Connie Louise Hulse

Connie Louise Hulse, beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend, passed away August 4, 2024 in Gillette at the age of 84. Connie was born July 23, 1940, in Rochester, Minnesota to Pearl Person. Shortly after her birth, Connie and Pearl returned home to Westhope, North Dakota. Connie was an only child, but she grew up around her many cousins, most of whom were more like siblings. She spent her early years with friends and family and working in her mother’s restaurant, the Westhope Café. Connie was married in 1960 and her two children, Colan and Colleen, followed soon after. In 1967, Connie and her family arrived in Gillette, where she raised both of her children mostly on her own. She was a hardworking woman who at times held three jobs to make ends meet. She held various positions in the community before starting at Buttrey’s in the mid-70s. Connie was a cashier at Buttrey’s for nearly 30 years and through that time, she came to know entire generations of families in the area and made friends with almost everyone she met. She was quite the popular cashier and people liked her so much that they would often wait in her line for a chance to visit. She always greeted people with a big smile and a kind heart, and she genuinely cared to know how her customers were doing and what was new in their lives. Though Connie loved her job, she loved her family and being a grandmother even more. She had seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, all of whom loved and cherished her deeply. In addition to her own family, Connie was a mother and grandmother figure to many. She never hesitated to take in an extra two, three, four, or more mouths to feed and she treated everyone like they were family. She would cram her friends and family into her one-bedroom apartment on Gurley Avenue for Christmas parties and 4th of July barbeques, and in the summers, her home was a revolving door of grandchildren and their many friends. Outside of her family and work, Connie nurtured countless friendships throughout her life. She was the epitome of a social butterfly! She enjoyed playing Bunco with the gals and shooting darts with her friends. She was a member of multiple lodges in her life, but most notably, she was a proud member of the Moose Lodge and belonged to the Trinity Lutheran Church. She enjoyed traveling with her cousins, Chuck and Shirley, and with her close friends, Verna and Jim. Some of her most memorable trips were to Norway, Alaska, Tennessee, Hawaii, Arizona, California, and Canada. Whether it was dining out with her Saturday morning breakfast club or drinking red beers with her pals at the Moose, Connie never missed a chance to socialize. She was compassionate, fun loving, a bit gullible, and quite sassy when provoked! She was fun to tease and usually a good sport, and she could dish it back if needed. Connie was a big-hearted person who prided herself on having close relationships with those she cared for and she will be greatly missed. Connie is survived by her children, Colan Hulse (Dee) and Colleen Arno (Gerald); her grandchildren, Shelby Warren, Christina Starr (Josue), Samantha Buck (Matthew), Ryan Knott (Hali), Dylan Hulse (Peyton), Sammy Pinã (Orlando), and Alex Arno; her great-grandchildren, Branden Warren, Tayler Warren, Journey Snell, Davin Snell, Ryland Arno, Raider Garcia, Kieran Pinã, and Baylor Hulse; and her half-brother, Dale Haukaas (Louise). She is preceded in death by her mother, Pearl Person. Memorial services will be held August 23, 2024 at 2:00 pm at the Gillette Memorial Chapel, 210 W. 5th Street, Gillette. Per her last request, a reception (aka – a party!) will be held at the Moose Lodge following the service and all are invited. Condolences can be expressed at www.gillettememorialchapel.com and in lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to the Moose Lodge of Gillette #1957 in Connie’s name.