Lorene "Bootsie" Pearl Rewey

MISSOULA ~ Lorene "Bootsie" Pearl Rewey was born to Tordy and Maxine Baldwin - Bootsie loved her mother dearly and emulated her loving, caring qualities.

Bootsie grew up in Cumberland, Virginia in a small farmhouse complete with outdoor plumbing. Her stories of childhood included "plugging" watermelons to see if they were ripe (eating it if it was, turning it over to hide the hole if it wasn't), her mother baking biscuits each morning for breakfast, and enjoying tomato sandwiches. As a young girl on a rare trip to town, she used her meager savings to buy a beautiful doll. She was chastised for being wasteful upon returning home with her treasure - thus began her life-long obsession with collecting beautiful dolls.

As a young woman, she lived in Washington, DC working at a five-and-dime store and enjoying the "nightlife". There she met a handsome service man, Delmar Rewey who she soon after married. Dell moved her across the country to work in Spokane, then Superior, finally settling in Missoula in a little house that she owns to this day. While pregnant with her first child, she became so homesick for her family that they returned to the east coast where Ramona (Mona) was born. But the work ran out and they soon returned to Missoula where Nancy was born a couple of years later.

While raising her young daughters, she cleaned houses and offices to make ends meet. After they started school, she began her career in food service, first at The University of Montana, and later at Hellgate High School. She loved baking the breakfast cinnamon rolls!

She also owned her own business "Upholstery by Lorene", which she successfully operated for many years.

Bootsie & Dell were active members in the Moose Lodge throughout the 60's, 70's & 80's where they met their good friends; the Martell, Martin, and Schindler families (just to name a few). In the late 70's they invested in an apartment building that became her pride and joy.

Bootsie retired early to travel with Dell in their motorhome, but their trip was cut short by his sudden death in 1991. After Dell's passing, she kept herself busy by joining groups such as "Tuesday Hikers" and line dancing with Mona, along with spending time with and doting on her five grandchildren.

She continued to successfully manage and maintain the apartment building on her own. She was the hardest working woman we knew. She even mowed her own lawn until she was 90!

At the time of her 90th birthday she was still living on her own, driving to meet friends to play cards or Bingo, or even to go gamble a little bit. Shortly after that she became ill and moved to The BeeHive Homes where she lived until her passing. A big thank you to all the caregivers we have met along the way, they took wonderful care of our precious mom.

Bootsie has always been incredibly generous to her family and friends, making sure they all had everything they needed as well as most of the things they wanted.

She was preceded in death by her husband Dell Rewey, her parents and 5 siblings.

She is survived by her daughters: Mona (Greg) Richardson, Nancy Rewey (Tom McKoy), Grandchildren: Bridger (April) , Byron, Grace (Sander), Lacie (Bryce), and Chelsea (Jake) and Great Grandchildren: Nate, Matthew, Sterling, Quinn & Pippa. Nieces and Nephews: Kenny, Joyce, Judy, Clair, and Carl, and her many dear friends in the Christian Singles Group.

Graveside service will be held at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Thursday August 21st at 2:00 PM.

Reception and Reflections to follow inside.