Norma F. Busby

Norma went to Heaven to be with her husband and parents Friday, May 17^th after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.  Norma was a beautiful person, loving and kind mother, and loving and supportive wife and partner.  Norma is and will be greatly missed, but remembered as a passionate, loving, giving, and profound woman.

Norma was born in the little mining town of Jardine, Montana to George and Hilma (Webster) Ommundsen January 14, 1941.  Her family then moved to Gardiner where her father worked as an assayer for the mine.   The family then moved to Livingston where she attended school and graduated from Park High in 1959.  

Norma married Willard Jonathan Busby on 08/14/1960 and worked at the First National Park Bank until she was six months pregnant and was no longer allowed to work due to the pregnancy.  She had her first son, Willard Timothy (Tim) in 1961 and her daughter, Montana Fay (Tana) in 1962. They lived on Mission creek until Tana was two months old when they moved to the Bozeman Pass and lived there for 32 years. Troy George, their third child and second son came along on August 2, 1968.  They sold the ranch on the pass in June 1995 and moved to Winnett where they lived for 15 years, moved to Roundup, back to Winnett, and finally came to stay in Big Timber, Montana on Swamp Creek Road where they lived out the rest of their lives close to their children and 4 grandchildren. When Norma met Willard at age 15, she thought it was very impressive he was a rancher and a logger. They were together from that time on for almost 70 years.

Norma was very involved with her children and especially her grandchildren’s lives, taking them whenever she could to do things like cook, have tea parties, read books, or anything that the kids wanted to do at that time.  She was always available to babysit, or just to take for the day to do something fun!  Mom attended as many of the grandkids activities as she could and supported them in any activity or adventure they wanted to try.  Mom was a truly a great grandmother and her passion, empathy, and kindness for people and animals are reflected in each and every one of them.

Norma was a social butterfly even though throughout her life she lived places that she was not always able to be one.  When they lived on the Bozeman Pass, there were only 3 other families so the social activities included much to do with the little country school, Malmborg, which she would help the teachers with costumes, field trips, and served as the clerk for 20+ plus years.  Mom took care of the children and the ranch as good as she could, so Dad could work either in the timber as a horse logger and working his own sawmill, or at the Burlington Northern Railroad, and then would come home and work the ranch with mom and the kids.  Mom also assisted Dad in the timber hauling logs, loading logs, and anything else that was needed while also caring for the children.  

Mom started working for the Pioneer Medical Center as a cook after settling in Big Timber Montana and worked there for about 15 years where the large trays and pans caused damage to her shoulders. After having a shoulder replaced, she retired only to go to work at the Hospitality house (Senior Citizen’s) to cook an additional 10 or so years.  Mom loved to cook and collected cookbooks at every opportunity she had.  She loved to try new things, and was always amazed that without knowing how, she was able to put together a wonderful meal for the large amounts of people that came to eat her cooking every day except Thursday and always had enough for everyone!  Mom’s cooking was always wonderful and the numbers of people that came everyday reflected that!

Norma was a published author with articles in “Farm Wife”, the Winnett Cook Book””, and multiple other historical books that she assisted in putting together and publishing at the Hospitality House.  Mom served as the President of the Senior Center and also secretary.  She and Willard participated in the Kitchen Band and were active in fund raisers, bus rides (Willard was the bus driver), and any activity that the Senior Center sponsored.

Norma and Willard played music on a weekly basis at the Pioneer Medical center even after they moved in the Boulder Meadows Assisted Living. If there was a piano, Norma would be playing.  She continued to play every day, if at all possible, even at the Wheatland Memorial Hospital Nursing home until her death.  Her music and joy for music will be greatly missed.

Norma was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Willard, and her parents George and Hilma (Webster) Ommundsen.  Norma is survived by her three children Tim (Carole) Busby of Rygate, Tana (Dan) Parisi of Big Timber and Troy (Michelle) Busby of Big Timber.  She has 4 grandchildren, Jamie Parisi, Jonathan Parisi, Wyatt Busby and Morgan Busby, and 2 step grandchildren Rebecca (Chris) Seekings and Adam Nance.  She has 4 step-great grandchildren Josh, Jackie, Robert and Ronald, and her 3 sisters Janet Habenicht, Gail McCormick and Sue Bidwell all of Livingston. 

A visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the time of services at 11:00 a.m., on Saturday, June 1st at Franzen-Davis Funeral Home in Livingston. Interment will follow at Short Hill Cemetery. A reception will follow the interment at the Park County Fairgrounds, 46 View Vista Drive, Livingston, MT. 

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