drafting stages, so they found their way to Missoula, Montana, where their second child Tommy was born in 1968.

Undeveloped land was being sub-divided up 6-Mile Road in Huson in the 1960’s, and they purchased 18 acres and would drive from Missoula and spend weekends on the property in a make-shift A-shaped plastic tent while preparing the land to build their home. In 1970 they moved to the property and their 3^rd child David was born. Their 4^th child Laura was born in 1973.   Farm life was an adventure, adding a tool shed, chicken shed, goat shed, rabbit hutches and a huge vegetable garden. Fencing was added around the pasture for 3 horses (Gypsie, Jackson, Tamaresi aka Tammy and Tazamir aka Tazi) and 3 cows (Sunshine, Moonbeam and Starfire). Also on the farm were 3 dogs (Sean, Mandy and Sandy) and many cats (Smokey, Taffy, Bootsie, Smooch, Ripley, and all the feral cats). For several years there were 4-H sheep and pigs.  Dottie tried her hand milking goats and made goat cheese, but soon found that was too much work. Her husband Tom purchased a tractor and haying equipment and they put up hay every year. Later a large deck was added to the house where potted flowers were grown, and humming birds frequented their feeders.



One time when good friends of the family were between houses, Dottie and Tom invited an entire family of 6 to stay with them in their modest Huson home. There were 4 adults and 8 kids, and one bathroom! Dottie continued to welcome friends to temporarily live in her home over the years, and if you just came to visit, you were always offered food and drink.

she put it, and after 83 years of “life on this beautiful earth,” on May 17, 2024 she was called to heaven from her home in Huson, Montana. It was a beautiful sunny morning with blue sky and white fluffy clouds to guide Dottie up to heaven. Throughout Dottie’s life, she remained positive with life’s challenges, and she embraced the beautiful earth that God created. Dottie’s last words written are “Aloha – God Bless You All.”

Monetary donations to Dottie’s beloved

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

would forever send warmth to her heavenly heart.

St. John The Baptist Catholic Church

16680 Main Street, P.O. Box 329

Frenchtown, Montana 59834-0329

stjohnthebaptist@protonmail.com

16680 Main Street 406-686-4492