Bohlinger, 70, the wife of Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger, died Monday of acute leukemia. She was a longtime Billings businesswoman who, with her husband, was known for her dedication to family and service to community, including social justice issues.
The Rev. John Houlihan, who celebrated the funeral Mass, said Bette Bohlinger had an attitude that was “absolutely positive, hope-filled, full of life.” He described her as a “shining, radiant, magnificent lady.”
The Bohlingers' son, John, said it was a blessing for the family to see “such a packed church.”
“I know she'd be honored by your presence here today,” her grandson, Nick, said.
Although the men's voices cracked with emotion, they also spoke strongly of Bette Bohlinger and their memories of her elicited laughter from the crowd several times. So did Houlihan's recollection of Bohlinger as a young single mother of four who knew of God's way - in life and death - before she met John Bohlinger.
“And then, of course, Prince Charming came along,” the priest said to a round of laughter. “And she got to rejoice for the next 46 years.”
The Bohlingers met in 1962, when Bette was out in Billings celebrating the end of a college semester. They wed the next year, Bohlinger adopted the older children and soon the couple had two more kids.
The couple ran the Bohlinger family's women's clothing store, Aileen's, until selling it to two of their daughters in the 1990s. John Bohlinger, a Republican, served in the state Legislature until being elected lieutenant governor in 2004. He and Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer were the first bipartisan ticket in Montana's history.
Bette Bohlinger was diagnosed with leukemia in December 2004. The disease went into remission, but returned shortly before Christmas. She was on the list for a bone marrow transplant, but no match was found.
Just days before her final hospitalization and death, Bohlinger was in the public eye, as dozens lined up at the Capitol to have their blood tested as a possible match.
For John Bohlinger, his wife's death to leukemia was the second loss in his life to the disease. His father died of leukemia when John was 14.
A string quartet played before Bohlinger's funeral, which started with “Ave Maria” sung by Doug Nagel, artistic director of the Rimrock Opera Company, whose voice reverberated through the high-ceilinged cathedral.
Houlihan said that the church would seal Bohlinger's relationship with God in death as it did when she was baptized - swathed in white as “a sign of God's everlasting favor and goodness.”
“Bette and John brought their children to church here for baptism. Many years prior, her parents brought her here as well,” Houlihan said and invited “John and the adult kids to tuck Bette in for the last time.”
Death may come too early for a person's survivors, Houlihan said, but the “sadness of death gives way to the greatness of immortality.”
“Even if it comes before the time I'd like, it's God's time,” he said. “And that's the best time.”
The funeral included a color guard provided by American Indian veterans who wore their warrior headdresses and carried the American and Montana flags into the church. Because the state's top leaders were in attendance, the Montana Highway Patrol - which guards the governor - had a quiet presence inside and outside of the church.
Schweitzer was one of Bohlinger's pallbearers. The Bohlingers sold their home in Billings and lived in the governor's mansion with Schweitzer and his wife, Nancy, until finding a place in Helena. In an interview shortly after Schweitzer and John Bohlinger were elected, Bette Bohlinger described the governor as “almost like a younger brother.”
Bette Bohlinger was buried in Mountview Cemetery. A memorial service will be held next week in Helena.
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)