Beatrice Nugent

The matriarch of the extended Nugent family, Beatrice “Bea” Nugent, quietly passed away on Saturday, April 23, 2016. She passed of natural causes in the presence of immediate family at Peace Hospice after dealing with the injuries sustained in multiple accidents. Memorial services will be held Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 449 Fourth Lane NE, Fairfield, MT. Memorials in memory of Beatrice may be made to The Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art. Cremation has taken place under the direction of O’Connor Funeral Home Beatrice, with her departed husband Louie, now overlooks an extensive family from above. Her four sons Mike, Terry, Ken and Mark, and their wives, have continued Bea’s love of family by raising 17 grandchildren. Her influence has extended further down the line with a current cadre of 21 great-grandchildren. Beatrice’s early life formed her character which greatly influenced her descendants. From a childhood age, she loved to paint and draw, creating an extensive collection of art. Her collection starts from a drawing of a cat she made when she was ten, extends through an extensive body throughout her life, culminating in multiple paintings she created in her nineties. In her later life, she was a member of the Western Heritage Artists where she sold her paintings. Her promotion of her love of art influenced not only her family, but also the public as she volunteered at the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art. Beatrice was a Christmas Eve baby, born to William R. and Beatrice Schultz (Hendricks) on December 24, 1921. She was raised in Whitefish, MT with her two brothers, Alfred and deceased William. In her teen years, she was raised by her father and step-mother, Audrey Schultz. Shortly after World War II, she met her future husband, Louis A. Nugent. They were married on August 21, 1946 in Columbia Falls. Shortly after they were married, they moved to Great Falls, where they raised their family of four boys. In 1971 they moved to their farm outside of Simms. All-in-all, they shared a long and happy marriage, until Louis’s passing in May 1987. Relatively late in life, at 55 years of age, Beatrice started a career as a counselor of patients at the Golden Triangle Medical Center of Great Falls. Here, her love of art was once again demonstrated as she used it for patient therapy. She continued this career until she retired when she was 65. Bea extended her influence beyond family and art by being an active community participant. She was a member of the Red Hat Society, an officer in Eastern Star, and volunteered at The History Museum and the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art. Her religious affiliations included the Simms Methodist Church and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fairfield. After she retired, she sold the farm in Simms and moved to Fairfield, close to her son Terry. During her final two years, she resided at The Lodge in Great Falls.