Carol B, 73 years old
Carol lives alone, plus her adorable 7-year-old cat, Sheena (named after Queen of the Jungle). Her daughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren reside in Great Falls. She is originally from Harlow Town, MT, and did assembly work during her adult life. She loves nature and used to camp a lot. Carol and her previous volunteer often went for scenic drives, got ice cream or lunch, and shopped. She’d love someone to do these activities with her as well as Shakespeare in the Park. Carol is spiritual and also loves to converse about anything. One of her favorite topics is conspiracy theories.
Special Considerations: Doesn’t drive often and has limited eyesight due to stroke. Also can’t walk very far distances.
Carson W, 68 years old
Carson lives in Bozeman and grew up on a ranch. She attended the University of Minnesota as an athlete. She played water polo and was an avid alpine skier. She even briefly went on to alpine ski on the Norway World Class Team. She worked on art animation in Minneapolis and was a nurse as well. Nowadays, Carson enjoys riding the lawnmower and is looking for a companion to go for coffee, infusion visits, and drive up to Hyalite to throw rocks. Carson is struggling a bit with the grief of the loss of activity in her life and isolation, so she is looking for a companion to help take her mind off of things through conversation.
Special considerations: Asburgers, ADHD, has a service dog, and cannot stand for too long or walk very far.
Susie H, 83 years old
Lives in Bozeman. Susie used to clean houses and was a stay-at-home mother. She loves bible study, church, going to concerts, thrift stores, and the company of others around her. Susie also enjoys basketball, going for drives, and seeing new things. She loves Wendy’s! Special Considerations: Her husband takes care of her, and she has an auto-immune disease, so she prefers to stay away from large crowds. She needs to be close to a bathroom, has a cane for balance, and has hearing aids. Susie has also been very depressed.
Tom M, 63 years old
Tom grew up in Orange County, CA, but l lived most of his adult life in San Diego with his wife and son. Most of his family lives back in California except his wife, Mona, who is his primary caregiver. Tom worked as a bank examiner for the FDIC and had an impressive background of competing in marathons and triathlons. He lives near downtown and enjoys walking to get lunch or around the neighborhood. He would also be interested in someone who’s willing to play tennis, watch action movies, and swim. His wife is his caregiver due to his CADASIL dementia. Before Tom’s diagnosis, he was known to be very sociable.
Considerations: Tom would love a friend but also would need someone comfortable with his condition. On hospice and suffers from aphasia.
Lynn H, 73 years old
Lives in the Springs Creek Assisted Living Center in Bozeman. He has early-onset dementia, poor mobility, has hearing aids, and does live in a memory care unit. He has two sons and one sister, who all live in Belgrade. In his earlier life had a career as a cowboy/rancher. He’s very passionate about anything that deals with cowboy history, horses, and ranch work. He feels lonely and wants someone to visit and have conversations with.
Jackie S, 90 years old
Lives in High Country Care. Jackie is from Oilmont, a very small town north of Shelby. She said that water was scarce and expensive growing up, and they did not have a bathroom for quite a few years. Jackie’s mom was a wonderful cook and taught her everything she knew! She would sometimes make multiple loaves of bread a day for her family and loved making pies. Jackie became a nurse at a nunnery in Havre. She is an avid tennis player and had a group she’d play with up in Great Falls. Jackie would like someone to share some good food with, go for walks, and knit or embroider.
Letty R, 87 years old
Lives in Bozeman with her son and his family. Letty is from San Bernardino, CA but has a lot of family in Texas and Louisiana. She has 3 sons, but one has passed away. She met her husband at the insurance company they both worked for and eventually made a family business of selling wooden plaques with Christian sayings engraved or painted on them. It became so successful that it had accounts with Hallmark and Christian bookstores nationwide and a showroom at the World Trade Center in Dallas. Because of this, Letty traveled a lot for work. She’s a huge sports fanatic and loves everything, including Nascar and golf. Her favorite team is the Kansas City Chiefs. Letty enjoys reading and writing. She enjoys watching crime shows and was a great cook back in the day! Her family raves about her fried rice and egg rolls. Letty is a great storyteller and would like someone to have nice conversations with.
Tammy H, 63 years old
Tammy resides at Gallatin Rest Home. Tammy was born in Canada and was adopted at age 13. She lived in Bellingham, Washington, most of her life until her son brought her to Montana. She has 4 kids, with only one in the area who doesn’t see her as often as she would like. She has 8 grandkids as well. She absolutely loves dogs and would appreciate someone who shared that interest. She enjoys bingo and has a small collection of stuffed animals! She also enjoys coloring and would enjoy doing so with a Befriender. She also does not have any visitors and is very lonely and could use a talkative, positive friend!
Considerations: Tammy is diabetic, has had a stroke or two, and has memory issues.
Bonnie M, 82 years old
Lives in Belgrade along the Frontage Rd. She would like to go out for drives, coffee, and shopping. In the house most of the time. She lives with her son and moved here recently. Bonnie has been matched with a Befriender since the summer of 2022, but her Befriender will be graduating from MSU in May and will need someone to replace her.
Considerations: Has a small dog that barks, has a bad left leg, and has arthritis.
Valerie G, 45 years old
Valerie is homebound after suffering a terrible car accident. She will be having her leg from her kneecap amputated in the middle of March and suffers from traumatic brain injuries that have affected her ability to find words, her vision is impaired, and certain smells or situations trigger her memories of her accident. She is looking for someone who is optimistic and would walk her dog with her. She also would like to start a flower garden this spring and start painting again if there is a Befriender who could help her with that.
Andi H, 76 years old
Andi has lived in Three Forks for 2 years, and her husband passed away in late January. She has a small shih tzu, Sissy, who keeps her company, as well as her daughter, who lives across the interstate. She spent a large part of her life in Washington State and has several relatives still there. Andi loves Bingo and will attend bingo nights in the Gallatin Gateway, Bozeman, and Manhattan areas. She will also watch wrestling every single week because her grandson is a professional MMA fighter! Andi would like somebody to take her out of the house more for lunch, movies, or theater shows. When it becomes warmer, she’d also enjoy walking around the pond near her house and gardening!
Carolyn A, 73 years old
Carolyn is originally from Denver but spent most of her childhood at the base of the Sierra Mountains while her dad was serving in the military. She has 4 biological children and 1 adopted. Carolyn has a special relationship with her neighbor Matt, who helps her run errands and looks after her! She loves learning and has traveled the world to view hundreds of museums; her largest values include diversity and knowledge. She began college at the age of 17 and participated in 400-level classes to start with. Carolyn has several plants and books in her home. She mostly reads mystery and history. She would like someone to take her for drives or on errands and to teach her how to use her iPad more efficiently!
Considerations: Has limited space in the home, so meetings might need to take place out and about!
Ann V, 100 years old
Ann lives in The Springs, independent living. She grew up on a farm 12 miles outside Choteau, MT. She was a farm girl all her life and lived with her parents and two siblings until she married. She is a very caring individual who cared for her family dearly as well as others when she worked as a CNA. She enjoyed traveling and crocheting, needlepoint, and antique collecting when she was younger. She can't do these things anymore because of her degenerative eye disease. However, she enjoys talking about her experiences and visiting with other people in her room or over a nice dinner. She is very fond of reading and most often listens to audiobooks. She particularly loves Western history and stories about the homestead. Ann would like someone who will come and visit her. She enjoys conversation and is craving meaningful social interaction.
Considerations: legally blind, limited mobility
Lee S, 94 years old
Lee moved to Montana when she was 14 years old, and she used to work at the University. Lee currently lives in the Springs. Lee’s husband, with whom she had 3 children, passed away about 6 years ago, and she is still sad about his passing. She has 2 grandkids and seems young for her age! She enjoys walks around the building and the occasional bingo. She also used to paint. She is incredibly sweet with a contagious smile. Considerations: she has memory issues and is pretty lonely. She also uses a walker due to some issues with her leg.
Jan R, 75 years old
Jan lives in Bozeman and is in need of being rematched. Her current volunteer will be graduating with a Ph.D. from MSU in May. Jan volunteers at the public library and for Love Inc., She’s Christian and would appreciate someone with similar values. Jan would like someone to take her for drives, visiting second-hand stores, fabric stores, many of the public libraries, and old homes in the community based on a book she found with little blurbs about each one! She would also like to view little libraries around the countryside. Jan loves unique shops, including a refurbished lumbar shop in Four Corners! Craft fairs and markets are also welcome. She would like to be able to walk more as well, especially around scenic parks and walkways.
Considerations: Suffers from PTSD and has a failing hip. She does not celebrate any holidays as they’ve brought bad experiences for her. She does not want someone inside her home or to have her picture taken. Does not do well with surprises or rapid changes in her routine. A volunteer who is aware of the symptoms of PTSD would be beneficial!
Ronald L, 74 years old
Ron lives in Manhattan. He is a retired English teacher as well as a drama teacher! He loves to fly fishing, black labs, Yellowstone/Tetons, Shakespeare plays, and old movies (westerns). If a volunteer has a dog, he would love to meet them!
Considerations: Ron is legally blind but can see some shapes/shadows. He also uses a walker, and his hearing is not great.
Marsha Y, 72 years old
Marsha lives in Bozeman. She grew up at the Ogden Dunes in Indiana off of Lake Michigan but has been in Bozeman for many decades. She was a copy editor, writer, and substitute teacher, but most notably was on the Bozeman City Commission and the mayor of Bozeman. She has hiked all over the world, including Greece and Spain, and is an expert birder and mushroom hunter. She would love to play games, cook together, walk, read, and eat chocolate with a female volunteer in her 40s or older. She loves dogs; if the volunteer had a dog, that would be wonderful.
Tom G, 94 years old
Tom lives in Belgrade and stays very active. He retired from the Forest Service in the 90s and then was a pastor and bus & taxi driver after retiring. His wife passed away 11 years ago, and he has stayed busy by playing his guitar, volunteering in his church, skiing in the winter, and fly fishing in the summer. Tom would enjoy visiting with a Befrienders volunteer or doing something active. He still drives, so he could meet his volunteer on a trail or for lunch, or they could meet at his home.
Pat L, 91 years old
Lives in Manhattan. Pat has lived most of her life in Cedar Rapids, Iowa but has lived in Bozeman/Manhattan for 5 years. She has 5 children and 11 grandchildren. Pat had many careers in secretary work and also owned a boutique in California at one point. She loves, as she puts it, “junk shopping” and believes she was meant to be an interior designer in a past life. She loves thrift shopping, antiquing, garage sales, and any estate sale to refurbish furniture or add to her beautiful collection of books and paperweights. Many items in her home are 100-200 years old! She likes reading, journaling, and watching Netflix (Outlander and Virgin River). Pat would like someone to take her out shopping, go for lunch, and do occasional bingo. She also enjoys Farkle and Scrabble.
Special Considerations: Has a dog (very friendly), and macular degeneration inhibits her from driving anywhere. She would prefer an older woman to be matched with.
Carol W, 85 years old
Lives on her own in an independent facility here in Bozeman. She graduated from the University of Montana with a teaching degree and taught 2nd and 3rd grade. She was a skier and a tennis player and has lived all over MT and in Loveland, CO. She enjoys writing (could use someone to help her type, maybe), coffee trips on Mondays, trips to TNC for cookies, art projects, as well as someone to leave town and go on short trips with. She also has a special interest in gardening (fairy gardens).
Daniel W, 69 years old
Daniel lives in Bozeman. A true Texan gentleman from El Paso, where he gained his Theater Art and Business degree. Daniel came to the area in 2001 to work at Yellowstone National Park. He was a rancher and in the food & beverage industry. He has a small collection of rocks from Montana and Texas, which he can identify. Daniel is a good writer and is currently working on his own screenplay. He’s looking for a Befriender who could drive him to the grocery store and on errands, take walks with him, play tennis, watch a good movie, sports on tv, or have someone bring a set of cards to play on. He also likes photography. He is working on renewing an expired driver's license and taking care of some arthritis in his neck and knees. He did not say anything but seemed very lonely.
Considerations: In a big need for rides but is working on getting his license and a vehicle.
Sandy B, 72 years old
Sandy is originally from North Dakota but moved to Eastern Montana when she was very young. She was most recently living in Texas but has moved to Bozeman to be closer to family. She is very kind and has a bubbly personality. She got a degree in landscape installation and design, and even though it was her job, she still calls gardening her favorite hobby. Before she got her degree, she owned a pet store and still loves animals. She is also very artistic, enjoying both painting and especially woodworking. She loves being outside and would like someone to walk with. She also loves to read and spend time doing jigsaw puzzles and Soduko.
Special considerations: Cant drive and would like a friend to drive her around. Early signs of dementia.
Libby N 75 years old
Libby lives on her own in Bozeman and lived in Missoula for a couple of years as well. She moved to Montana from Colorado back in 2016. Libby is very outgoing - and interested in life and all things. Some of her interests are arts and crafts, movies, games, animals, reading, fishing, walks/exercise, flea markets, antiques, drives in the country, and museums and ghost towns. Libby does not have many friends or family around her and is looking for an older volunteer, possibly in their 40s-60s. She is active and loves to do things!
