Elizabeth Ellen Nickol

Betty Cushing Nickol, 95, passed away on September 28, 2026, surrounded by her devoted caretakers, daughter Ramona and granddaughter Emily, and her son Philip, who watched over her at the family farm for many previous years. Born November 13, 1930, she nearly reached her 96th birthday.She was born in Havre, MT, to her parents Elizabeth Muir Cushing and Raymond Cushing. Given the name Elizabeth, she preferred Betty. In a story she recalled about her upbringing, “ I’m glad they called me ‘Betty,’ instead of ‘Elizabeth.’ They called Mother ‘Lizzie or Liz,’ and I never did like those names, but she didn’t mind.” Betty shared a close bond with her mother and faithfully helped hold the responsibility of homemaker on their family homestead in Chester, MT. Her home in the Sweet Grass Hills was shared with her two senior brothers, Tommy and Jimmy, and later joined by her younger siblings, Bob, Rose, David, and Pat. With her dutiful responsibility, she took it upon herself to take charge, though Bob was always determined to take the reins on the things he thought he ought to do; Betty stood her ground and battled him straight on. 

Betty loved to read, a passion that began as soon as she was old enough to climb into a chair on her own. With a newspaper in hand, she was determined to read and learn. Her love of reading continued throughout her life, she could often be found enjoying an issue of Reader’s Digest. Because of this, she was an astute student and greatly valued her education. She enjoyed writing letters to close friends and family. She once recalled, “I wanted to see an 'old ewe,' as that was what Mother said I acted like when I had a temper tantrum and stamped my foot.” Betty uniquely remarked with an expressive wit and a twinkling tee-hee to her laugh. After she graduated High School, she worked at the courthouse in Chester until marrying John Nickol on July 20, 1955.She moved with her cat to John’s house near Ledger, above the Marias River where they had 9 children, farmed the land, and raised cattle, ponies, and Arabian horses. Betty’s greatest passion was for horses, especially Arabians, and together she and John raised Arabian horses for forty years. She co-founded the Tri-County Arabian Horse Club, dedicated countless hours to the Marias Fair 4-H Horse Committee, and judged many project books. This passion came from her mother and has been passed down to succeeding generations.

Betty loved to go riding out on the prairie in the afternoons and after supper. Throughout her life, grandchildren would catch her riding her horse and proudly standing at the top of the canyon watching them down at the riverbed. Betty was surrounded by a legacy of children; she was known as Great-Grandma, Grandma, and Mama — always Mama. Betty is survived by her brothers Bob and David (Ellen) Cushing of Billings; her sister Pat Seibert; her children Patrick (Linda) Nickol of Kalispell, Barbara (Jim) Bouma of Choteau, David (Patti) Nickol of Helena, Ramona Kinyon of Galata, Bernadette Nickol of Kalispell, Juanita (Ricardo) Rodriguez of Conrad, Philip (Leorra) Nickol of Ledger, and Konrad Nickol of Kalispell, twenty-two grandchildren, and twenty-three great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, John Nickol; her brothers Tommy and Jimmy Cushing; her sister, Rose Campbell; daughter, LeAnn Nickol (Phil Norman); son-in-law, Bruce Kinyon; son-in-law, Dave Polansky; grandson, Bret Bouma; and great-granddaughter, Nevaeh Bouma-Scott. The family suggests memorials be directed to Liberty County Museum and Marias Fair 4-H Horse Committee.