Bessie J. Vinsant Miron

It is with profound sadness that we announce that Bessie 'Bess' Johnstun Vinsant Miron passed away on January 18, 2025, at Providence St Joseph Assisted Living with her family by her side. She was 95 years old, 18 days before her 96th birthday.

On February 5, 1929, David G. and Martha Elizabeth (Connell) Johnstun were living in Layton, Utah, on a chicken farm, down in what was known as the "hollow". On that day, their fourth child, Bessie "Bess" Johnstun was born at home. She was named Bessie after her grandmother, Elizabeth (Deans) Johnstun, who was called "Bessie" by the Indian and Mexican people who lived nearby. As soon as Bessie was old enough, she shortened it to "Bess." Her parents eventually added eight more siblings, for a total of six girls and six boys.

With so many children, and the depression, Bess' dad was forced to move his family wherever he could find work. They moved to various places in Utah, Arizona, and Idaho, working on farms and dairies. The older kids worked in the fields along with the adults as it took everyone pulling together to feed the large family. In 1943, the family moved to Idaho to work at a dairy. One night while attending a Grange dance, Bess met Les Vinsant, who had attended the dance with several of his friends.

On October 23, 1946, Bess married Les Vinsant in Elko, NV. Bess was working in the potato field with her brothers and sisters who were in on her plan to elope with Les. One sister smuggled Bess' bundle of clothes to the field and another kept a lookout for their father to leave. When the coast was clear, Bess and Les ran away to Nevada and got married. They made their home in Gooding, Idaho, where their first daughter, Linda was born. They moved back to Utah where two sons, Les (Charlie) Jr., and Larry were born. Les enlisted in the Navy during the Korean War and moved the family to San Diego, where their second daughter, Lorri was born. After Les was discharged from the Navy, the family moved back to Utah where four more children were born: Vanessa, Rene, Robert, and Connie. They lived in the Ogden area until 1964 when they decided to move to Montana.

Bess had an adventurous spirit as evidenced by her willingness to move from her comfortable house in the suburbs of Ogden, Utah, to a mountain top in Montana. It was an adventure for all as the home they moved to was a cabin with a mountain spring flowing in front of the porch. This is where water for the family was obtained, and a wood stove provided the heat and where Bess cooked for her family. There was no electricity, so oil lamps and a generator provided lights. After a couple of years, they built a house closer to the Noxon edge of their property so they could have water and electricity in the house.

In 1974, Les died of cancer and Bess moved to Kalispell where she studied, got her GED, attended Flathead Valley College, and earned her nursing degree. She met and married Albert 'Al' Miron in February 1979. She worked as a nurse at Immanuel Lutheran Long-Term Care until she retired in 1983 and became a "snowbird" in Mesa, Arizona in the winter and returned to their Kalispell home in the summer. Al died in 2006, and Bess moved to Polson to be closer to her daughters. She loved to garden, sew, and spend time with her daughters and grandchildren.

Bess is survived by two daughters: Vanessa (Clint) Fitchett of Camas Prairie and Rene Vinsant of Polson, one brother, Ted (LaRue) Johnstun, Ogden, UT, sister-in-law Rosella Johnstun, Ogden, UT, brother-in-law Gary Moates, Phoenix, AZ; 15 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren, 5 great-great grandchildren, stepchildren: Paul (Jamie) Miron, Mark (Lauri) Miron of Billings, Mary Miron Abbott (Bruce) of Billings, 6 Miron grandchildren, 2 Miron great grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, 5 brothers and 5 sisters, her 2 husbands, infant children Robert and Connie, sons: Les Jr and Larry; and daughters Linda and Lorri, and her great granddaughter Kelsey Howard.

A spring service is planned and will be announced later.