Dolores Clark Rasmusson

[gn_spacer size=”20″] [gn_heading style=”1″]Dolores Clark Rasmusson[/gn_heading] [frame src=”https://michelottisawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/tn_rasmusson.jpg” width=”” height=”” lightbox=”on” title=”Dolores Clark Rasmusson” align=”left” ]

Dolores Clark Rasmusson, our beloved mother and grandmother, passed away Tuesday, December 5, 2006, at St. John's Lutheran Nursing Home.

Dolores was born October 5, 1915 in Custer, Montana, the first child of Betty and James Witham. She was named Dolores Cleo by her father, the middle name of Cleo after Cleopatra, a glamorous start in life for a little brown-eyed girl, the apple of her father’s eye!

James, or Jimmy as he was known to his friends, worked for the railroad as a telegrapher. He left that job as the family bought the Woods Ranch in Absarokee. Dolores always loved the Absarokee area, and loved the mountains and pine trees from that time on. Two sons were added to the family, Jim, and Charles. The ranch was later sold and the family lived for awhile on the West Coast and operated a grocery store. Lonesome for Montana and family, they came home and settled in Billings.

Jimmy and Betty bought a beautiful home that had been previously owned by a family of artists. Known around Billings as “622”, the house number, it was a large home decorated on the walls and ceilings with hand-painted murals. The bannisters were all hand carved by the artisans. At this time, Betty became a beautician and Jimmy, who was a very talented musician, gave music lessons. All three children were also talented and learned to play many different instruments. Dolores was a natural musician and became a very talented pianist, even playing for dances at a young age. Her child- hood was filled with music appreciation and art; a gracious life.

It was at this time that a young man started taking violin lessons from her father. Dolores was 12 years old, and the young man, Clare Clark, was 19. Clare was instantly attracted to Dolores and she thought he was very handsome! As the lessons continued, the attraction also continued. Finally, Clare asked Dolores to marry him, but she had to inform him she was only 15, which was a shock to him. He decided to wait until she was older, and the music lessons continued! Deciding he could wait no longer, he again asked Dolores to marry him. This time she was 17, and decided she wanted to marry him, too. Knowing her parents wouldn’t give their permission, she and Clare decided to go to a Justice of the Peace at the Courthouse to be married. The problem was, it was midnight and they had to wake him up! So, on May 13th, 1933, they were married. It was a true love match all through their years together. It also was Mother’s Day, which was not the way her mother wanted her day started! Dolores and Clare even were written about in the “Tales of the Town” section of the Billings Gazette. The article read, “Guess what couple couldn’t wait, and woke the Justice up at midnight to be married?” Her parents threatened to annul the marriage, but Dolores and Clare persisted, and stayed married.

Clare, his father and brother, owned Clark Construction Company, and specialized in road building. So Dolores followed Clare to different locations, living in a trailer Clare had built. She was with him until it was time to have their child they were expecting. On August 30, 1934, their daughter, Patricia Jean, was born. The three of them lived where the jobs were for awhile. When it was time for Pat to start school, Dolores stayed in Billings, seeing Clare on weekends. Clare worked in the road building business for many years. He often told people he had worked on almost every original road in Montana.

As their daughter grew up, Dolores played for various organizations and dances around Billings. Clare and Dolores also became very active in the Masonic Lodge and Eastern Star. Always, their music was very important to them and a bond between them.

Later in their life, they returned to Dolores’ beloved Absarokee, living there for about 3 years. They then bought a ranch in Red Lodge with their daughter and her husband. They lived in Red Lodge 13 years. Dolores and Clare, both being talented musicians, played for many dances through the years, and their music gave them so much pleasure. Many evenings, just the two of them would spend the night playing their favorite “tunes.” Their house was always open to their many musician friends to come to a “jam session.” Their music was always a very special and vital part of their life together.

After years of enjoying the beautiful mountains of Red Lodge and making many friends there, the heavy snow drifts became a burden, and they decided to return to their favorite town of Billings to be closer to their daughter, her husband, and two grandchildren, Diane and Mark. By this time, Clare had retired, so they could enjoy their music together each day. Dolores was involved in many groups, being organist for her Eastern Star Chapter and Daughters of the Nile, and organist for her church. She and Clare became involved with a group called The Happy Fiddlers. They played for many nursing homes, senior citizen groups, and anyone that requested their special music. Their life in later years was so enjoyable to them as entertaining and making other people’s lives more pleasant became their pleasure. They especially enjoyed playing for the elderly at the nursing homes.

Clare became ill and Dolores took care of him for 3 years. He passed away in 1989, but they were able to enjoy their 55th Anniversary together.

Dolores met Bernard (Bernie) Rasmusson through their love of music. They both belonged to the Montana Old Rime Fiddlers. After a courtship, they married on July 18, 2001. They were both talented musicians and their music brought them much happiness. Bernie passed away November 29, 2003.

Later. Dolores moved to Chapel Court at St. John's. She and her good friend, Gladys Burns, and various members of the Old Time Fiddlers enjoyed playing for the residents.

Dolores became ill with pneumonia and passed away at St. John's Tuesday morning.

Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Pat and Jerry Glenn, Billings; grandchildren, Diane (Alan) Banks, and Mark Helgeson, both of Washoe Valley, NV; sisters-in-law, Flo Haugen of Billings and Liz Witham of Seattle; stepdaughters, Linda (Jerry) Praetzel of Salem, OR, and Laurie (Ron) Caswell of Billings; and several nieces and nephews.

God gave Dolores a wonderful gift in her music and it has truly been a gift to everyone who heard this extremely talented woman play such beauti ful mus ic for us to enjoy.

The family thanks Dr. Stephen Shaub for his compassionate care and all the loving staff at Chapel Court who cared for Dolores.

Memorials may be made to Chapel Court at St. John's.

Funeral services will be 1pm Saturday at Michelotti-Sawyers Mortuary with interment at Sunset Memorial Gardens.