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Betty Nell Montgomery

Betty Nell Montgomery, 87, a resident of Prescott, Ariz., passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 30, 2015, at the Granite Gate Senior Living Facility in Prescott.

She was born on May 12, 1927, in Glasgow. She was raised in a family consisting of eight children on a wheat and dairy farm outside of Glasgow, of which her parents homesteaded in the early years of the 1900s. Her father, Iver, had immigrated from Norway in 1902. She always held dear her vast and enormous pride in her Norwegian and farming heritage.

She married quite young on Dec. 10, 1949, to Elmer R. Culver in Glasgow and raised two boys with him while living first in Montana, moving to Phoenix, and then finally settling in Prescott. Together they opened Culver's TV in 1967, where she helped out in the business as often as she could. However, her heart was more invested in wanting to raise her two sons as a stay-at-home mom. During the daytime when the boys were attending school, she occupied her time with many hours of volunteer work in places such as the hospital, her beloved church and the Prescott Elementary School system.

Her favorite and most passionate time spent was being a member of the "Pink Ladies" in the 1970s, which assisted the hospital in the care of the elderly patients, particularly shampooing and setting the women's hair.

She was also an extremely talented artist and completed many exceptional paintings in oil as well as sculptures in clay, which later became bronzed. Her subject matter focused primarily on the Native American Indians, for whom she had always respected and greatly admired.

She and Elmer eventually divorced, and in 1988, she met and later married John Merten Montgomery, a man who she very deeply loved and forever regarded as her soul mate.

She will best be remembered by her family, friends and acquaintances as a petite little woman that was blessed with an immense heart, filled with the utmost virtues of both selfless generosity and pure compassion.

She is preceded in death by her husband, John Montgomery; and youngest son, Robert B. Culver.

Survivors include two sons, Richard Culver (eldest son) and his wife, Patricia, of Prescott and Ivar L. Harebo Jr. of Camp Verde; two grandsons, Ian Culver and his wife, Cassie, of Prescott and Richie Culver and his wife, Kim, of Ft. Rucker, Ala.; a granddaughter, Michelle, of Pittsburg, Kan.; and a great-granddaughter, Kaylen Marie Culver of Ft. Rucker.

A memorial service was held at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 11, 2015, at the American Lutheran Church in Prescott, followed by a luncheon with the committal service at 1 p.m. at Mt. View Cemetery.

Arrangements were entrusted to Arizona Ruffner-Wakelin Funeral home.

You are invited to log on to ruffnerwakelin.com to sign her guestbook, view a tribute to her and share a memory with the family.

 

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