My life began on May 29, 1953 and on this day, May 17, 2026, my life has come to an end. I will be joining my family members who have gone before me – my father, Jim, my mother, Betty, and my beloved sister, Catharine Marie. I will also be joining many friends that I have missed for years, and I will rejoice in seeing my Lord and Savior.

I was born to Elizabeth and James Sahinen in Helena, Montana, the second of seven girls. My educational experience began at Bishop Gilmore School where I attended elementary school from first through eighth grade. My high school experience was at Catholic Central High School for my freshman and sophomore years. Catholic Central High School closed in 1969, and I finished my high school education at Helena High School, graduating in 1971.

On September 18, 1971, I married my best friend, Patrick Hurley. The very first time I met Pat, I knew that he would be the one I would marry. Our new adventure together began in Dillon as Pat finished his degree in secondary education. I worked in Dillon, Montana for the Parkview Acres Nursing Home as a secretary, bookkeeper, and nurse’s aide from 1971 until 1973.

In 1973, another adventure began when we moved back to Helena where our hearts and our home would forever be. After moving back to Helena, I worked for the State Forestry Division as a secretary until June of 1975.

July 10, 1975 was a very memorable and special day for me. On this day, I became the mother to a wonderful son, Shawn Patrick Hurley. Many years of joy and laughter were brought to the Hurley home along with much worrying and praying. Shawn was always a very happy child who was interested in the skies above and what made the world go ‘round.

I was very blessed to be able to stay at home and raise my son, one blessing that I will never forget or trade for all the money in the world. Shawn taught me to be forgiving to the most unforgivable, to laugh when it seemed impossible to do anything but cry, and to cherish family because in the end that is all we have.

Many hours were spent in the kitchen with Shawn sitting on the counter as he watched me cook, and the counter was where you could find Shawn even when he came home from college for the holidays. Another favorite time in the kitchen was listening to music and dancing with my son. Shawn and I tried to solve all the problems of the world from the countertop and the Hurley dance floor. He is one of the best cooks ever. I must say Ginger and Fred had nothing to worry about in the dance department, though.

In 1980 I began working for the Helena School District as a Playground Aide, and in 1985 I became a secretary for the District until December 2012.

Many of my years on this earth were spent watching children grow from the time they entered kindergarten until the day they graduated. I felt blessed by the many children that came and went throughout my years in the school district. There wasn’t a day that went by that the children went from one end of the spectrum (tears) to the other (smiles). I learned many things from these children and the most important was that all children needed to start their day with a smile and sometimes a hug.

My life has been blessed by my friends and the many travels that we had. The world was never the same after the “Yadies” returned from a trip.

I so enjoyed my many travels to San Diego to see Shawn and my grandpuppies, Beauregard, Dax, Toddy Boy & Bubba J. Those were some of the best times of my life.

Pat and I loved to take trips on the Harley and see the beautiful scenery wherever we went.

Those that survive me are my husband, Patrick, my son, Dr. Shawn Hurley, PhD, my dear friends, Theresa, Gayle, Kathy, Robin, Lurie and Sandi (with an “i”) along with many others.

Other survivors include my sisters Teresa, Anne, Betsy, Tricia and Jenny.

I would like for all of you to celebrate my life by being kind to one another and always remembering that life is a gift we must not take for granted. Live each day to the fullest and celebrate who you are. I have lived a wonderful life filled with many blessings and now it is time for me to be one of God’s angels. I will always be with you in spirit when the wind blows, when a rainbow shines, when a butterfly passes you and when you see a hummingbird.

A Celebration of Life will be held in June, with details forthcoming.  Please check www.simplecremationmt.com for details as available.