Betty's Perfect Attendance - 1932

Betty (Maiden) Love Jolovich racked up some enviable school attendance reports in 1932.  These monthly report records were shared with us by Betty's daughter, Janice (Love) Tenold.  To see a larger version of this document – along with other Maiden family images – visit our Maiden Family Gallery.

90-year-old Betty Love Jolovich, dies in Sheridan – the last of her Maiden family generation

They were called the "Greatest Generation."  And in so many ways they were – those durable youngsters who grew up during the Great Depression and who knew the horrors and sacrifices that came with World War Two.

Betty Love Jolovich was of that generation.  She died at her home last week (3/22/17) in Sheridan, Wyoming at age 90.

Betty (Maiden) Love Jolovich
(1926 - 2017)

Born May 27, 1926 in the family farmhouse 14 miles northeast of Chadron, Nebraska, Betty Belle Maiden was the fifth daughter in the family of Bill and Leota Maiden.  She attended school on the home place and later at the Normal Prep School in Chadron.

On June 20, 1944, Betty married Marlin Love, an Army buddy of her brother Henry.  They honeymooned back to his home in Iowa on a motorcycle.  Alas, the old 1932 Harley-Davidson broke down in western Iowa, and they had to hitchhike the rest of the trip!

After Marlin was discharged from the Army, they moved to Sheridan, Wyoming, where they arrived December 4, 1944. The Loves would spend the rest of their lives in Wyoming, mostly in and around Sheridan, where they raised their four children.

Marlin Love died in 2000, and two years later, Betty married Paul Jolovich.

In addition to her parents, Betty Love Jolovich was pre-deceased by her first husband, Marlin Love, and by her sisters Minnie Scott, Nettie Drake, Lettie Miller, Dorothy Lewis, and Jocelyn Allen; brothers David Weston, William Weston, Henry Maiden, and James Walter Maiden.

She is survived by her second husband, Paul Jolovich of Sheridan, and by her children Beverly Reinke and Sandra Mosley of Sheridan, son Matthew Love of Gillette, and daughter Janice Tenold of Rapid City; and by numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.

Her ashes will be spread near those of Marlin's up on the mountain in their beloved Big Horns, where the couple volunteered for so many years.

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Note:  The passing of Betty Love Jolovich marks the end of the Maiden family members who were of that "Greatest Generation."  She was the sole remaining child of Bill and Leota (Durham) Maiden, both born in the late 1800's.  None of the Maiden lives was easy, and that took a toll on some of them.  But it didn't hamper a tremendous sense of humor among a few of the Maiden girls – including Betty.  We'll always remember her infectious laugh, mischievous smile, and her keen wit.  None of us will soon forget this special lady.   We are adding a few additional photographs of "Aunt Betty" to the Maiden Family Gallery.

Which Maiden witch is this?

This witch flew in to Sugarland Ridge in Sheridan, Wyoming, on Halloween of 2014.  Scary as she may be in this photo by the Sheridan Press, we're convinced that she's "good witch" Betty (Maiden) Jolovich, accompanied by her daughter Jan (Love) Tenold at left and husband Paul Jolovich at right.  The young princess in the foreground is unidentified.  Witch Betty is holding the new "Stealth 88" broom, which celebrates the number of years she's been bewitching folks.

A holiday celebration of Loves

A cold and snowy night -- in a place we'd never heard of.

But the moment we walked through the door, we were delighted at what we found.  We were guests at a family reunion to honor Betty (Maiden) Love Jolovich at a remote guest ranch about 17 miles north of Buffalo, Wyoming.  

We've lived in South Dakota and Nebraska for a good number of years, and we've traveled quite a bit throughout Wyoming, but we'd never heard of this place:  The Ranch at Ucross.

Jan (Love) Tennold and her siblings -- Sandra, Matt and Beverly -- orchestrated this special reception and dinner to honor their mother, who is the last living child of William J. and Leota (Durham) Maiden.  They couldn't have chosen a nicer place.

But we have a feeling that no matter where they might have assembled, there would have been an outpouring of warmth and love that would have filled the room.  We counted 25 children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and other assembled family.  And we were fortunate enough to live close enough to receive an invitation the the festivities.

The afternoon was a time for family members to visit, tell stories, and catch up on activities.  From California and South Dakota to Arizona and Wyoming, there was an abundance of stories and lots of reminiscing.  What great fun for cousins and kinfolk to be able to come together for a holiday reunion.  The group paused long enough to be captured in the photo below.  You'll find a higher resolution version of this photograph in our Maiden Photo Gallery.  And we're working on compiling all the names for a caption, so please lend a hand!  A simple e-Mail note will do!

Following a reception and dinner at the Ranch House,  the group reconvened at the Lodge to view  an hour-long video that Larry and Karen Miller recorded at Betty's home in Dayton in 2008.  

We can think of no other way to celebrate the Christmas season that family coming together to share memories -- and to show affection for the lady who helped make it all possible:  Betty Maiden!  

With a gloomy medical diagnosis, this remarkable lady faces the future -- however short or long -- with great dignity and grace, and still nurturing the keen sense of humor that she has embraced for her 87 years.  While doctors count her future in months, we all know that her spirit -- and our memories of her -- will be alive for generations to come.  What a lady!

A conversation with Betty (Maiden) Love Jolovich

We had some great fun at the end of August, visiting with aunt Betty Love Jolovich and family. She's the sole remaining child of William J. and Leota Maiden, who raised their family on land his father had homesteaded in northern Dawes County Nebraska in the late 1880s.

Some months back, Betty's youngest daughter Jan contacted us about doing a video interview with her mother. Of course, I thought it was a terrific idea, and I was delighted that she called me to help put it together. We spent several hours with aunt Betty and her husband Paul Jolovich. In addition to Janice, her older sisters Sandy and Beverly were on hand for the tapings.

We conducted the interviews in three segments of about 45 minutes each. There's a lot of anecdotal side conversation during the video, and we'll edit out most of that and probably end up with a final interview of about 45 minutes to an hour.

Betty talks about growing up on the farm northwest of Chadron, Nebraska, the trials and tribulations of a farm kid going to school in town, meeting her "pen pal" Marlin Love, whom she then married. There's lots of fun information in this discussion, including a description of one of the most hilarious honeymoons anyone could imagine!

Lots of projects going on these days, but this is near the top of the list, and we hope to have a final video completed by the end of the year.

So Long, Shad!

With three years under his belt as a member of a National Guard medical evacuation unit in Rapid City, South Dakota, Shad Tenold is about to “ship out” for an overseas tour of duty in Kosovo. It was only fitting that many family and a few friends would gather to help send him off. That gathering took place today (May 18, 2008) at the Perkins Restaurant in Spearfish, South Dakota.

Here’s Shad with his grandmother, Betty Jolovich. His parents are Gene and Jan (Love) Tenold, who ranch near Reva in northwestern South Dakota.

We’ve posted a few other photos from the gathering at So Long, Shad!