Thelma L. Ruffatto-Hollingsworth

Thelma L. Ruffatto-Hollingsworth, 98, died on December 25, 2022, at her home in Columbia Falls.

Thelma was born on Sept. 7, 1924, in Butte to Hilda Johnson-Ruffatto and Lawrence Ruffatto.

She was proud of being a Butte Kid, as she always called it.

Thelma moved to Washington during World War II to become a riveter in the airplane factories with a dear friend.

She was proud to be a Rosie the Riveter.

When the war was over, she moved to Southern Washington and became a waitress and met the man she would marry who was the cook, Richard Hollingsworth.

They traveled all over the Northwest, and then headed for Central California where they eventually ended up in Silicon Valley, a small at the time town where they settled in the late 1950 with their two children, Rae Carol, and Sandra Lynn.

In the late ’80s they came back to Montana and bought land in Lost Prairie west of Kalispell and built their home getting ready for retirement. After the death of her husband in the late ‘90s, Thelma sold the Lost Prairie property and made her new home in Columbia Falls.

While there, she became a member of Women of the Loyal Order of the Moose in Whitefish. She also loved to dance and became a teacher of line dancing at the Columbia Falls Senior Center where she made many new friends.

Thelma was preceded in death by her parents Hilda Johnson-Ruffatto and Lawrence Ruffatto of Butte; her husband Richard (Dick) Hollingsworth Marion; her son Larry Johnson-Ruffatto; her brother Dom Ruffatto of Whitefish; and her daughter Sandra Hollingsworth-Mullens of Kalispell.

She is survived by her Sister Joyce Ruffatto-Chouinard of Butte;, her daughter Rae Ruffatto-Hollingsworth of Columbia Falls; grandchildren, Jeri Hollingsworth-Egger, Jeff Hollingsworth-Burke, Dawn Ruffatto-Hollingsworth, Richard Hollingsworth-Mullens, Joshua Hollingsworth-Nunley, Eleanor Ruffatto-Hollingsworth; plus numerous great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

No services will be held at this time, but a celebration of life will be held later.

Darlington Cremation and Burial Service is caring for Thelma and her family.