Elizabeth 'Bettie' Rita  (Walsh) (Morris) Matesich

November 29, 1924 – December 24, 2022

Bettie Matesich passed away December 24, 2022, at the age of 98 with her daughter Kathy, at her side.  At the time of her death, she was a resident at The Springs.

Bettie was the fourth of the six children born to John and Kate (Calnan) Walsh joining Helen Marie, John (Junior) and Bill. Joe and Gene joined the family later at the family home in Warm Springs, MT.  The family moved to Butte in 1930. The children were enrolled at St. Mary's grade school.  After her mom's early death at the age of thirty-four, the family lived with relatives for a while.  Marie took over the care of her siblings and following her marriage in 1939, the siblings moved in with her and her new husband, Leonard Vainio.

After World War II broke out, she and her fiancé's sister, Irene Morris, travelled to Seattle to assist in the war efforts.  They both became experienced welders in the naval shipyards and earned the esteemed designation as Rosie the Riveters (RTR). Bettie and Irene remained lifelong friends. Prior to the end of the war, Cliff and Bettie were married while he was on leave. They would enjoy 18 years of marriage raising their three children, Clifford (Skip), Kathy, and Randy before Cliff's untimely death in 1963.

Being a single mother with limited education, no work experiences, and the inability to drive a car provided her great challenges. However, with her "We Can Do It" (RTR) attitude she rolled up her sleeves and graduated from the Butte Business College with superior grades in dictation and typing. She began her working career at Harrington Surgical and soon became employed with the Butte School District where she was the personal secretary to Forrest Wilson (Butte High) and Joe Powers (East Jr High). She retired from the District in 1983.

Following retirement, Bettie remained active in many community activities and organizations including: the Ladies Ancient Of Hibernians' (Charter Member), Red Hat Stampers, St. Ann's Lunch Crew, and the School District Retiree Lunch Bunch.  Bettie was honored to be one of the 'stars' in the documentary Butte America which premiered on PBS in 2009. She was also honored to be the Grand Marshall of the 2000 St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Faith, friends, and family were important mainstays to her life. She used her limited resources to provide a Catholic education for her kids, attending weekly Mass and assisting with church activities.  She prayed for her grand and great grandkids' health and safety, and special requests (wrestling matches, recitals, games, performances). Bettie prayed the rosary nightly until the day she passed.  Her spectrum of friends included: neighbors, work colleagues, bowling teams, stampers, quilters, politicians, and Presidents.  Bettie's family was extensive and too large to mention individually.  She was fortunate to travel to Ireland on two occasions making friends and visiting relatives. She was known as Mom, Auntie Bets, and Liz but was most fond of being called Grammy.

Her favorite pastime was following the New York Yankees, beginning with the pre-season all the way through to the World Series.   It was fruitless trying to converse with her during a Yankee game, and you better be ready to put up with a cuss word or two. As soon as the schedules were published, she would add the dates and times on her computer and put on her Yankee hat before the first pitch.

Bettie was preceded in death by her parents; fathers and mothers-in-law Tom and Ethel Morris and Charles and Josephine Matesich; husbands Cliff and Louis; brothers/sisters (in-law) Helen Marie (Leonard) Vainio, Junior (Caddy) Walsh, Bill (Hon) Walsh, Joe (Lois) (Helen) Walsh, and Gene (Pat) Walsh.  Also bothers/sisters-in-law Irene (Terry) Kelly, Bernie (Gladys) (Iris) Morris, Everett (Charlotte) Morris, Tom (Vernalyn), Ed (Nancy) (Bernice) Morris, Dolores Ridge, Wilbur (Sheila) Morris, Anna Louise Morris, Judy (Jerry) (Charlie) Cannon, Jean (Dave) Balbi, Bill Morris, Mike Morris; and Ann Matesich.

Survivors include sons: Skip (Diana), Randy (Emily), and daughter Kathy.  Grand (great-grand) kids Josh and Erica Morris (Brayden & Caleb), and Mindy Morris and Christopher Daniel; Matt and Abby Morris (Rory, Ridge, and Rolly), Megan Morris, and Mick Morris (Kane and Coy). Brothers and sisters-in-laws Dorothy Salo, Joe Ridge, Gelene Morris, Connie Morris, and Sandra Morris

Friends may call on Friday after 10:00 am in St. Ann's Catholic Church.  Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 am.  Donations may be made to the Angelman Syndrome Foundation, angelman.org; An Rí Rá Irish Festval, P. O. Box 3612, Butte, MT 59701; Friends of the Butte Archives, 17 W. Quartz, Butte, MT  59701; or to the choice of the donor.