JEANE DIDRIKSEN, 87 of Helena, MT—
On the afternoon of Saturday, April 18th, 2026, Shirley Jean Didriksen passed away at St. Peter’s hospital in Helena, MT. She had been on the mend from a recent gallbladder surgery, and was readmitted for a serious case of pneumonia. Refusing the respirator, she chose to pass on her own terms, and was given medication to help her relax before peacefully falling asleep while her grandsons sat by her side.
Jeane, as she was known by her friends and family, was born on the 13th of July, 1938 to father Eugene Boyts and mother Lola Nickelson (nee Raffety), the elder of two siblings, Charlotte Jo Cline (nee Boyts) being her younger sister. Jeane was an outgoing and talkative child who enjoyed coloring books, paper dolls, and doing jigsaw puzzles with her grandmother Ella Raffety (nee Humphress). She often told stories of helping her many aunts and uncles on the farm, and shelling peas on the back porch with Aunt Dell.
Jeane graduated from Bozeman High School in 1956, also marrying her first husband, Lawrence Lewis, the same year. They had three children, Lawrence, Jr. “Lucky,” Melodie, and Lance. She worked at Sally’s Dress Shop on Main Street for several years and maintained the home while her husband Lawrence drove semis and worked odd jobs in his downtime. After they divorced, Lawrence moved to California, and Jeane retained custody of their three children.
Jeane later met and married Conrad Torgrimson, originally of Plentywood, MT, who subsequently adopted her three children, giving them his name. Conny, as she called him, was an avid outdoorsman, and Jeane often told stories of their many trips throughout Montana, from fishing at Toston to camping and hunting in the Spanish Peaks. Jeane and Conrad eventually parted and went their separate ways, but she continued to wish him well later in life.
In 1978, Jeane met the love of her life, David Didriksen of Lincoln, MT, and they remained together until his passing in July of 2001. Dave and Jeane operated their own small business, Didriksen Plumbing & Heating, for many years, and he often did contract work for Golden Eagle Construction and Dick Anderson. Jeane also worked as a secretary for the Department of State Lands until the 1990’s, when she retired from the State to focus on bookkeeping for Dave’s and her plumbing business. They spent many happy years together, going to bluegrass campouts, visiting Jeane’s sister Jo and family in Spokane, WA, and spending as much time as possible at their cabin in the woods outside of Lincoln, MT, a cabin that they had built from the ground up with the help of many friends and relatives, including Dave’s children Derek and Darcy, which they made into their getaway from the cares of daily life.
One of Jeane’s favorite pastimes was browsing antique stores. She also collected Fiesta dishware and cookie jars, and had fun buying and selling on Ebay. She also enjoyed vintage automobiles, including the 1949 Chevy pickup she had fully restored, and her 1970 Plymouth Duster that she bought new from the car lot and kept for the rest of her life, having it repainted and restored in the early 2000’s.
Jeane had a fondness for animals, and always had at least one dog or cat around the house, as well as goldfish and birds. She had a fondness for horses, and also loved driving around during calving season to look at the baby cows.
Cooking and baking were some favored activities enjoyed by Jeane, and she had fun trying new recipes that she found in magazines or online. She made many holiday dinners over the years, including Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving, and baked many birthday cakes for friends and family in her time. She and Dave would often host get-togethers at their cabin, a favorite being the “garbage can dinner,” (don’t worry, it’s clean!) where they would take a new metal garbage can fitted with cooking racks and place it over the campfire to steam sausages and vegetables with beer poured into the bottom of the can. There would always be some chocolate cake or a slice of pie to finish it all off. Jeane was also known for her famous fudge, which was a Christmas specialty of hers, and was shared with loved ones as far away as the Philippines in the later years of her life.
Jeane is preceded in death by her loving husband Dave, her sister Jo, her step-brother Howard Nickelson, and her children Lucky and Melodie.
She is survived by her son Lance Torgrimson of Mexico, and grandsons Luke Lewis and Tyler Torgrimson of Helena.
As Jeane was not a religious person, there won’t be a church-affiliated service for her passing, but instead a gathering to celebrate her life, which will be held in the Elkhorn room of the DoubleTree hotel in downtown Helena on Tuesday, May 5th at 3 pm. No flowers are necessary. A PA system will be available with a microphone for anyone wishing to share stories and remembrances of Jeane as a final goodbye.
Service Schedule
Service Schedule
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Becky Garland says
I am so sorry to hear of Jeane’s passing. She sure lived life to the fullest and will be missed. Always a twinkle in her eye!
Rest in Peace 🙏
Scott Frickel says
I worked with Jeanne years ago at the Dept. of State Lands. She was always so friendly, upbeat and just a fun person to be around. Occasionally, I would run into her around town and found that cherished personality never changed. My condolences to her family.
Karen Luke says
Jeane has been one of my closest and cherished friends since we met and began working together at State Lands in the late 70’s. She was always there for the people she loved. Always a friend to all, cheerful, understanding, supportive and encouraging. The list is too long! She supported me through the death of two husbands and she and Dave were both close friends of Don and me. I will miss her dearly.