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(Oct. 10, 1926 - July 17, 2017)
Elizabeth Jean Mittan Hendry, 90, of Cody, died at West Park Hospital’s Long Term Care Center on July 17, 2017.
Liz was born on Oct. 10, 1926, in Malone, Washington, to Lawrence and Louise Mittan. She graduated from school in Renton, Washington. Soon after, her family ended up in Meeteetse where her father worked as a logger.
Liz joined the United States Air Force in 1952 and was honorably discharged in 1956 as a staff sergeant. She was a trained cryptographer with many top-secret duties at the Pentagon as well as in Germany. She was the head of the records department where she gleefully turned down high-ranking generals if they didn’t have proper security clearance to access the records room.
Liz also worked in the Catholic Chaplain department in the military.
She married Marion D. Collier and later had three sons to this union: Michael, Kevin, and Gregory. The young family traveled around Europe and Japan as Marion finished his duties in the military.
The family eventually settled back in Meeteetse, where Liz kept a rural mailing route for 15 years. Liz and Marion would later divorce.
Liz married the love of her life, Buck Hendry, in 1994. They loved to travel across the West in their RV and experience all the joys of retirement with each other.
In 2014, Liz was diagnosed with renal failure and she spent the next three years at West Park Hospital. Buck faithfully visited daily and remained at her side until her death.
Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Meeteetse on Monday, July 24. Committal services were at the Meeteetse Cemetery with Military Honors by the VFW Post 2673 Honor Guard.
An online memorial is available at www.BallardFH.com.
