On April 20, 1930, Jean (Price) Thirud was born to Winston and Jeanette Price in Williston, ND. She was the second oldest of seven children. After graduating from Williston High School, she moved to Minnesota where she attended Northwestern Hospital School of Nursing. After graduation, she spent the next few years as a traveling nurse, working all over the United States. During that time, she attended a Yankees game in NYC, was an OB nurse for actress Angela Lansbury in CA, worked in a cancer ward in New Orleans and spent some time in Cuba.

In 1951, she met the love of her life, Sven Thirud, and they married in November 1953. They lived in Williston and Alexander, working Sven's family farm until 1957, when they moved to Sidney, MT. There, they raised their four children, Daun, Kris, Mark and Lisa. Thirud Office Supply was established in 1963 and for the next 30 years, Jean contributed to the family business whenever and however she could, including renovations, inventory, management and sales. During their 50 years together, Jean and Sven traveled the world.

She was a longtime member of Lonsdale United Methodist Church and volunteered many hours for various causes. Jean had a passion for art and dabbled in oil painting, ceramics and pottery, Norwegian rosemaling, interior design, stained glass, international cuisine, cake decorating and finally quilting. For her, quilting was a beautiful blend of her skills as a seamstress and her creativity as an artist. After her diagnosis of Age-Related Macular Degeneration, she attended a residential blind school to learn how to cope with her diminishing eyesight. With this knowledge, she continued quilting well into her 90s.

After Sven's passing, she moved to Billings, MT to live near her son, Mark. She was then diagnosed with lung cancer but fought it and was finally deemed cancer-free. Jean never passed up the opportunity to chat with a new acquaintance, cashier, nurse, receptionist, or wait person and she treasured coffee with a friend. She spent her last years in a Billings assisted living facility.

Jean peacefully passed away at the age of 94 on Monday March 3, 2025, at the Tendernest Assisted Living Facility in Billings, MT with family by her side.

Jean is survived by her children Daun (Kenny) Wick, Mark Thirud and Lisa (JF) Lucas; grandchildren Wendy Fisher, Kim Bivens, Ty Thirud, McKenzie Cooke and Dalton Lucas; and six great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. Jean is preceded in death by her parents, son Kris, husband Sven, and five siblings.

Memorial Contribution