St. Paul’s United Methodist Church will be broadcasting the service below:
Born Armando Garza Hidalgo, on December 24th, 1935, to Adolph Albert Hidalgo and Carolina Garza Hidalgo of Big Lake, Texas, and joining two big brothers, Adolph (Jr.) & Abel. Our father came into a world without his mother to love and nurture him. Carolina passed almost immediately, after his birth. This baby, grew to be 86 years old and never a day went by that he didn’t feel the loss of the mother he never knew. He was forever grateful for his grandmother Josefa Arispe Hidalgo, for raising him in Bakersfield, CA.
He left this earthly world on June 18th with his loving wife & daughters by his side. We know he had a joyous reunion with his loving Grandmother, mother, father, all his brothers, sister Linda, his daughter Sandra Lee Jovanovich along with his great granddaughter Sarah Null.
Armen or “the Spaniard” as his many friends called him, became a gentle and loving father, husband, grandpa, friend and brother. During his youth in Butte, he was the nurturer for his sisters that were to come along in the years to follow. Linda, Delores, Corinna, Alvina, & brothers, Rudy, & Raymond. Additional siblings included Carmen & Lasther, Juanita & brother Lee.
He married Juanita Bastidas, from Butte, when they were both very young and started his family, first with daughters, Betsy (Larry) Pahut, Sandra Lee, & son, Raymond Joseph (Lorna). This union laid the foundation for Armen to become a loving father. Later he married his partner for life, Betty Lou Lundborg, of Helena, and added to the family, a son, David Armen (John) and Stephanie (Anthony) Eisenstein. Together for 56 years Armen & Betty were wonderful parents and were blessed with eleven grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren.
An avid sportsman, he loved to fish, hunt, & bowl, but his great passion was pitching for his baseball team in Great Falls for many years. He had a great sense of humor and was loved by all who knew him. He was also a solitary man who loved to cook, read, listen to music and garden – his roses were his pride. Armen worked many jobs over the years, but his career of 40 years at Ryan’s as a fork-lift driver is what he was most proud of, only retiring when they closed the Great Falls location.
Armen leaves behind his wife, sister-in-law Janine Settelmeyer of Oregon, surviving daughters and sons with all their children & grandchildren, his many surviving sisters and one brother Lee; his huge family of nieces, nephews & cousins too numerous to count.
A Celebration of Life Service Armen and Betty will be held on Saturday, October 8, Noon, at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church with a Reception to follow in the Social Hall.
Nata Noland says
Armen and Betty were a wonderful team. When Betty suffered from Parkinson’s disease, Armen provided wonderful, caring support for her. He was always very welcoming and a warm host when I visited or picked Betty up at their home. They were both a credit to the community and will be missed by many.
Jim Menter says
I worked with Armen at Ryan’s back in the 80’s. We became good friends. He was a very nice guy.