Janne Watson (Dotson) Hayden

Janne Watson Hayden — dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and a friend of many — passed away on Oct. 21, 2022, at the age of 76, in Billings, Montana.

Janne was born to Roy and Mabel Dotson in Billings. While attending Billings Senior High School, she was a proud member of the Order of Eastern Star and Job’s Daughters. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Janne earned a nursing degree at Montana State University, graduating with a B.S. in Nursing. Upon graduation in 1968, she moved to Palo Alto, California, in her Ford Mustang convertible, and worked in the Stanford University Medical Center emergency room as a registered nurse.

Janne met her first husband, Carroll Watson, while at Stanford, and was married in 1969. Her life with Carroll, who served in the U.S. Navy, took her to Japan and ultimately to Travelers Rest, South Carolina, where she worked in the emergency room at Greenville General Hospital. Her life with Carroll was tragically cut short after he was killed in car accident in 1974. As a new widow, Janne returned to Billings to raise her 2-year-old and 4-month-old sons and started working at the Billings Deaconess Hospital (Billings Clinic) until she retired in 2015.

As a young widow, Janne was determined to provide her boys the experiences she had with her father, whom she had lost when she was 16. She joined the PTA at Boulder Elementary, served as a Cub Scouts Den Mother, was actively involved in the Billings Aquatic Club, and took her boys on weekend camping trips on the Boulder River in a 16’ trailer she pulled behind the family station wagon. She taught Jason and Brian at an early age the importance of persevering through life’s heartbreaking challenges and finding the will to live life to the fullest.

Despite her claims she would never remarry, Janne met and married William “Bill” Hayden in the summer of 1982. The activities she and her boys enjoyed were quickly shared with Bill, who was not only a devoted husband, but a loving father. As a new family, weekends were spent camping and fishing (the 16’ trailer was traded in for a 22’ trailer) or traveling to swimming competitions throughout the Western U.S. until their sons graduated from high school. Later in life, Janne dedicated her time to her grandchildren, enjoyed traveling with Bill and their five dogs in their motorhome, visiting family and friends in Seattle, Rapid City and Las Vegas. If they weren’t on the road, Janne and Bill spent time at their cabin in Roberts. Janne and Bill were inseparable until he lost his battle with cancer in 2015.

Janne touched many lives during her 47 years of nursing. She was an inspiration to her children and grandchildren, and a wonderful caretaker of countless animals throughout her lifetime. Her legacy as the family’s matriarch will remain for generations.

Janne is survived by her sons, Jason (Leigh) and Brian (Dawn); grandchildren Cameron, Grace, Kurtis, Kelsey, Caroline and Claire; and many close friends.

Family will receive friends for visitation from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, at Michelotti-Sawyers Mortuary, 1001 Alderson Ave. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, at Michelotti-Sawyers Mortuary. Interment will follow at Yellowstone Valley Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to The Humane Society at www.humanesociety.org.