Barbara Alice Lewis Berndt, September 4th 1932 - February 4th 2025
On a cold snowy day in February Barbara left this world. For 92 years this remarkable woman spread kindness and love everywhere she went in; indeed, the thing most remembered by Barbara’s friends and family and caregivers was her constant and complete love for everyone she met. This is her legacy, a life of kindness, compassion and service to others. Barbara never preached or espoused to be an example to others, Barbara just quietly and without a trace of ego lived the life we were commanded to live; to love one another as we would like to be loved. Much of Barbara's life derived from the simplest but most profound of God’s commandments...to love one another.
Barbara’s life began September 4, 1932, in the little town of Big Timber, Montana. She was the first born of Alice Ada “Dick” Scyphers and Kendall Laverne Lewis. Alice was the middle daughter of a local rancher and Kendall was a young master plumber and the owner of Big Timber Plumbing and Heating. As was common during the waning days of the Great Depression, the young Lewis family had to go on the road to find work. Everything the family needed had to fit in the back of the car and a small trailer. For the Lewis family, leaving Big Timber and going on the road began an odyssey that would end in 1949 when Bozeman became their final home.
Las Vegas in the 1930’s must have seemed hot and desolate and living in a motel must have been miserable, but all Mom could really remember was lifting a towel out of a box to dry off after a bath only to come face to claw with a scorpion. A few months of riding a creaky elevator down to the bottom of Hoover dam was enough for gram-pa Lewis, and in the middle of the night they packed up and left for eastern Washington.
Moving around to find work during the Great Depression was a fact of life for the families of skilled tradesmen. Barbara recalls moving thirteen times before she graduated from Yakima High School in 1946. Despite living a transient life Barbara still managed to make friends that lasted until her last days.
Barbara treasured and nurtured her friendships with handwritten notes and cards, many for no reason other than to let someone know she was thinking about them. Barbara always thought of the welfare and feelings of others before her own. Mom’s response to any social interaction was, “send them a card!”
Barbara never preached community service, she just quietly led by example. Barb sat on several boards that served the Bozeman community including Bozeman Faith Methodist, Bozeman United Methodist Church, The Montana Ballet and the Montana State Board of Realty Ethics. The transition from the old Bozeman Deaconess Hospital to the “new” Bozeman Health was in-part initiated by the congregation and members of the Bozeman United Methodist Church. Barbara never sought gain from her community service; it was just second nature to her to help in any way she could with what she had to give, be it time, money, physical effort or just a well-timed “thinking of you” card.
Barbara followed her parents to Bozeman in the early 1950’s and her first husband, Mel Santos, came soon after to take a position as her father Kendall’s plumbing apprentice at FL Dye plumbing here in Bozeman. Barbara worked as a telephone operator at Mountain Bell on north Tracy where the Cateye Cafe is now. Barb also worked as a teller at Security Bank, a secretary at Waite and Company Insurance, an office manager for Kirk Frantz State Farm Insurance, and in 1977 became a licensed real estate agent. Changing careers and entering a profession that was suffering at the time from depressed land and home values seemed like a risky gamble but it led to a 34-year successful career in real estate sales.
Barbara learned to swim as a young child in the hot springs just across the road from the Scyphers Circle C ranch in Mcleod, Montana, south of Big Timber. Fittingly, her children learned to swim at the Bozeman Hot Springs. Swimming, women's softball, cross-country skiing, and bowling were the sports Barbara participated in. Barbara belonged to multiple clubs and groups, and had fond memories of excursions that seemed to always include food and wine when going on outings with the Bridger Canyons Women's Activity Group (BWAGS). Barbara at times belonged to the Bozeman Bowling League, the Bozeman JayCees, the Eagles, the Elks and the PTA.
The two things that gave Barbara much joy all through her life were the love of music and reading. Barbara's homes were always stuffed with books: every closet, cubby and cabinet contained hard cover and paperbacks alike. Trips to Costco with mom always added to the home book stash, and if you visited Barbara at home you were probably offered a book to take home with you.
Barbara had a beautiful singing voice and had the ability to harmonize perfectly with whomever was singing. According to her brother, Gary, she would drive him crazy with her singing. When, as a toddler, Gary got to where he had enough, he would say “Stop dat singin’ Baba!”. Barbara’s doctor and friend of many years, Dr. Pam Hiebert, would stop by to see mom from time to time, and they always sang “Montana is my home” before she left. There was always music on in the background during visits to the Berndt home.
Barbara had the looks and grace of a glamorous movie star but never relied on her physical beauty to accomplish anything. Barbara never went to college, yet she became a successful businesswoman. With mentors like Fred Bell, friends like Sandy Lee, Barb Bakken, and Jean White, and faithful friends, Karen and Anita Kolmann, who all helped nurture and support her through the years, Barbara became an award-winning member of the real estate community. Barbara in turn passed on her knowledge by becoming a mentor and guide for others.
In her church, her town, and her profession, Barbara became a quiet leader and a simple but strong advocate for social justice and American democracy. Barbara needed not preach to anyone at any time, Barbara just went about being a good person and doing the right thing even though it might be personally injurious to herself. Simply put, Barbara put the needs of others before her own needs.
Barbara is survived by her remaining three children, Gary Berndt, Jena Nash Reno, and Robert (Season) Berndt; her brother, Gary Lewis (Georgianne); numerous nieces and nephews; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Barbara’s other two children, Jeffrey Allan and Barbie Jane, preceded her in death; as did her husband of 52 years, William Robert Berndt.
At the time of her death, Barbara had lived at Highgate Senior Living for twelve years. Highgate has given exceptional care to three of our family members in the last years of their lives: dad, Bill; sister, Barbie; and now mom. We cannot adequately express our thanks to the caregivers and staff at Highgate for their unabashed and genuine love for our Barbara. Also, the family would like to thank the nurses and doctors of Enhabit Hospice whose constant and consistent care of mom truly made her last days more comfortable. To all of the many others that took time to go see her one last time, know that you brought her much joy and that she truly loved all of you. The staff at Highgate told both brothers that they had never seen so many people visit a resident on a daily basis. Barbara Alice Lewis Santos Berndt, Babs, Babba; we miss you, but the love and kindness you gave to this world will never be diminished. Your legacy is the best of all legacies and the simplest; you showed us that it is possible to love and be kind to each other without thought of reward, here on earth or in heaven.
In the words of the founder of the Methodist church John Wesley:
“Do all the good you can,
In all the ways you can,
To all the souls you can,
In every place you can,
With all the zeal you can,
As long as you ever can.”
Be kind, love one another and call your mom if you can.
A Celebration of Barbara’s life will be held this Spring and will be announced at a later date.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com [dokkennelson.com]
