Beulah graduated from Bainville High School in 1936, then earned her BA from the University of Montana in Business Administration when only 3% of women in the United States graduated from college.
Her professional life began as a high school business teacher. She taught from 1940 to 1947 in the Montana school districts of Dodson, Wolf Point and Billings. In 1947, she left teaching to work in the legal and executive departments of Carter Oil Company (now Exxon) in Billings until her marriage in 1949 after which she stayed home to raise a family. She was active in Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, the AAUW (American Association of University Women), and school PTA. She served as a Cub Scout leader, Blue Bird leader, taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.
Beulah reentered the employment world in 1963 as Director of Donor Recruitment for the American National Red Cross. She left that position in 1965 but remained a volunteer consultant until 1975.
In 1965 she began working in the H.O. Smestad Trucking Co. and continued there until her retirement in 1989. Always looking for new challenges, in 1982 Beulah established “Smestads”, a mail order company, long before mail order became a common way of doing business. She later established “Shari Beauty Accents”, a cosmetic company in 1986.
Beulah married her childhood sweetheart and the love of her life, Harris Smestad, on October 22, 1949. They raised three children in Great Falls, Montana: Sharon, Stephen and Gary. After Beulah and Harris retired, they traveled extensively around the world including to Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Tahiti, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, France, Germany, Scotland, England, and Holland. Their favorite trips however were to visit their grandchildren in Minnesota, Virginia and Arizona.
Beulah was an avid sports enthusiast. She loved watching anything in which her children and grandchildren were participating. After becoming a permanent Arizona resident in 1996, she became an avid follower of the Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Suns. Other interests included reading, playing Sudoku, following her grandchildren and friends on Tik Tok, texting and spending time with friends.
Beulah enjoyed life! She was an eternal optimist and fun to be around. She had unusually close relationships with people of all generations and that was especially true of her family. She adored, and was adored by, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, whether they arrived by birth, adoption or marriage. She had a unique and special connection with each and every one of them knew that they were her “favorite”.
Beulah is survived by her children: Sharon Sill; Stephen (Kathy) Smestad; Gary (Brenda) Smestad; grandchildren: Justin (Shveta) Sill; Nathan (Anne) Sill; Adam Sill; Chandra Sill; Zachary (Kelly) Sill; Brandan Smestad; Kalynn (Casey) Durkiewicz; Jennifer (Rob) Ricotta and great-grandchildren: Jackson Sill, Owen Sill, Brooks Sill, Noah Sill, Wesley Sill, Freyja Smestad, Branson Smestad and Jett Durkiewiez. She was preceded in death by her husband, Harris Smestad, son-in-law, Douglas Sill, grandson, Cody Smestad; parents Lawrence and Eva Jensen; her brother and sister-in-law, William and Margaret Jensen; and sister Marjorie Sparhawk.
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