Trudy Lynn Terwilliger

Trudy Lynn Terwilliger, 69, of Great Falls, passed away from Alzheimer’s disease on January 20, 2022, at Peace Hospice. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, February 19, 2022, at 2 p.m. at Bethel Lutheran Church. Trudy was born April 23, 1952, in Missoula, Montana to Robert and Valetta Dillard and the family later moved to Great Falls. Trudy graduated from Charles M. Russell High School and began working as a waitress at the Wrangler where she met and fell in love with a certain airman that captured her attention and her heart for the next 51 years. Trudy and Earl were married on October 17, 1970, and were blessed with the first addition to their family when son, Dusty was born one year later. Daughter Dana joined the family a few years later and Trudy’s natural calling of being a homemaker and caregiver occupied her days. Volunteering in her church and helping in the school system were both important to her and she coordinated the RISE reading program at Riverview Elementary School. After the kids were “mostly” out of the house Trudy owned and operated the Coffee Stop in downtown Great Falls for ten years. Being “grandma daycare” for grandson, Mark became her next project and the two enjoyed their days together roaming the neighborhood giving treats to all the dogs and making good use of all the playgrounds. The school system then once again received the benefit of her services as a crossing guard for several years. Trudy loved spending time in the outdoors, picnicking and camping with various family members and friends, and always looked forward to the family gathering at Flathead Lake each summer. A true animal lover, her kitties provided her much comfort during the final years of her life. She is survived by her husband, Earl Terwilliger; son, Dusty (Kristin) Terwilliger; daughter, Dana (Steve) Sondergaard; brothers, Mike (Janet) Dillard, Bob (Lori) Vinson, and Jim (Barb) Vinson; grandchildren, Andrew, MacKenzie, Braeden, Dylan, Kayla, Ashton, and Mark; great-granddaughter, Annalise; life-long friends, Jill Willems and Donna Stevenson, and fur babies, Boo, Finnegan, Spooky, and Marley. She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Valetta Dillard; stepmother, Marlene (Vinson) Dillard; and brother, Mark Dillard. Memorials in Trudy’s name may be made to the Maclean Animal Adoption Center, the Great Falls Animal Shelter, the McLaughlin Research Institute to continue to focus on finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, or to a charity of the donor’s choice.