Jo Lewis

“Jo” Josephine Lewis passed away April 27, 2026, at the age of 98.

She was born in Hafford, Saskatchewan on February 11, 1928. She graduated from high school in East Coulee, Alberta where she lived with her parents, Mary and John Gerat. She met her husband, “Harry” Harold Edward Lewis, in Drumheller, Alberta and they were married September 20, 1949, in Kindersley, Saskatchewan. They lived briefly in Drumheller and Grand Prairie, Alberta, then settled in Lethbridge, Alberta where they raised their two boys from 1955—1972. In 1972, they moved to Great Falls, Montana to continue Harry’s independent trucking business in the United States.

Some of Jo’s first jobs were working in Drumheller Valley Coal Mine offices. She worked with Harry and his owner-operator trucking business from 1951—1990 when he retired. She shared the head of the household role, holding down the fort, with Harry on the road so much. Starting in the 1960s with crafts, rocks and gems, and ceramics, Jo worked on turning these and other pursuits into a business. In the 80s and 90s she expanded to teddy bears, dolls, antiques, and collectibles and started Bluebird Antiques. Jo was an important part of the beginning of Great Falls Antique Mall world. She had roughly a dozen shops in many malls up until 2025. She also took Bluebird Antiques on the road, often with her friend Linda Laughlin, doing big antique shows from Portland to Kansas City, and then online with eBay in 1998.

Jo loved her family more than anything and made so many friends from all walks of her life and kept them (though she outlived most of them). She was generous and would give anyone the shirt off her back. She was a prairie gal but loved to hit the road and travel anywhere (usually driving fast). Jo was a force of nature, always doing something, making something, collecting something, or learning something. She loved garage sales, thrift stores, antique shops, dollar stores, post-holiday sales, and anything discounted. She was always on the lookout for things that her family and friends loved. One of her many superpowers was that she could find those things…and the cool things she loved for her myriad collections. She also kept up with the hobbies, music, and activities her family, including grandkids, and great-grandkids were interested in.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Johnny Gerat; and husband, Harry. She is survived by her sons, Hal Lewis (Millicent) and Ted Lewis (Roxie); six grandchildren, David Lewis (Francesca Moore), Caroline Lewis, and Justin Lewis (Casey), and Kelly Lewis, and Bryan (Erin) and Joe Cartwright; and eight great-grandchildren, Ellie and Harrison Lewis, and Julian Lewis, Lillian Moore, and Jacqueline Lewis, and Aliyah, Bryce, and Dary Cartwright.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel with niche placement at Hillcrest Lawn Mausoleum following the service.