Dolores Marquerite Tash

Dolores "Buzz" Tash, 98

Living life on her terms until the very end, Dolores "Buzz" Tash died Oct. 21 in Dillon. She was 98.

Buzz was born Sept. 24, 1928, to Walter Cline and Charlotte (Fiske) Cline in Bozeman, the third of four sisters, and the tomboy of the group. Her siblings were Phyllis, Lilah and Coleene.

Buzz and her sisters grew up poor, but not without. Their dad was a contract farmer and worked on several farms in the Gallatin Valley as they grew up. Food was always on the table, and they had decent clothes to wear, though some were hand-me-downs from other families in the area, for which Buzz was very grateful.

Her family first lived in a little log house on the west Gallatin River. The family eventually moved to a stone house on Amsterdam Road, where their dad worked for the Sales Ranch. Her mother gave her the nickname Buzz because as a small child she never slowed down ... always buzzing around, busy as a bee.

Buzz attended the Cameron Country School until 5th grade, often riding her beloved horse, Brownie, to school. She later attended schools in Belgrade, including Belgrade High School, from where she graduated in 1946.

Buzz was thrilled and thankful to become the first in her family to attend college when she enrolled at Montana State University for a year. She then attended and graduated with a teaching degree from Montana Normal School (now University of Montana-Western) in Dillon, where she met and fell in love with Dale Tash of Dillon. They married Dec. 27, 1949, in Bozeman.

She taught school in Three Forks and then in Missoula while Dale earned his master's degree in education from the University of Montana. They moved to Dillon, where Dale taught at the college, and later lived briefly in Boulder, CO, where Dale worked on his doctorate in education.

They moved back to Dillon and raised four children - Ray, Betty, and twins Paul and Sue - primarily in the Ibeyville neighborhood on Skihi Street. In the 1990s she returned to her roots and lived again in a log cabin, this one in Bannack State Park, which Dale managed after retiring from Western. One winter was enough, though, and she returned to Dillon and lived again in Ibeyville, this time on Tobacco Root Road, until her death.

None of the children can remember a swear word, or even a cross word, ever coming from their mom while they grew up - she was an incredibly caring lady, empathetic and kind, and always with a smile. She was the family's moral compass, for sure.

Buzz was also confident and fearless, living at home by herself until the very last days, with no problems driving to the grocery store or to get her hair done. She could be stubborn, too, promising to use her walker while family visited, only to "put it out of the way" when she was alone.

Her husband Dale died in 1998. Survivors include daughter Betty Iverson of Dillon, daughter and son-in-law Sue and Jay Hansen of Dillon, sons and daughters-in-law Ray and Nancy Tash of Ocean Park, WA, and Paul and Carol Tash of Butte; grandchildren Anna (Mark) Buckner and Jake Iverson, Josh (Brit) Hansen and Cecelia (Bo) Herak, Nicholas and Jorie Tash, Jennifer Avila and Tammy Shubat; and great-granddaughter Lainey Herak.

A celebration of life will be held Dec. 5 in Dillon at a location to be determined. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Dale Tash Scholarship Fund, in care of the University of Montana-Western Foundation, or the Beaverhead Animal Shelter.