Nina M. (Rumney) Williams Dear passed away at the age of 96, on April 13th, 2016. 

She was the second of four children born to Benjamin Moore Rumney and Christine Moyes Rumney on March 18th, 1920, in Springdale, Park County, Montana, where her father was engaged in trapping on the Yellowstone River and worked in Yellowstone Park during the summer. 

By 1922, when her sister Jean was born, they were living back in Cascade, Montana in Chesnut Valley.  Nina attended school in Cascade. On June 2nd, 1936 Nina eloped with Kenneth L. Williams, they married in Plains, Montana, where his sister lived. They returned to Cascade and lived on the Rumney ranch.  They later moved to Townsend and lived on the farm owned by Kenneth’s brother, Fred Williams. Three children were born to them, Kenneth R. Williams, Judith Jean Williams and Charlotte Nina Williams. They later divorced.

Nina later married Fred Dear, who was an established cattle and horse rancher in Sullivan Valley, west of Cascade. Nina and Fred had two children, Lorraine Dale Dear and Curt Dear. Nina was the chief cook and bottle washer during the years of ranching and raising registered Quarter Horses. She cooked for all the ranch hands, kept the books and all the paperwork required with registering Quarter Horses.  She was also active with the kids in 4-H and the Quarter Horse shows. After selling the ranch, they moved to Tuscon, Arizona, and later to Ephrata, Washington, eventually moving back to Simms and Vaughn, Montana. After Fred passed away, Nina joined the Foster Grandparent program and helped children with their reading in the Sun River and Great Falls school systems. Nina eventually moved to the Bee Hive homes.

She is survived by her daughters, Judy Smith of Helena, Charlotte Hutsell of Arkansas; son, Curt (Tia) Dear of Fairfield; daughters-in-law, Jo Ann Williams of Fairfield, and Fay Dear of Glendive; step-daughter, Nancy (Bob) Lemire of Cascade; sister-in Law, Lorraine Rumney of Cut Bank; 18 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; and 3 great-great-grandchildren. 

She was preceeded in death by her parents; her husband, Fred; her son Kenneth “Kenny”; daughter, Dale Dear Hecker (2014); and grandson, Pete Hecker (2010); her sisters, Frances Rumney Bruneau and Mary Jean Rumney Parsons; her brother, William Benjamin Rumney; step-daughter, Carol Dear Johnson; step-son Buck Dear; as well as several nieces and nephews. 

A Memorial Gathering will be held Sat. June 25th at Hillside Cemetery, Cascade MT at 1:00 PM.  Nina’s daughter Dale and grandson Pete will also be interred at the same time.  A Celebration of Life will follow at 2:00 PM at the Holiday Inn, 1100 5th St. S, Great Falls.

The family would like to thank Curt and Tia Dear, as well as Bee Hive homes, for the care they gave Nina.

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