Glenda Jean Perkins

Glenda Jean (Eyre) Perkins went to be with her Heavenly Father on April 29, 2012. She died at home peacefully with many family members surrounding her. Glenda was born February 20, 1943 in Glendive, MT to Glen E. Eyre and Emma Faye Anderson, joining two sisters Joyce and Faye. She married Robert Perkins in 1968 and raised 7 children. She packed up all 7 kids and followed Robert across the country several times pursuing his logging career. She was an expert at feeding 9 people on a shoestring budget, mostly by making everything homemade. Glenda contracted Hepatitis C during a blood transfusion in California, although it took 20 years to be diagnosed as this was a new disease. She battled as her liver failed but got a second chance at life with a transplant in 1992. Glenda took such good care of that gift, she managed to stretch her 7-10 year life expectancy to 15 years, which gave her the chance to see all 17 grandchildren grow up. She fought a valiant fight as this liver also started to fail, but she was ready to go home to Jesus. Staunch in her faith, she always said “I know where I’m going when I die” and asked everyone else, including the nurses and others involved in her care, if they knew where they were going. She was active in several churches as they moved from one adventure to the next. Glenda was involved in children’s work at church including Vacation Bible School and Sunday School. She also loved supporting mission work and helped establish some mission churches. Glenda waited tables off and on and did bookwork for the family’s logging business. She earned her GED and attended Vo-Tech school in Helena in 1986 for bookkeeping. She then worked for American Furniture and Belgrade Baptist Church as a bookkeeper. Glenda enjoyed reading and was organized and detail oriented. Always a planner, she insisted we plan her funeral , divide up possessions and write this obituary before she died! Special thanks to Glenda’s many doctors; Dr. Loeffelholz, Dr. Shayneyfelt, Dr. Wenton and especially the ER Staff who saw her and us numerous times at our worst. Also, thanks to Hospice of Southwest Montana for the loving care in the last weeks of her life and to Dahl Funeral and Cremation Service. Glenda was preceded in death by: her parents; both sisters; and oldest child, Rudy. She is survived by: her husband, Bob; sons Robert C. (Linda) Perkins Jr., Tracy (Julie) Perkins, and Kevin Perkins; daughters Wanda (Harold “Butch”) LaTray, Carrie (Russ) Frantzich, and Roxanne (Mike) Pearson; Susan Perkins (Jessie’s mother); Barb Foster (Jessie’s grandmother); grandchildren Charlee, Marcus, Alexis, Patrick, Lonnie, Laurel, Lindsey, Jessie, Kayce, Cory, Jo Lynn, Jeana, Erik, Nicole, Tara, Rocky and Mikayla; and great-grandchildren Elijah, Shai, Uriah, Leelyn, River, Cory Wade, and Courtney. A visitation will be held from 6:00pm to 7:00pm on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at Dahl Funeral Chapel. A Funeral Service will be held at 2:00pm on Thursday, May 3, 2012 at the Bridge Church (formerly Belgrade Baptist), 608 Jackrabbit Ln., Belgrade, MT 59714. Glenda had numerous pastors over the years and requested they be a part of the service. They became affectionately known as the “Parade of Pastors”. Interment will take place at Meadowview Cemetery in Manhattan with a reception to follow at the Bridge Church. Memorials may be made in Glenda’s name to Rodeo Bible Camp, c/o Clark Mueller, 4442 Penwell Bridge Rd., Belgrade, MT 59714 unless otherwise designated. Remember to become an organ donor, save a life! It’s easy, you can sign up at any Motor Vehicle Office when you renew your driver’s license.